Watching the ball drop at Times Square

[Dani]

Okay ... so I was watching the ball drop at Times Square tonight (don't worry, on television, I'm not crazy enough to commute into the city tonight) and I was wondering just how famous the NYC ball dropping thing is? Do people outside NYC tune into it on tv? Is it on the local news? Does anyone not on the east coast watch the ball drop? I would assume no since it wouldn't exactly correspond to their midnight, so that's pretty silly. Do other states and time zones have their own ball dropping? What does your region / country do to welcome the new year?

[mattyd]

Okay ... so I was watching the ball drop at Times Square tonight (don't worry, on television, I'm not crazy enough to commute into the city tonight) and I was wondering just how famous the NYC ball dropping thing is? Do people outside NYC tune into it on tv? Is it on the local news? Does anyone not on the east coast watch the ball drop? I would assume no since it wouldn't exactly correspond to their midnight, so that's pretty silly. Do other states and time zones have their own ball dropping? What does your region / country do to welcome the new year?

As far as the U.S. goes it is the standard New Year's observance, direct feeds from NYC for hours, etc. Everywhere I have ever lived outside of NYC has always had it (Ohio, Texas)-- it is quite common. I grew up with it.

I have never really cared that much about it, though (I find it bit depressing and sentimental so I avoid it). I was debugging code and doing laundry while the ball dropped.;)

Regards,
sharky_machine

[Dani]

But why would someone in California, for example, care about when it turned midnight on the other side of the country? Is there no famous west coast countdown, for example?

[mattyd]

But why would someone in California, for example, care about when it turned midnight on the other side of the country? Is there no famous west coast countdown, for example?

Yes, that's true. ;) Well, I guess it has become a tradition; NYC, in many ways, is the Capitol of the World :cheesy: so I imagine even people in Australia, Russia, or London perhaps watch it on cable, possibly.

Every major city probably has their own sort of countdown but not so publicized or followed. When I lived in Texas we would watch it (NYC countdown)a couple of hours before it actually occurred there (in Texas.) It's like we had two New Year's.

sharky_machine

[happygeek]

The NYC ball drop doesn't even tend to get featured on the round up of midnight action around the world on the news here any more.

We get the live stuff from London beamed around the country (fireworks at midnight on the Thames, using the London Eye as the centrepiece, and Big Ben striking the hour) with some brief looks at places such as Edinburgh, Cardiff and possibly one or two other big cities if they have done something interesting. Then, the next day, we get a round up of what happened around the world - usually fireworks related as we seem to be obsessed with the darn things...

[Jaysun]

For the first time in many years I didn't get to see the ball drop. I had to go night, nightt so I could get up at 0345 to get ready for work. I did tape it. :P

I will watch it later today...

['Stein]

Well I've always watched it, both from Tennessee (Eastern Time) and from Chicago (Central).

[Ancient Dragon]

Here in St Louis they usually rerun it when its midnight central time zone. I've watched it here every since I can remember. Years ago we also watch all (or many) live big-band parties in various cities. Unfortunately TV doesn't do that any more -- what a pitty young people will miss that tradition.

[happygeek]

I thought the whole Nokia New Year thing was excellent, and hope they run an even bigger global party for 2007/2008.

[WaltP]

I was in Detroit and got to see it fall real-time rather than at 11PM for once. (althought I don't make it a practice). I'm sure most of the country actually watches it. It's not just the "time" but the extravaganza of it. And I think the other time zones see it as the country's official entry into the new year.

[jbennet]

Ive never seen the baldropping thing as Im always in scotland for new year/hogmanay as its a much bigger deal there

[Ancient Dragon]

I have never heard of hogmanay, so looked it up on google. OMG! It appears to be a 4-day celebration!

[happygeek]

Have to admit, watching the Jools Holland Hootnanny on the telly with a few close friends and family round has become something of a tradition here of late.

[jbennet]

modern hogmanay is essentially the eve of new year with lots of drinking followed by spending the next day hungover.

[Mushy-pea]

Well, I saw the new year in in Bristol with a primal scream. I was in a pub garden with my sister (and loads of others, obviously) and some guy we knew started screaming "aaarrrhhh....". Soon others joined in and it built up until it was like "AAAARRRRHHHH!?!?...." :p :p :p :p . Everyone was screaming in unison. It was almost surreal.

Steven.

[jbennet]

lol

[happygeek]

For a moment I thought you meant you were in a pub with Primal Scream, the band...

[BamaStangGuy]

I watched it twice. They showed it drop for Eastern time and then for Central time which is what I am in