Raleigh is famous for dropping a lit acorn during its New Year's Eve celebration.
North Carolina's capital stages the “Raleigh Acorn Drop” in downtown Raleigh. A large illuminated acorn is lowered at midnight as the centerpiece of the city's public New Year's Eve event. The acorn refers to Raleigh's nickname and symbolism: the city is known as the City of Oaks.
The object used for the drop is a large sculptural decoration rather than an ordinary nut. Its design and exact presentation have changed over time, but the acorn remains the event's signature symbol. Family activities, music, and an earlier countdown are also commonly part of the program.
Raleigh's celebration belongs to a wider American tradition of replacing Times Square's ball with a locally meaningful object. Other cities have used items such as peaches, pickles, and musical instruments. The crucial identifying detail here is the acorn's connection with Raleigh's oak-tree identity.