Why Do We All Watch a Ball Drop to Celebrate the New Year?

There are many things that we just do because that’s what we’ve always done. One of those traditions – and one that we all look forward to without really even knowing why – is watching the ball drop in New York’s Time Squares on New Year’s Eve. 

Seriously, though, how did we ever get to the point of watching a ball slowly lowered to the ground to signify the end of one year and the beginning of another? It seems pretty silly, right?

After all, the phrase “You dropped the ball” has a negative connotation representing some sort of failure. No one wants to drop the ball. Yet, here we are, glued to our TVs watching an 11,000-pound, Waterford crystal-constructed sphere. 

The Times Square Ball Drop Began in 1907

Every tradition has its origin. And for the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball, that origin story dates back to the early 1900s. The initial reasoning was to create another way to celebrate that didn’t involve fireworks, which at that point were banned out of safety concerns. The owner of the New York Times, Adolph Ochs, is credited with coming up with the idea. 

The first instance saw a lighted ball running down a flagpole at midnight to signify the new year. The ball was comprised of iron and wood, a far cry from the crystals that now adorn the symbol. It also weighed about 700 pounds. Ochs came up with the idea after being inspired by maritime traditions in which “time balls” were used by ship captains to mark various times. So the ball being dropped on national television represents the start of a new time.

The New Year’s Eve Ball Has Dropped All But Two Years Since Inception

Every year people have gathered in Times Square to watch the ball drop—with the exception of two occasions—since its creation in 1907. There was a two-year span between 1942 and 1943 in which the ball was not dropped. 

History buffs can probably figure out that those dates align with World War II. There were wartime blackouts that prevented the event from occurring. That being said, people still showed up in the city those years despite there not being a ball.

The Times Square Ball Drop is Now an Extravagant Celebration

The first TV broadcast of the event was back in 1941. A lot has changed since then. One of the biggest changes occurred in 2000. That was when the Waterford crystals first made an appearance as a way to commemorate the millennium celebration. From that point on, the ball has been glistening in the evening sky in what is now a sphere that weighs more than 11,000 pounds and measures 12 feet in diameter with more than 32,000 LED lights. 

The event is a television staple for many households, stretching across five-plus hours of coverage with musical performances, celebrity appearances, and plenty of interviews to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another.

So when you’re gathering around your TV, at least now you’ll know the significance behind the event… and not wonder to yourself why the heck we’re all worrying about a random ball being lowered to the ground.