New Year's Eve fireworks over Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
© Wagner Meier/Getty Images
Midnight in Rio
New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day, is celebrated around the world with revelry, fireworks, and for some, religious and cultural observances. Many countries celebrate with foods symbolic of prosperity, long life, and good fortune for the coming year, and many people sing the Scottish folk song 'Auld Lang Syne' at the stroke of midnight in remembrance of old friends and past experiences. In a tradition that dates back to the ancient Greeks, the new year is often personified as a baby that is paired with an old man who represents the year that is ending.
Get-togethers are a common way to ring in the new year, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, throws a memorable one. Rio is known for many things, including colorful, exuberant celebrations, glorious beaches, and the free New Year's Eve party at Copacabana Beach, seen in today's image. Known as Réveillon to locals, this New Year's Eve soiree is the largest in the world, with millions of revelers.