ball drop

English

Noun

ball drop (plural ball drops)

  1. A world-famous tradition when a large, illuminated crystal ball descends a flagpole from midnight to mark the new year; most commonly associated with the New Year's Eve event in New York's Times Square; a ritual inspired by maritime time ball signals that began in 1907 and has evolved into a massive global event with music and sizable crowds.
    • 2000, Lyndra Jones, Kids Around the World Celebrate! The Best Feasts and Festivals from Many Lands‎[1], page 28:
      In 1907, New Yorkers saw their first “ball drop” celebration.
    • 2014 March 24, Glen Tate, 299 Days: The War Book 299‎[2]:
      Jeanie, the media expert, couldn’t help but notice that the ball drop was different this year. She could tell from the camera angles that the crowd was much, much smaller than in the past.
    • 2025, “How Do They Build the New Year’s Ball Drop”, in J-Tech‎[3], archived from the original on 18 June 2025:
      For the first 87 years of the ball drop, the spectacle was run entirely by hand. Now, it’s an electronic process and an atomic clock in Colorado controls the countdown.
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