Australia, one of the first countries to enter in 2018, has experienced moments of tension due to the explosion of a boat full of fireworks.
When in Spain there are still a handful of hours for 2017 to close the curtain and welcome the new year, there are already several countries that have already celebrated the New Year. This is the case of Oceania and some parts of East Asia, which enjoy the different time and special New Year's Eve because of the time difference.
One of the first countries to mark the beginning of 2018 has been New Zealand, where tens of thousands of citizens have taken their streets and beaches to celebrate New Year's Eve. As the new year dawned in this nation of the southern hemisphere, fireworks resounded and crackled over the centers and ports of its main cities, and attendees sang, hugged, danced and kissed.
In Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, tens of thousands of people have gathered around the Sky Tower to witness five minutes of non-stop pyrotechnics from the top of the structure. In contrast, on nearby Waiheke Island, 30 kilometers away, authorities have canceled the planned fireworks display due to drought conditions and low water supply for firefighters.
Its neighbor, Australia, has also changed. Fireworks have illuminated the sky over Sydney Harbor. The massive display of fireworks has included a cascade of lights and a rainbow color that has flowed from the harbor bridge to celebrate recently passed legislation that legalizes gay marriage in Australia.
It is estimated that more than one million people have gathered to see the New Year's Eve show. The authorities of Sydney have explained that the event would generate about 170 million dollars for the city and "priceless advertising". In fact, almost half of those present were tourists.
However, hours before, at 9:00 pm local time in Sydney, the explosion of a boat full of fireworks has sown terror among those present, prepared to celebrate New Year's Eve. The accident has caused the eviction of hundreds of people from the beach of Terrigal, near Sydney. and the burning of a ship that was facing the coast. According to some witnesses, some of the fireworks have shot horizontally towards people who were on the beach to watch the show. Apparently, no one would have been seriously injured, although the emergency services and the authorities are still working on the ground to clarify the facts.
A couple of hours later, New Year's Eve has arrived in Japan, where many of its citizens celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dog in the traditional way of praying for peace and good fortune in Shinto sanctuaries of the neighborhood and eating New Year's food. like noodles, shrimp and sweet black beans.
At the Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, stalls of pork and barbecue and octopus have been set up, where people take turns ringing the giant bell 108 times at midnight, an annual practice that is repeated in other Buddhist temples. all of Japan.
At the same time South Korea has changed its year. After spending an exhausting year that saw a presidency overthrown by a corruption scandal and a missile from North Korea shot nuclearly after the missile, South Koreans enter 2018 with the need for a happy distraction. In this sense, the next Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games are set on the horizon.
Thousands of people have filled the streets near Seoul City Hall for a traditional entrance bell ceremony to start the new year. The group of dignitaries chosen to play the Bosingak bell at midnight includes Soohorang and Bandabi, the tiger and bear mascots for the Pyeongchang Winter and Paralympic Games in February and March.
On the other hand, thousands of people have congregated in coastal areas of the east, including Gangneung, the coastal city that will host the Olympic skating and hockey events, to see the sunrise in 2018.
Those willing to face the cold in Beijing have joined the countdown in the tower of Yongdingmen Gate, a reconstructed version of the Ming Dynasty era gate at the south end of the north-south axis of the city. Bells have been tolled and prayers have been offered in the temples of Beijing, but the New Year celebrations of the Gregorian calendar are usually silent in China compared to the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, a time of fireworks, festivals and family meetings.
Authorities across China were also on high alert for stampedes or terrorist attacks at large public gatherings. Police in the central city of Zhengzhou put 3,500 officers in service throughout the city as residents gathered to watch a light show and cultural performances in a public square. The official Xinhua News Agency reported, in turn, that President Xi Jinping sent a New Year's greeting to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, saying that Beijing is ready to boost cooperation with Russia in 2018.
More eventful is the New Year's celebration in the Philippines. Hours before midnight, authorities had already reported that dozens of people had been injured by festive firecrackers.
Although the number of injuries has decreased in recent years, in large part due to economic difficulties and government prevention campaigns, the numbers are still alarming. President Rodrigo Duterte signed an order in June that limits the use of firecrackers to areas designated by the community, such as near shopping centers and parks. Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that the noisy celebrations of the New Year drive away evil and misfortune. But they have taken that superstition to extremes, exploding dangerously large firecrackers and firing pistols to receive the new year despite threats of arrest.