Part 2: New York welcomes the New Year's Eve ball | Vietnam Today
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With just two days left in 2025, one of the world's most anticipated events is fast approaching
The New Year's Eve countdown and ball drop in Times Square, New York
And at this year, Crystal Balls has been completely redesigned for the first time in more than two decades
Our Vietnam today correspondents in New York have more
One Times Square, the home of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball
This year, organizers are unveiling a major design milestone
The ball features 5280 circular crystals in three different sizes, forming a structure more than 3.8 meter in diameter and weighing over 5.6 tons, all assembled by hand
So what going to this new technology with LED allowed us to more than double the amount of crystals and to make a much tighter array which allows us almost photorealistic digital imagery on the outside of the ball
Back in 1907, the first ball was made of iron and wood and lit by just 100 light bulbs
More than a century later, the 2026 ball marks the ninth redesign
the idea of unity and work for unity and staying together.
I think it's about life, liberty, and happiness 2026, our nation's anniversary, 250 years
I think the resounding message is about hope
Every year, the New Year's Eve countdown in Times Square draws hundreds of thousands of people from around the world
As the ball descends, it marks the passage of time
A moment when the old year ends and hopes for a better new year begin
To capture the final 60 seconds of 2025, preparations take months of planning and coordination
The ball will be lowered at 1159 pm on December 31st, marking the turning from the 2025 to 2026
Tien Anh, reporting from Times Square, New York