by Sean McGarry
A glimpse into events leading up to the new year.
New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. Retrieved from History
It’s that time of year again—time to sit back in the company of friends and family, celebrating 2022 in a variety of ways. But, there is still lingering skepticism regarding New Year festivities as COVID-19 rages through the United States. Nonetheless, several cities are adjusting to make New Year’s Eve as memorable as any pre-COVID fete.
Namely, the main concerns involved major gatherings. Specifically, the number of people permitted to gather. For example, the Times Square ball drop enthralls a crowd of over 60,000 people annually. This year, however, it was limited to a mere 15,000 spectators. Moreover, Los Angeles and Berlin will not even allow people to congregate; instead, they have chosen to live stream their traditions. In New Jersey, New Brunswick has cancelled its “Salute to Vienna” show, and the State Theatre has done the same with its production of “The Hip Hop Nutcracker.”
Nevertheless, the repercussions will not impact most people, who plan to stay home. Those interested in the events surrounding the ball drop have many options for celebration. From 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., make sure to tune into Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson’s New Year’s Eve special on NBC (online or on television). Country fans can also count on Nashville’s Big Bash on CBS for New Year entertainment. Among the dozens of other New Year shows, these two aim to fill the gap left by COVID and cover the iconic NYC ball drop.
Wishing everyone a happy new year!
Sources
Lenihan, R. (2021, December 29). New Year’s 2022: What’s Open, What’s Closed. TheStreet. https://www.thestreet.com/latest-news/new-years-2022-whats-open-whats-closed
Patrick O’Shea, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. (2021, December 29). COVID upsurge quashes New Year’s Eve and other events. Nj. https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021/12/covid-upsurge-quashes-new-years-eve-and-other-events.html
Shealy, C. (2021, December 31). How to Watch 2022 New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Countdown
Live Online. Decider. https://decider.com/2021/12/31/how-to-watch-2022-new-years-
eve-ball-drop-countdown-live-online/