New Year countdown to midnight

Counting down to 1 January

This New Year countdown shows the time left until midnight at the start of 1 January: days, hours, minutes and seconds, in digits big enough to read across a room. The page always aims at the next New Year, and after 1 January it moves on to the following one by itself.

Weeks ahead, it tells you how many days are left before the holidays. On New Year's Eve it becomes the party clock: put it in full screen on the TV and shout out the last ten seconds together.

How to use it

1. Open the page: the countdown runs under the heading "Time left".
2. Look at the details: "In weeks", "Number of sleeps" and "Counting today" show the wait in three ways.
3. On the evening of 31 December, click "Full screen" and connect the laptop or tablet to the television.
4. At midnight the digits are replaced by "Happy New Year!", which stays up for the whole of 1 January.

New Year's Eve traditions

In the UK, many people watch the fireworks over the Thames on television and count down with the chimes of Big Ben. At midnight people link arms and sing "Auld Lang Syne". In Scotland, New Year is Hogmanay, one of the biggest celebrations of the year, and first-footing is still kept up: the first visitor to cross the threshold after midnight brings luck, ideally carrying a small gift such as coal, shortbread or a dram. New Year's Day is a bank holiday across the UK, and in Scotland 2 January is one too. In the United States, millions watch the ball drop in New York's Times Square during the final minute of the year.

Ideas for the last night of the year

• A shared countdown. Keep the page in full screen so everyone can see the seconds and shout the last ten together.
• A memory jar. During the evening, everyone writes down one good moment from the year and one wish for the next, to be read out after midnight.
• A timed song. Start a favourite track a few minutes before midnight so the chorus lands on the stroke of twelve.
• For children. Little ones who will not last until midnight can celebrate with a country where the New Year arrives earlier, then go to bed.

How the countdown is worked out

The countdown follows your device's clock and your time zone: midnight means midnight where you are. The New Year does not arrive everywhere at once. Kiribati's Line Islands are among the first inhabited places to see it, fourteen hours before London, while American Samoa is among the last. The time left is recalculated several times a second from the target moment, so it stays exact even if the tab goes into the background. Phones and computers set to automatic time are usually right to the second, while live TV and streaming often run a few seconds behind.

Frequently asked questions

Does it show the final seconds?

Yes. At 23:59:50 on 31 December the boxes read 0 days, 00 hours, 00 minutes and 10 seconds, and the count then drops second by second to "Happy New Year!".

Why is my countdown not in sync with the TV?

The page follows your device's clock, while broadcast pictures usually reach you with a short delay. If your device sets its time automatically, it is generally the one that is on time.

What happens on 2 January?

The greeting stays up for the whole of 1 January. On 2 January the page starts counting down to the next New Year.