New Year 2028

What this countdown tracks

New Year 2028 – the ringing in of January 1, 2028 at midnight on December 31, 2027. The countdown to a Saturday New Year's Day, observed worldwide as the start of the Gregorian calendar year and a public holiday in over 190 countries.

About New Year's Day

New Year's Day on January 1 is the most globally observed holiday on the calendar – a public holiday in over 190 countries, including those that primarily mark other new years for religious or cultural purposes (China, India, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia all keep January 1 as a civil holiday alongside their traditional new years). The Gregorian calendar – introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct cumulative drift in the older Julian calendar – is the basis of nearly all civil dating worldwide.

January 1 as the start of the year predates Christianity by several centuries. The Roman Republic moved the start of the consular year from March 1 to January 1 in 153 BCE so that newly elected consuls could take office before the spring military campaign. Julius Caesar's calendar reform of 45 BCE retained January 1; medieval Christian Europe variously used March 25 (the Annunciation), Easter, or Christmas as the year's start, but most countries reverted to January 1 by the 16th and 17th centuries. England and its colonies waited until 1752 to formally adopt January 1; Russia until 1700 (under Peter the Great); Saudi Arabia officially until 2016.

The New Year's Eve celebration as now globally observed – fireworks at midnight, parties, countdown ball drops, champagne, public events – consolidated mostly in 19th and 20th-century Britain and North America. The Times Square ball drop in New York has been observed since 1907; the Sydney Harbour fireworks since 1976; London's fireworks over the Thames at the London Eye since 2003.

How it's observed

New Year's Eve traditions vary widely. In English-speaking countries, the evening centers on the countdown party – champagne, the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight (Robert Burns's 1788 lyric to an older Scottish folk tune), kisses among couples at the stroke of twelve, and fireworks. The Times Square ball drop and London's Thames fireworks are televised globally.

Iberian and Latin American traditions add the eating of twelve grapes at midnight – one for each month of the coming year. The custom began with grape growers in Alicante in 1909 to clear an oversupply and is now standard from Madrid to Mexico City to Buenos Aires. In Greece, the vasilopita is baked on January 1 with a coin hidden inside; whoever finds it has good fortune. In Italy, lentils are eaten at midnight – the small round shape suggests coins. In Spain, white clothes and red underwear are common. In the Philippines, twelve round fruits represent the year's prosperity.

In Japan, New Year (Shōgatsu) is a multi-day family holiday with toshikoshi soba (year-crossing buckwheat noodles) on New Year's Eve, osechi ryōri (a multi-tier bento of symbolic foods) on January 1, and the joya-no-kane bell-ringing at midnight – temple bells ring 108 times to dispel the 108 worldly desires of Buddhist tradition. The first sunrise of the new year (hatsuhinode) is widely watched. In Brazil, millions gather at Copacabana in white clothes to jump seven waves and offer flowers to Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea. In Scotland, Hogmanay – with its first-footing tradition (the first person to enter a home after midnight bringing whisky, coal, and a coin) – is the country's biggest annual celebration.

January 1 itself is for recovery, family time, parades, and the year's first sporting events. The Rose Parade in Pasadena has been held annually since 1890 (with brief WWII interruptions). The Vienna New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast to over 90 countries. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Outback Bowl, and other US college football bowls fill the day.

Why this date specifically

January 1 is a fixed-date observance on the Gregorian calendar, with no variability. In 2028, January 1 falls on a Saturday – making for a long New Year weekend with the day itself, Sunday, and January 3 (Monday) often observed as a substitute holiday in countries that do not observe weekend public holidays as in-lieu days. The choice of January 1 as the start of the year dates to the Roman Republic of 153 BCE, kept through Julian and Gregorian reforms.

What to watch for / notable observances in 2028

• December 31, 2027 evening – Sydney Harbour fireworks; the year's first major celebration
• December 31 – Tokyo's joya-no-kane bell-ringing at midnight
• December 31 – Times Square ball drop, New York
• December 31 – London fireworks at the London Eye
• December 31 – Berlin Brandenburg Gate party; Paris Champs-Élysées; Hong Kong harbour fireworks
• January 1, morning – Vienna New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic
• January 1, late morning – Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena
• January 1 – major US college football bowls
• January 3 (Monday) – substitute public holiday in the UK and most of the Commonwealth (New Year's Day on Saturday)
• 2028 is also a US presidential election year – the new year opens with the political campaign in full swing

Related festivals to track

New Year 2028 closes Christmas 2027 and the December festival cluster (Hanukkah 2027, Bodhi Day, Boxing Day). Chinese New Year 2028 follows on January 26; Valentine's Day 2028 on February 14. The family overview is at the Secular festival hub.

FAQ

When is New Year 2028? January 1, 2028 – a Saturday. The countdown happens at midnight on December 31, 2027.

How is New Year observed? Through New Year's Eve parties, fireworks at midnight, the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," champagne toasts, and a quiet recovery day on January 1 with parades and bowl games.

Is New Year a public holiday? Yes, in over 190 countries. With January 1 falling on a Saturday in 2028, many countries observe a substitute public holiday on Monday January 3.

What is the typical greeting? "Happy New Year" in English; "Bonne année" in French; "Feliz año nuevo" in Spanish; "Frohes neues Jahr" in German; "Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu" in Japanese.