The world’s biggest New Year’s Eve events as the celebrations begin with the Google Doodle
If you click on today’s doodle, Google will show you how revellers around the world are seeing in 2019
GOOGLE Doodle is celebrating the new year with an animated image of two purple elephants having a party.
Here’s what happens when you click on the last doodle for 2018.
What is today’s Google Doodle?
Google’s New Year’s Eve 2018 animated doodle does two purple baby elephants in the middle of a party shortly before midnight.
The elephants are seen wearing yellow and green pointed party hats, with google bunting hanging in the background.
The elephant on the left can be seen blowing up balloons for their midnight festivities, while the one on the right is seen tossing popcorn into its mouth.
If you click on today’s doodle, Google will show you how revellers around the world are seeing in 2019.
How is the world welcoming 2019?
London will see in the new year in its usual style with spectacular fireworks along the capital’s South Bank.
The London Eye will be the backdrop for some stunning waterside celebrations as the city comes alive with celebrations, fireworks and parties.
For those in Scotland, Edinburgh is the centrepiece of Hogmanay celebrations, a three-day long celebration to welcome in a new year.
The extra-long festivities feature indie bands, traditional music, pagan torchlight processions and the world's biggest rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
There will also be a spectacular midnight pyrotechnic display on New Year’s Eve – the second night of revelling.
Australia's largest city Sydney will be putting on its biggest-ever fireworks display at midnight, essentially kicking off the world’s celebrations in style.
The Japanese will be flocking to temples to usher in 2019, while in Hong Kong, glittering fireworks will be sent skyward from five floating barges in Victoria Harbour.
Hong Kong’s 10-minute display will be witnessed by 300,000 people watching along the harbour front.
Moscow has made more than 1,000 ice rinks available for revellers as they descent on the city’s parks for New Year’s eve concerts and light shows.
Parisians will celebrate the start of a new year with fireworks and a sound & light show along the Champs-Elysee despite rumours of more ‘yellow vest’ protests in the French capital.
Music lovers will descend on Berlin’s Brandenburg gate for a New Year’s Eve concert, but the tradition of fireworks at midnight has been scrapped this year in the name of safety.
Perhaps the most famous NYE party in the world is held at Times Square, New York.
The famous "dropping of the ball" takes place at midnight from a flagpole in One Times Square.
This year representatives from Chongqing, China get the honour of pressing the button that will activate the iconic Waterford crystal ball and begin the 60-second countdown until midnight.
This year, Times Square events begin at 6pm and culminate with a performance by Christina Aguilera just before midnight, at which point a blizzard of confetti will be accompanied by obligatory fireworks display.
If you’re in India to welcome in the New Year, Asia's most outrageous beach party takes place in Goa and attracts hordes of revellers.
Beeline to Anjuna Beach, one of Goa's exceptional beaches, where backpackers gather around bonfires, makeshift shacks and bars dotting the bamboo forests lining the beach, to drink and watch the obligatory fireworks display at midnight.
And if you’re in Dubai, you’ll be spoilt for choice with celebrations taking place on the famous palm, the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab.
MORE ABOUT GOOGLE DOODLES
What is a Google Doodle?
In 1998, the search engine founders Larry and Sergey drew a stick figure behind the second 'o' of Google as a message to show that they were out of office at the Burning Man festival and with that, Google Doodles were born.
The company decided that they should decorate the logo to mark cultural moments and it soon became clear that users really enjoyed the change to the Google homepage.
In that same year, a turkey was added to Thanksgiving and two pumpkins appeared as the 'o's for Halloween the following year.
Now, there is a full team of doodlers, illustrators, graphic designers, animators and classically trained artists who help create what you see on those days.
In September 2018 Google celebrated its 20th birthday with a Doodle.
Among the Doodles published in 2018 were ones commemorating cartographer Abraham Ortelius, Egyptian actor Omar Sharif and St Patrick's Day.
And of course there was a whole series for the football World Cup in Russia.
Earlier in the year, the search giant celebrated the Paralympics in 2018 in Pyeongchang with an animated design celebrating each of the sports the winter Paralympians competed in.