Sulaimon Olanrewaju, with the aid of agency reports, brings highlights of how the New Year was ushered in different countries.TO many, the just expired year, 2011, was a year of one catastrophe too many. From asphyxiating economic recession to bloody communal strives, unprecedented mass uprising, ferocious hurricanes and virulent tsunamis, the year left chilling scars in many lives and nations of the world. So, it was a relief to see the year end as people across the globe hoped that the New Year would bring a fresh breath which would light up their faces, heal the scars of the former year and change their lives for the better.In Nigeria, as 2011 was nearing its end, people were not too sure about how to celebrate its exit and the birth of the New Year because of a text message announcing the imminence of another Boko Haram attack in some parts of the country. The nation was unusually quiet; even the traditional firecrackers by families were suspended; only a few could sum up the courage to light any firework. However, at about 11:00pm, many of those who had earlier decided to stay at home and observe the change from one year to another within the comfort or discomfort of their homes had a change of heart and went out; some to mosques and others to churches for watch night services. There were some others who thronged drinking joints, club houses, discotheques and hotels. Suddenly, there was music everywhere from churches to mosques and discotheques. People were dancing either in adoration or exhilaration. As the two hands of the clock centred on 12 to announce the commencement of the New Year, Nigerian people, irrespective of where they were at the moment erupted in shouts of 'Happy New Year.'But the scenario was different in Australia, one of the first countries to witness the New Year. Rather than the haphazard manner in which the New Year was ushered in by Nigerians, Australians welcomed 2012 in an organised manner. In Sydney, over one million people gathered at the iconic Sydney Opera House to watch as a huge red hue lit up the sky. This was the culmination of two pyrotechnic shows; the 9pm Family Fireworks and the Midnight Fireworks, which were orchestrated to a blend of music. The lighting display, called the Bridge Effect, showed various symbols and images, which centred on the theme for the New Year, Time to Dream, a reference to the desire of many to move forward after a rough and tough year.The burst of the display was timed to tally with the first second of the New Year. Some of the fireworks exploded into shapes of clouds and a series of colourful lights were beamed into the centre of the bridge forming an 'endless rainbow'. The people were waiting for the moment and the outburst that accompanied the burst of the dazzling display was momentous. A breathtaking sight ushered in 2012 in Sydney.Although over the years the Sydney Opera House New Year eve's display had been rated the best all over the world, the last one had a strong contender for the prize in the displays carried out in London. Citizens as well as visitors were drawn out by the spectacular firework which brightened the skies. There were at least 12,000 fireworks, producing 50,000 projectiles, launched during the display, which was triggered by Big Ben's chimes and lasted for around 15 minutes. There were 30 tonnes of equipment on the three fireworks barges on the river ready for the display, which was triggered by GPS to the chimes of Big Ben.The city of London was determined to usher in the New Year in a spectacular way because it wanted the world to have a foretaste of what would happen at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics Games, which it would host this year. It is also the venue of the Paralymics Games. Hence, there was a distinctly Olympian theme to the display on the River Thames with fireworks launched over the London Eye in the shape and colours of the Olympic rings. The accompanying soundtrack saw Chariots of Fire kick off a medley of London-themed songs.But the stunning firework display did not just happen; it took 12 months of tiptop preparation to achieve the feat.In Edinburgh, a huge crowd gathered for the Hogmanay Street Party. More than 20 acts played on seven stages ahead of the display, with Primal Scream performing their album Screamadelica.Commenting on the success of the party, Pete Irvine, Creative Director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay, said: "Edinburgh's Hogmanay has a worldwide reputation, and we are delighted that, once again, revellers have travelled from around the globe to join us."The mood was gay in New York as about 500,000 people gathered to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Some revellers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers prepared bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put coloured filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-panelled ball that dropped at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street.Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were the cynosures of all eyes as they led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-panelled ball drop.However, in Las Vegas, the New Year was ushered in amidst firework displays and gambling. Fireworks were launched from eight rooftops at midnight. This was even as casino nightclubs touted pricey, exclusive bashes hosted by celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Fergie and Stevie Wonder.Not unexpectedly, in the revelry, there were minor hiccups, including an ash tray canister fire on the 15th floor of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel casino and an intermittent power outage at Bellagio in the afternoon that led to casino officials closing its buffet. The Bellagio outage also affected a bank of slot machines and some guest rooms, but the problem was fixed before 8:00 p.m., allowing all gambling, planned nightclub parties and shows to go forward as expected.In Brazil, heavy rains were not strong enough to deter over two million white-clad partygoers to storm the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to watch a spectacular "green" fireworks extravaganza. There were also nearly as many in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city. Massive fireworks displays and top music acts graced stages across the nation.For many Parisians, the celebration started with a feast called le Rveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, which customarily includes special dishes like foie gras, seafood such as oysters and drinks like champagne. Tens of thousands of them later gathered on the illuminated Champs Elysees to mark the celebration known as la Fete de Saint-Sylvestre with fireworks even as they downed champagne.Over one million people were at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, with many of them holding their own firecrackers, apart from the fireworks which were set to come to life at the Brandenburg Gate at midnight. As the fireworks exploded on the dot of 12 midnight, Germans, who also celebrated Silvester, the feast day of St. Sylvester, toasted the New Year with glasses of Sekt, German sparkling wine.The Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world's tallest man-made structure, was the centre of attraction in Dubai as there was an elaborate pyrotechnics. The story, however, had another slant in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, as there were no pyrotechnics. Instead the people gathered at the Revolution Square to hold a candlelit vigil in the remembrance of all who had lost their lives during the Arab Spring of 2011.
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