Countries all around the world have their own unique New Year’s traditions. Many places feature customary cuisines, such as lentils (Brazil and Italy), suckling pigs (Austria) and grapes (Spain). Others get a bit more creative. The Danish, for example, smash broken china on friends’ front doors, supposedly as a sign of affection. But you don’t need to go global to learn more about New Year’s.
We have plenty of customs here at home, from watching a giant crystal-covered ball drop in Times Square and drinking sparkling spirits at midnight to eating black-eyed peas and making resolutions on Jan. 1. But there’s still much to learn about even the most famous New Year’s traditions. For instance, did you know that the Times Square ball weighs nearly six tons or that 360 million glasses of sparkling wine are consumed in the U.S. each New Year’s Eve? The fact that New Year’s Eve is the busiest night of the year for celebratory gunfire may come as a surprise, too.
With that in mind, WalletHub searched for interesting facts about one of America’s favorite holidays, New Year’s Eve/Day, to help people better understand and enjoy the occasion. In the infographic below, you can check out our findings on everything from eating, drinking and spending habits to travel plans, midnight prayers, DUIs and hangovers. Read the Ask the Experts Q&A that follows to see what our panel thinks about different aspects of it.
Top 9 New Year’s Eve Fun Facts for 2024:
- 128+ Million – Number of Americans who will travel for the New Year’s holiday this year, with 65% of them driving to their destination.
- 69% - Share of Americans who spend at least $50 on New Year's Eve food and drinks.
- 54% - Share of Americans who plan to celebrate New Year's Eve with family or friends. Only 31% will eat out or order food for pickup/delivery.
- $807 – Average cost for a couple to enjoy dinner and a show on New Year's Eve in the three largest cities (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago).
- 360+ Million – Number of glasses of sparkling wine that are drunk each New Year's Eve.
- 10% – Share of emergency room visits on New Year's Eve are drug/alcohol related.
- 42,800 – Number of people who get hurt in car crashes each New Year’s Eve holiday.
- 0.095% – Average BAC on New Year’s Eve, making it the most drunken night of the year.
- 2nd Friday in January – Most likely day for people to give up on their resolutions (known as "Quitters Day"), with 13% of Americans admitting that they didn’t succeed in accomplishing any resolutions they made.
Ask the Experts
To gain a deeper understanding of everything that makes New Year’s so unique (plus potential pitfalls to watch out for), we posed the following questions to a panel of experts specializing in psychology, sociology and public safety. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What tips and tricks do you have for people trying to make a New Year’s resolution they can actually keep?
- How can local authorities promote safety and reduce alcohol-related accidents on New Year’s Eve?
- What tips do you have to celebrate New Year's Eve on a budget?
Ask the Experts
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management – Lynn University
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Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Co- Director BA in Global Sustainable Tourism, Lead Tourism Faculty, Fulbright Scholar Brazil 2021/2022 and Chair On Sustainability Conference/Tourism SIG World Leisure Organization, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Florida International University
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WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.