Have you ever wondered how the tradition of dropping a ball at the stroke of midnight began?
It began in 1904 in New York City when the new owner of the New York Times decided to celebrate the New Year and to show off their new offices. They threw an all-day street festival culminating with midnight fireworks. At midnight revelers cheered and celebrated with rattles and noisemakers. The city later put a kibosh on the fireworks display and thus, the origin of the dropping of the ball began and the annual New Years Eve bash began. In 1907, Ochs, the owner of the New York Times commissioned the building of an electric-lit ball to be lowered on a flagpole on the roof of Times Square! The ball has been dropped ever since, with the exception of 1942 and 1943, when wartime light restrictions forced its cancellation.
The first-time ball was created using Incandescent light bulbs and wood and iron. Today the ball has over 504 Waterford Crystals, halogen bulbs and spinning mirrors! The ball weighs over 1,000 pounds.
People have been celebrating the start of each for over four thousand years! Most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31st, New Year’s Eve, and include common traditions such as parties, champagne, special foods, making resolutions, watching fireworks and the dropping of a ball at midnight!
In Orlando, we celebrate New Year’s Eve by dropping an orange! Yep, to honor our rich agricultural history as a leading supplier of citrus, oranges in particular!
So, where can you watch this orange drop? Church Street is one of the hottest spots in Orlando on New Year’s Eve! Head down for a lot of free events or buy tickets to one of the many celebrations!
You can also check out the Attic Nightclub will be throwing their annual New Year’s Eve party again this year.
