Organisers said they were hoping the £2.8million event, typically regarded as one of the best in the world, would offer revellers a brief respite from the economic gloom. Fortunato Foti, the event's fireworks director, said: "There's so much misery around. If we can get people to forget all that and think just about the fireworks for 15 to 20 minutes, we will have done our job."After falling in Australia midnight will follow in Asia, Africa, Europe and eventually the Americas.Across Asia, those preparing to mark the new year have been telling reporters they welcomed the end of an intensely difficult year and expressed hopes that 2009 would herald better times.
In Tokyo, a "New Year's Village for Temporary Workers" has been setup to provide clothing, meals and shelter to those in need. Thousands of people have been laid off amid the economic crisis.Across Asia, those preparing to mark the new year have been telling reporters they welcomed the end of an intensely difficult year and expressed hopes that 2009 would herald better times.Chan Hon-ming, an electrical repairman from Hong Kong, who lost more than £20,000 in the collapse of Lehman Brothers bank, said: "I don't think there's any reason for me to celebrate after knowing that my investment is worth nothing now."Tavishi Srivastava, 51, an office worker in the Indian city of Lucknow, said: "The year 2008 can best be described as a year of crime, terrorist activities, bloodshed and accidents."I sincerely hope that 2009 will be a year of peace and progress."
Most New Year celebrations focus on family and friends. It is a time to reflect on the past and envision a future, perhaps, in a world where people live together in harmony.In the United States we celebrate the New Year on the first day of January but not all New Year celebrations take place on the same day or in the same way! Sometimes this is because people in different parts of the world use different calendars. China and Israel keep a lunar calendar. It is based on the movement of the moon around the Earth. Some countries celebrate in the spring when new crops begin to grow or in autumn when the crops are harvested.

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