As 2016 draws to a close, revelers around the world are bidding a weary adieu to a year filled with political surprises, prolonged conflicts, deadly attacks at gatherings and deaths of legendary celebrities.
Here’s a look at how people are ushering in the new year:
New York City
An estimated 1 million people ushered in the new year in Times Square, screaming and kissing as the glittering crystal ball dropped.
New Year’s Eve revelers began to fill Times Square hours before midnight. They braved cold temperatures and strong winds at the Crossroads of the World to greet 2017 amid heavy police protection.
Maria Raimilla, from New Jersey, said 2016 was rough.
“Everything is going to be new,” she said at midnight. “I just want to find happiness this year and leave all the bad things behind.”
Lori Haan, from Tucson, Arizona, and her husband were on their first trip to New York. She said she’s looking forward to what 2017 brings.
“This is a great start to the new year,” she said. “We are doing something new and exciting, and I hope that it’s a theme for the rest of the year.”
Dozens of 20-ton sanitation trucks weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand blocked off streets leading to the celebration zone to avoid the possibility of a truck attack like those in Germany and France in recent months. About 7,000 police officers, along with specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs, were on guard.
