The world celebrated the arrival of 2023, bidding farewell to a troubled year filled with various political, sporting, social, and economic events, the most notable of which were the war in Ukraine, record inflation, Argentina's victory in the Qatar World Cup, and the passing of prominent figures, including Pope Benedict XVI. Many around the world eagerly awaited the new year, hoping to leave behind the challenges of 2022.
**New York**
In New York, colorful confetti rained down on the crowds in Times Square after the iconic ball drop, a tradition that dates back to 1907. Visitors from around the world waited for hours in the rain and cold to be part of this event.
**Brazil**
In Brazil, large crowds gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where the number of attendees was expected to reach two million, celebrating New Year's with music and fireworks, without any of the COVID-19 precautions enforced in recent years. These festivities came just hours before Brazil's new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was to be inaugurated after a narrow election victory in October. Ana Carolina Rodrigues, who came to celebrate on Copacabana, expressed hope that 2023 would bring a government that "cares more about people's health."
**France**
Across the Atlantic, Parisians and a “normal” number of tourists compared to 2018 and 2019, according to officials, seized the opportunity to gather along the Champs-Élysées for a fireworks display, with police reporting approximately one million attendees. Nineteen-year-old student Elias Hachelef stated, "We are here for the atmosphere, to have a good time and be together. It’s beautiful!"
**Australia**
Hours earlier, Sydney was among the first major cities to welcome the new year, reclaiming its title as the "New Year’s capital of the world" after having experienced closures and limited celebrations due to the Omicron variant in the past two years.
**Russia**
In contrast, there appeared to be weak enthusiasm for grand celebrations in Russia. Moscow canceled its traditional fireworks display, following President Vladimir Putin's statement in his New Year’s address that "moral and historical rights" stand with Russia amid international condemnation due to the war.
**United Kingdom**
Meanwhile, London welcomed crowds eager to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks for the first time since the COVID pandemic began. Notably, the coastal town of Scarborough opted out of the fireworks to avoid disturbing the recent sighting of the seal "Thor" in the harbor.
**UAE**
The Middle East welcomed 2023 with a traditional fireworks display from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which stands 830 meters tall in Dubai. Laser lights added to the spectacle, showcasing messages such as "Hugging Again," clearly signaling the end of COVID-related restrictions.
**China**
Conversely, China began 2023 grappling with a surge in COVID infections. Nevertheless, New Year's Eve celebrations proceeded as planned, despite hospitals being overwhelmed in the most populous country in the world, following a sharp rise in cases after lifting strict "zero COVID" measures. Celebrants in Beijing flocked to clubs, parties, and bars, while young people celebrated in the streets of Shanghai near the iconic Bund waterfront, as seen in videos on social media. Additionally, large crowds in Wuhan, where COVID-19 first emerged, released celebratory balloons in a central square at midnight.
**Notable Deaths of the Past Year**
Last year recorded mass resignations from jobs following the pandemic crisis, a slap during the Oscars ceremony, and a decrease in billionaire wealth due to the crash in cryptocurrency values. The year also witnessed the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II, Brazilian football legend Pelé, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and, lastly, former Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve. Moreover, the global population surpassed the historic threshold of eight billion people in November.
**The Ukraine War**
However, the world will always remember 2022 for the return of war to Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his New Year’s address, "It was our year. The year of Ukraine. We are fighting and will continue to fight" until victory, hoping that the new year would be "a year of return... of our lands" to Ukrainian sovereignty. He added, "We were asked to surrender. We chose to counterattack! We were told to make concessions... We are joining the European Union and NATO." Over more than 300 days, nearly seven thousand civilians were killed and about ten thousand injured, according to the UN human rights office, while 16 million Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes.
