At New Year's Eve celebrations in New Orleans, a fleur-de-lis has traditionally been dropped at midnight.
New Orleans has used a fleur-de-lis as a symbolic New Year's Eve drop, reflecting the emblem's strong connection with the city's French heritage and civic identity. The fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily that appears in the city's imagery, architecture, sports culture, and Mardi Gras traditions.
The tradition is one of many American alternatives to the famous ball drop in New York City. Cities often adapt the midnight object to local culture, using items such as food, animals, tools, or regional symbols.
The fleur-de-lis should not be confused with the Mardi Gras king cake tradition, in which a small plastic baby is hidden. That object belongs to Carnival celebrations and is not the New Year's Eve symbol.