Nepal Edition
Ano Viejo leads today's complete edition for Nepal.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
Not an official holiday, but try finding someone at work. The country gathers at the coast to watch the Valparaiso fireworks, eats twelve grapes at midnight for twelve wishes, and toasts with champagne. The Valparaiso show is three kilometers of fireworks over the bay and it is spectacular. The grapes are mandatory.
The fireworks over Sydney Harbour are watched by a billion people worldwide and by a hundred thousand people standing in the Domain with warm champagne and sore feet. The countdown is shouted. The kiss at midnight is given. And someone has already set off illegal fireworks in the suburban backyard and the dog is under the bed.
Another midnight celebration with the whole family. The leftover pan dulce from Christmas reappears, the sidra is still flowing, and someone counts down from ten. Paper fireworks in the street, hugs all around, and the unshakeable feeling that next year, surely, things will be better. "El ano que viene si," the eternal Argentine hope.
The last day of the Gregorian year is celebrated with fireworks in Kathmandu, especially in Thamel and Basantapur, and with parties in restaurants and hotels. The traditional meal is dal bhat, and the new year is greeted with the phrase "Naya Barsha ko Shubha Kamana!" The fireworks over the old city are spectacular, and the streets of Thamel are filled with revelers. The celebration is primarily a youth event, and it reflects the globalized culture of urban Nepal, where New Year's Eve is an excuse to dance, drink, and forget the everyday.
