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New Year’s Eve is one of the most overrated holidays. Your favorite bars are too crowded and too expensive. There’s too much pressure to make great plans and have the night of your life.
You could call it a night and stay home in your pajamas. Or you can use it as an opportunity to travel, explore and have the night of your life!
Some of my favorite New Year’s Eves are spent surrounded by strangers on the other side of the world.
These are the top 6 destinations to spend New Year’s Eve this year:
1. New York, New York
Seeing the ball drop in Times Square, New York, is so iconic that people from all over the US and even around the world tune in to see it happen. Why not enjoy the experience in person?
Spending New Year’s Eve in New York is an experience on many people’s bucket lists, as long as you don’t mind braving the cold. Up to 100,000 people attend the New Year’s Ball Drop event each year and as an added bonus, entry is free.
Outside of this central event, New York City’s bars and clubs are a great place to spend the New Year if you want to party.
Other fun informal traditions to celebrate the city include ringing in the new year on the Brooklyn Bridge, watching the fireworks go off in Central Park, or joining the New York Road Runners Club to start the new year with a 6.5 kilometer run!
2. Cancun, Mexico
Cancun is a fun and exciting place to spend New Year’s Eve, especially if you want to celebrate in the sun.
All the bars are decorated with bright and colorful decorations to get you in the party mood and glitzy and glamorous parties are organized all over the region, especially in the hotels and all-inclusive resorts. Cancun may not be the cheapest place to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but you’re guaranteed a wild party.
If you want to put on your gay rags and dance the night away, Cancun is one of the best places to see in the New Year.
Stop at midnight to eat twelve grapes as quickly as possible – this is a long-standing tradition where each grape represents a coming month and will bring you luck. Most bars and clubs offer grapes to their guests on New Year’s Eve.
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
Perhaps the most famous New Year’s celebration in the world takes place in Edinburgh, where Hogmanay is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The entire city takes to the streets to celebrate, joining hands to sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and enjoy the fireworks.
Edinburgh has been voted the best outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration in the world and the party lasts around 3 days. On December 30, start by joining the torchlight procession through the city to warm up for the epic street party on December 31.st.
If you’re feeling down after a few too many malt whiskeys the night before, you can enjoy other public entertainment options on January 1, such as a traditional ceildh.
Discovery Channel listed spending the New Year in Edinburgh as one of the ‘Top 25 World Travel Experiences’, and it is one of the best and most exciting New Year’s Eves I have ever experienced.
4. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
The 2 million people who go to Rio de Janeiro every year for New Year’s Eve can’t be wrong! It’s summer in Brazil, so if you want to ring in the new year with sunshine, this is a great place to be.
There is live music on Copacabana Beach with performances from 8pm. Because Copacabana Beach is so large, several stages have been set up along the coast, making sure there is enough space for everyone and you can see the most popular Brazilian singers and bands.
In Brazil it is traditional to wear white on New Year’s Eve. This is a tradition that has its origins in rituals to seek peace and spiritual purification. And it’s a great way to show off your tan.
Many people also wear brightly colored underwear because it is believed to bring good luck. Red to bring your love or yellow to bring your money.
5. Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice thanks to its dramatic contrasts. No time of year shows this more clearly than New Year’s Eve.
Against a frigid backdrop of snow and ice, New Year’s Eve in Iceland is celebrated with fireworks and huge community bonfires.
In Reykjavik you’ll find a Nordic bonfire in the heart of the city and fireworks shows like no other. In the greater Reykjavik area there are usually about fifteen bonfires and they really stand out against the cold night sky.
Watch the bonfires as the fireworks explode in the sky, then find a cozy bar to retreat to. And because bars in Reykjavik don’t charge entrance fees, it’s also a great place for bar hopping!
New Year’s Eve is considered a night of magic and mystery in Icelandic folklore – a night when the elves come out to play. This makes it a nice place for a light-hearted party evening.
6. Sydney, Australia
Start the New Year early by heading to Sydney where you can enjoy the largest and most technologically advanced New Year’s Eve fireworks in the world.
Sydney celebrates twice with spectacular fireworks displays at 9pm and midnight, ideal for Cinderellas who can’t stay up past midnight!
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are watched by more than a million people around the harbour, plus another billion on television around the world. Seeing this incredible spectacle with your own eyes is a bucket list experience.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
