Confetti is the large paper decoration traditionally released over crowds at midnight in New York City’s Times Square.
The Times Square celebration sends pieces of colored paper down onto the crowd as the ball reaches the bottom of its pole. The confetti creates a visual finale that complements the illuminated ball and the countdown.
The celebration uses a very large quantity of confetti, often weighing thousands of pounds. In recent years, organizers have also invited people to write wishes and hopes on pieces of confetti before they are released, adding a participatory element to the spectacle.
Confetti is not the same as a ticker-tape parade, even though the two traditions are connected in New York history. Ticker tape consisted of narrow paper strips from financial-printing machines, while modern New Year’s Eve confetti is prepared specifically for the event.