Confetti is the paper material traditionally released over Times Square at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The Times Square celebration uses huge quantities of small paper pieces, creating the famous confetti shower as the illuminated ball completes its descent. The material is released from rooftops and buildings around the square rather than being contained inside the ball.
The tradition developed from earlier New Year celebrations in Times Square. Confetti and ticker tape became familiar elements of public festivities because lightweight paper could spread across large crowds and produce a dramatic visual effect.
The ball drop itself began on December 31, 1907, while the current ball descends a pole on One Times Square. Confetti is therefore a separate part of the ceremony, not the ball’s contents or mechanism.