Mild New Year celebrations usher in a year like no other and provide hope for 2021

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2020 was a year like no other, and so were the celebrations to mark the beginning of a year that most people will want to forget.

Around the world, the arrival of 2021 was not marked by festivals, street parties or gatherings, but by high hopes that the end of Covid-19 is in sight.

By the end of the year, the global death toll exceeded 1.8 million people and about 83 million people have contracted the virus, but there is hope on the horizon following the recent approval of the vaccines, which are currently being implemented.

With several countries around the world imposing tighter curfews and closures during the Christmas period to curb rising rates of Covid-19 infection, the new year was greeted in a much more restrained and low-key way.

Rather than get together with friends, old and new, people around the world were urged to stay home, with a few notable exceptions such as New Zealand.

Having eliminated the virus through tough lockdown measures early in the pandemic, New Zealanders celebrated in style, with thousands of people pouring into the streets of Auckland for a fireworks display, while traditional celebrations continued in Taiwan and South Korea. and in a small number of countries that had been successful. suppressed the virus.

Fireworks explode from the Taipei 101 building during New Years celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan. Image: Chiang Ying-ying
Fireworks explode from the Taipei 101 building during New Years celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan. Image: Chiang Ying-ying

Elsewhere, major New Years events were replaced by reduced or online festivities.

The hugely popular Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh went online this year, while the New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York’s Times Square were held, but for a select audience of front-line healthcare workers rather than sight. typical of tens of thousands of revelers.

While fireworks were held at the Opera House in Sydney Harbor, strict restrictions on crowds and public gatherings meant they were greeted by empty streets and instead encouraged people to watch the display on television. or online.

At home, celebrations are expected to be quieter as people have been urged not to host gatherings or parties given the rapid rise in Covid-19 infection rates, which have required a third shutdown.

In his message, President Michael D. Higgins said it was important to remember those who were lost during what was a “difficult year” and those who were unable to cry in the traditional way due to public health restrictions.

As a gesture to all those who had died or lost a loved one during the year, President Higgins and his wife Sabina invited musician Dan McCabe to perform ‘The Parting Glass’ at Áras an Uachtarain.

“As we come out of the Covid year, it is appropriate that we remember all those who have left us during the year, and those who have left behind and who have not had the opportunity to cry for them in the way that it is. . traditional and so central to Irish life, ”said President Higgins.

In his New Years message, the Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy urged people to bring the learnings of 2020 into next year, in particular to prioritize the most vulnerable in society. “May we never forget this experience from the year when vulnerability was neither ignored nor superficially treated,” he said.

“We saw the need – we were quick to respond; we recognized the mistakes – we remedied them; we recognized the cost – we were prepared to make sacrifices. This has to be a model for us in the future.”

“The collective effort has been a hallmark of our year. It shows us that when our generous social capital, altruistic political will and shared resources come together, we can tackle problems and make a difference. ”



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