The 5 most unforgettable New Year’s destinations

What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Watching the ball drop in your jammies has its perks, but everyone should do it up big at least once. If you’re ready to go all out as you usher in 2015, consider one of these unforgettable new year’s experiences.

1. Rio de Janeiro

Copacabana Beach. Credit Wikipedia.dot.org.

Brazil’s famed Copacabana Beach gets even more festive on New Year’s Eve, when revelers flocks to the shores dressed for success in the new year: white for good luck, green for success and so on. Just don’t wear black. Throughout the evening, locals also toss flowers into the Atlantic Ocean in honor of the sea goddess Yemanja. Then, the giant ferris wheel at Forte de Copacabana displays a countdown to midnight, when offshore barges release their fireworks and beachgoers uncork their bottles of champagne.

2. Hong Kong

Times Square Hong Kong. Credit blogs.cfr.org.

Times Square in New York City is nice, but how about Times Square in Asia’s “World City”? Times Square Hong Kong is a megamall by day and by night, on Dec. 31, it’s the gathering place for revelers. Enjoy live music and a countdown with a few thousand of your closest friends.

3. Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Credit Chris Watt at edinburghshogmanay.dot.org.

The past and present collide during Scotland’s Hogmanay Street Party, oneof the world’s largest outdoor festivals. Party with folks from across the globe to the sounds of live mainstream bands and traditional Scottish music on two stages. Then at the stroke of midnight, fireworks erupt from nearby Edinburgh Castle.

4. Cape Town

Kaapse Klopsein Cape Town. Credit Axel Bührmann at Flickr Creative Commons.

The South African celebration extends into early January, when the Kaapse Klopse carnival hits the streets of Cape Town. The tradition, which dates back to slave culture when servants used their one day off of the year for merrymaking, now includes thousands of colorfully dressed minstrels singing, dancing and playing instruments through the streets of Cape Town’s business district.

5. Toronto

Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. Credit City of Toronto at Flickr Creative Commons.

Party central is Nathan Phillips Square, a well-known landmark in front of City Hall. That’s where thousands of locals and visitors converge for a free celebration. Skate on the ice rink to the music of a local DJ, catch live performances, and of course stay for the fireworks at midnight.

Tagged: Christmas Travel Ideas, Destinations, Europe, Top 10 Lists