On the last day of 2024, Times Square in New York (USA) was brilliant again with the famous crystal ball having just been replaced with all 2,688 sparkling crystal pieces.
This is the first time in a decade that all the crystal pieces of the ball have been completely replaced, bringing a new look to the symbol of the global New Year's Eve celebration.
Rapper Pitbull, who was honored to install the final crystal piece on December 27, contributed to completing the new look of the ball ahead of the big event.
The ball weighs 5,386 kg and has a diameter of nearly 3.7 m. The new crystal pieces are 12 cm to 14.6 cm long at each edge, designed with two special models.
The 2025 model, with long cuts and a circle near the top symbolizing the 42-meter-high column where the ball is located, is a tribute to One Times Square - the symbol of the New Year's Eve festival.
Meanwhile, the Ever Crystal model consists of three pairs of circles crammed together, surrounded by diamond-shaped cuts, creating an E-shaped shape symbolizing love and lasting solidarity.
This year's ball is also of special significance as it will be the last time it will be released at One Times Square before it is officially "retired" and displayed at a museum in 2025.
The crystal ball first appeared at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square in 1907. At that time, the ball weighed 317.5 kg, was about 1.5 m in diameter, made of iron and wood, and had 100 25 watt bulbs.
Over the past century, the ball has undergone six improved versions, each with a more modern design and technology. The current version, crafted by the famous company Waterford Crystal, has become an indispensable symbol of New Year's Eve celebrations in New York.
