New Year’s Day, celebrated on January 1, marks the beginning of the calendar year and is a time for reflection, renewal, and hope for the future. Around the world, people welcome the new year with celebrations, bell ringing, fireworks, and traditions that symbolize good luck and fresh starts.
Many take the opportunity to set resolutions, spend time with loved ones, or simply relax after the busy holiday season. Whether celebrated quietly or with grand festivities, New Year’s Day represents a universal moment to look forward with optimism and embrace the possibilities that lie ahead.
When should bells ring on New Year's Day?
On New Year’s Eve:
For change ringers, a quarter peal may precede midnight. The bells will be half-muffled to symbolize the passing of the old year. At midnight, these muffles are removed and the tower resounds in a half hour of jubilant ringing.
For carillonists, after bells toll the hour at midnight local time, a brief recital may begin with “Auld Lang Syne” followed by a selection of other appropriate hymns or songs.
Bells cast for Japanese Buddhist rituals sound 108 times, arranged so that the last toll strikes just after midnight.
On New Year’s Day:
Nationwide ringing is set for 2:00pm Eastern / 9:00am Hawaii so that all bells in the United States might ring in the style of their choosing simultaneously. But the celebrations aren't limited to just America. Thundering bells unite communities across the world in a global display of peace, hope, and togetherness for the year ahead.
As the tintinnabulation of bells cascades from above, people gather around listening parties, eclectic events, and special programming to meet a neighbor, learn about campanology, and literally ring in the New Year. The National Bell Festival takes its inspiration from a time when bells were the very heartbeat of communities. The organization works throughout the year to restore bells of historical or cultural significance, while funding new bell installations across America.
Cover image: U.S. Army Master Sergeant Lachrisha Parker (Ret.) tolls a bell to honor the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery during the National Bell Festival on Jan. 1, 2022.
