PHOTOS: Hello, 2020! How the world welcomed the new year

By WTOP Staff
December 31, 2019 | 6:30 PM

A man watches fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach during the New Year's celebrations, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. — A man watches fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach during the New Year's celebrations, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fireworks explode over the London Eye Ferris wheel by the River Thames in London, to mark the start of the new year, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. — Fireworks explode over the London Eye Ferris wheel by the River Thames in London, to mark the start of the new year, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Fireworks explode over the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill during the New Year's Eve celebrations in Athens, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

A couple share a tender moment during New Year's celebrations in Red Square with the Spasskaya Tower, second right, in the background in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Russians began the world's longest continuous New Year's Eve with fireworks and a message from President Vladimir Putin urging them to work together in the coming year.

People stand under Christmas decorations as they wait in a long queue to enter Red Square to celebrate New Year in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. The crowds are controlled as they enter Red Square for the traditional New Year celebrations watched mainly by tourists.

People celebrates New Year's eve in front of the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Dec 31, 2019.

Fireworks explode over the Ottoman-era Mecidiye mosque in Ortakoy square and the July 15th Martyrs' bridge, formerly known as Bosporus Bridge, over the Bosporus Strait, separating Europe and Asia, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

Fireworks light the sky above illuminated Christmas tree at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania, shortly after midnight during the New Year's celebrations, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Thousands of people celebrated the beginning of the New Year 2020 in the Lithuanian capital.

A man wearing a costume with LED lights poses for a photograph during the You Make Shibuya Countdown 2019-2020 event at Shibuya Crossing on Dec. 31, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. The countdown event was held at the world's busiest crossing to celebrate the new year.

Fireworks erupt over the Melbourne central business district during New Year's Eve celebrations on Jan. 1, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

A reveler takes part in New Year's Eve celebrations during a countdown party at a mall on Dec. 31, 2019 in Manila, Philippines.

Revellers photograph fireworks over the Arc de Triomphe as they celebrate the New Year on the Champs Elysees, in Paris, France, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Votive wooden tablets or "Ema" show people's new year's wishes after the worshippers offered prayers at the Meiji Jingu Shinto shrine as they celebrate the arrival of the year 2020, Wednesday, Jan 1, 2020, in Tokyo.

People wait in pens for the stroke of midnight in Times Square in New York on New Year's Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

A group of men dancing outside Flinders Street station during New Year's Eve celebrations on Jan. 1, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

South Koreans perform on stage to celebrate New Years at the Bosingak pavilion on Jan. 1, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

South Koreans perform on stage to celebrate New Years at the Bosingak pavilion on Jan. 1, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea.

Entertainers during Auckland New Year's Eve celebrations on Dec. 31, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Partygoers during Auckland New Year's Eve celebrations on Dec. 31, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Fireworks light up the sky above Sydney Harbor during the midnight fireworks display during New Year's Eve celebrations on Jan. 1, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.

A man takes a picture near the 2020 sign board in the main business district on New Year's Eve in Jakarta, Indonesia, late Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Tens of thousands of revelers in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta were soaked by torrential rains as they waited for New Year's Eve fireworks.

Drones are seen in the sky forming the shape of a jelly fish by Star Island as Singapore awaits to celebrate the biggest countdown celebration at Marina Bay on Dec. 31, 2019 in Singapore.

Revelers celebrate as they welcome the New Year during a countdown party at a mall on Jan. 1, 2020 in Manila, Philippines.

Fireworks illuminate the city's skyline during New Year's Eve celebrations on Jan. 1, 2020 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Fireworks explode over the Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

Fireworks explode over Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, as seen from Cahill Expressway during New Year celebrations in Sydney, Wednesday, Jan.1, 2020.

A person poses for a selfie beside exploding firecrackers as they celebrate the coming of the New Year early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 in Manila, Philippines. Filipinos welcome the New Year with noise and firecrackers in the belief that this will drive away bad spirits and bring in good luck.

People offer their new year's prayers at the Meiji Jingu Shinto shrine as they celebrate the arrival of the year 2020, Wednesday, Jan 1, 2020, in Tokyo.

People gather in Times Square before the ball drop in New York on New Year's Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

Buddhists light candles to form letters meaning, "Best wishes for a Happy New Year," during New Year celebrations at Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A woman hangs a paper note bearing her New Year wishes to a wire at Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

Students play folk games at the square of Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP photo/Jon Chol Jin)

Indian school children pose for the cameras during an event to welcome the New Year in Ahmadabad, India, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

Protesters hold up their hands to symbolize the five demands of the pro-democracy movement as New Year's fireworks light up the sky during a demonstration in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Chinese President Xi Jinping in a New Year's address Tuesday has called for Hong Kong to return to stability following months of pro-democracy protests that began in June over a proposed extradition law, and have spread to include other grievances and demands for more democracy. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Pakistani children hold a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to victims of terrorism in 2019, at rally in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

Performers pose for a group photo at a New Year's Eve countdown event near the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic headquarters in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Revellers around the globe are bidding farewell to a decade that will be remembered by many for the rise of social media, the Arab Spring, the #MeToo movement and, of course, President Donald Trump.

People celebrate the arrival of the year 2020 at a New Year's Eve countdown event near the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic headquarters in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

A woman prays in front of lanterns to welcome in the upcoming New Year at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.

A Shinto priest conducts the Oharae ceremony, or the Great Purification ceremony, at the Meiji Jingu shrine on Dec. 31, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. The Shinto ritual was held to purify people and their sins for the past year ahead of the new year.

People gather on Praia Vermelha beach to make offerings to Yemanja, a deity from the Yoruba religion, as they honor the African goddess of the sea as part of New Year celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. As the year winds down, Brazilian worshippers of Yemanja celebrate the deity and ask for blessings for the coming year.

People take part in activities at Holiday's Market on Red Square, decorated for New Year and Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019.

Stock traders wear New Year's 2020 party glasses at New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Stocks slipped globally in quiet New Year's Eve trading Tuesday with many markets closed. Wall Street could close 2019 with back-to-back daily losses in a year that the U.S. posted the largest market gains since 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

BTS perform at the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Ben Hider/Invision/AP)

In an image taken with a fisheye lens, confetti drops over the crowd as the clock strikes midnight during the New Year's celebration as seen from the New York Marriott Marquis in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Confetti falls during a New Year's celebration in New York's Times Square, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

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Here’s how people all over the world celebrated the arrival of a new year and a new decade.

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