New Year: Celebrations begin to mark start of 2016
The world has begun celebrating the New Year, with revellers in Australia and New Zealand among the first to usher in 2016.
Crowds counted down the last seconds of 2015 at Auckland's Sky Tower in New Zealand at 1100 GMT, with a laser show and fireworks display.
Up to 25,000 people had been expected to turn up for the festivities.
In Australia, fireworks lit up Sydney harbour at midnight (13:00 GMT). A million were expected to turn up.
New Zealand welcomed in 2016 an hour after Samoa and Kiribati, the first countries to ring in the New Year.
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Image copyrightEPAAs the New Year sweeps across Asia, major cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing will kick off their own celebrations.
In Egypt, festivities will be staged in front of the pyramids near Cairo, as the government works to revive its tourist industry.
Meanwhile, in Dubai, an extravagant display will illuminate the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, with 400,000 LED lights and 1.6 tons of fireworks set to be used.
Image copyrightEPA
Image copyrightEPAWhen 2016 hits Europe, approximately one million people will countdown at the Brandenburg Gate in Germany's capital, Berlin.
Despite security fears across the continent, many major public events are going ahead, though with heightened security restrictions.
Image copyrightEPA
Image copyrightEPAIn Madrid, only 25,000 people will be allowed into the Puerta del Sol Square. More than 100,000 people are expected to watch the Mayor of London's fireworks show, a ticketed event.
Over in Sierra Leone, the declared end of Ebola will mark a return to festivities, after Freetown, the capital, was left deserted a year ago due to the disease's outbreak.
As 2016 finally reaches the Americas, up to a million people are expected to converge on Times Square in New York, amid tight security, to watch the famous ball descend.
On Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, crowds will not only mark the New Year - they will also fete the 100th anniversary of Samba music, and the upcoming summer Olympics.
New Year's 2016: 15 Quotes About New Beginnings To Inspire You
1. “A good beginning makes a good end.” English Proverb
2. “The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. “All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
4. “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.” –Thomas Paine
5. “Something is going to come out of this. Something new. This can end you up in a whole new place—a better place, a much more open place.” Pema Chodron
Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on Jan. 1 in London.PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
6. “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.”Taylor Swift
7. “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard
8. “Rather than turning the page, it's much easier to just throw the book away.”Anthony Liccione
9. "The beginning is the most important part of the work." Plato
10. “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.”Louis L’Amour
11. “Whatever you do or dream you can do – begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it”. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
12. “The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.” Dave Weinbaum
13. “You will never win if you never begin.” Robert H. Schuller
14. “Celebrate endings – for they precede new beginnings.” -Jonathan Lockwood Huie
15. “Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”- Alan Cohen
The Copacabana fireworks are seen from the Chapéu Mangueira slum during New Year celebrations in Rio de Janeiro Jan. 1.
Happy New Year 2016: 24 inspirational quotes and greetings to start the year on a happy note
Start the year off on a high — get inspired, find out what the stars have in store, and spread the cheer with these wonderful greetings. Happy New Year 2016!
Happy New Year 2016: Wishes and thoughts to inspire you all through the year. (Source: Thinkstock Images)
A new year is all about starting afresh and realising your dreams. So, let’s raise a toast to a Happy New Year and even happier beginnings. Take inspiration from these quotes to help you get started and if you are inspired enough, share your enthusiasm with your loved ones.
* “A good beginning makes a good end” – English Proverb
* “Drink from the well of yourself and begin again” — Charles Bukowski, author
* “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change” — Taylor Swift, singer
* “The beginning is the most important part of the work” – Plato, philosopher
(Also read: 14 inspirational quotes from fiction to pep you up)
* “Something is going to come out of this. Something new. This can end you up in a whole new place—a better place, a much more open place” -Pema Chodron, author
* “And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been” — Rainer Maria Rilke, poet
* “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” — TS Eliot (Little Gidding), author
(Also read: Your horoscope for 2016, by Peter Vidal)
* “You raze the old to raise the new” — Justina Chen (North of Beautiful), author
* “You will never win if you never begin” — RH Schuller, motivational speaker
* “Whatever you do or dream you can do — begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it”. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer and statesman
* “Morning will come, it has no choice” — Marty Rubin, aphorist/philosopher
* “Celebrate endings – for they precede new beginnings” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie, author
(Also read: New Year-day Special: Easy-to-make hangover breakfasts)
(Source: Thinkstock Images)
We also have a few inspirational greetings, wishes that you can send to your friends and family.
Wishing you a great, prosperous, blissful, healthy, bright, delightful, energetic and extremely Happy New Year 2016.
New Year is not about changing the dates but direction; it’s not about changing the calendar but commitment; it’s not about changing the actions but attitude. May each and every day of yours is renewed with lots of happiness and love.
— May the bad times you faced in the year 2015 be your stepping stones to success and may you be blessed with many happy moments in 2016. Happy New Year.
(Also read: Want to stick to your New Year’s resolution? Keep it a secret)
Best wishes to my beloved friend for a wonderful year ahead. Though we’re miles apart, you are always in my thoughts and prayers.
Here comes a brand new year for you to enjoy and accept the realities of life. Fill them with whatever your heart desires without any regrets this year. Stay blessed.
Leave behind the demons of the past and look forward to a brand new start in 2016.— Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. — Before the calendar turns a new leaf over, before the social networking sites get flooded with messages, before the mobile networks get congested, let me take a quiet moment out to wish you a wonderful, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. (Also read: 10 best budget destinations for 2016) — May your beautiful smile be the reason for others’ happiness this year. Spread your joy and happiness around. Happy New Year. — Thank you for being my support all these years and I wish to have you by my side in the coming year as well. Happy New Year friend. — May this new year brings all the crazy colors and fun in your life. I wish all the negativity and difficulties also end with this year and 2015 bring success and desired results for you. — New is the year, new are the hopes, new is the resolution, new are the spirits, and new are my warm wishes just for you. Have a promising and fulfilling New Year.
