About New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is the last night of the year, 31 December, and for many people it ends with a countdown to midnight. Because the world is split into time zones, midnight arrives in waves: island nations in the Pacific celebrate first, and the party moves west around the globe for about a day.
Traditions vary from place to place, but a few turn up almost everywhere: fireworks, a toast, a song, and a promise to do something better in the year ahead. These cards collect the sights and sounds of the night, and every square is explained below.
Did you know?
Because of time zones, the new year arrives over roughly 26 hours. Kiribati's Line Islands in the Pacific are among the first places to celebrate, and some tiny uninhabited Pacific islands are the last.
January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doorways and beginnings, who was shown with two faces: one looking back at the old year and one looking ahead.
The calendar introduced by Julius Caesar, which took effect in 45 BC, made 1 January the first day of the year.
"Auld Lang Syne" is an old Scottish song written down by the poet Robert Burns in 1788. The title means roughly "for old times' sake" or "days long ago".
In Spain, many people eat 12 grapes at midnight, one on each stroke of the clock, for good luck in each month of the new year.
Words in this puzzle 40
Countdown-night list 40 words
- Auld Lang Syne
- A Scottish song often sung just after midnight. The title means "long ago" or "for old times' sake".
- ball drop
- A big lit-up ball lowered down a pole in the last seconds of the year, a tradition in some cities.
- balloons
- Rubber or foil bags filled with air or helium, used as decorations.
- bow tie
- A short necktie tied in the shape of a bow, worn with smart outfits.
- calendar
- A chart of the days, weeks and months of the year. A new one starts on 1 January.
- cheers
- A word said when people clink glasses to celebrate together.
- clock
- The thing everyone keeps checking as midnight gets closer.
- confetti
- Tiny pieces of coloured paper thrown in the air to celebrate.
- countdown
- Counting backwards out loud, usually from ten, in the last seconds before midnight.
- dance floor
- The space cleared for dancing at a party.
- disco ball
- A ball covered in tiny mirrors that spins and scatters spots of light around the room.
- fancy glasses
- Tall, thin or decorated glasses brought out for special occasions.
- fireworks
- Rockets and shells that burst into bright colours and bangs in the sky.
- first sunrise
- The first time the sun comes up in the new year. Some people stay up or wake early to watch it.
- fresh start
- A chance to begin again, which is how many people think of a new year.
- glitter
- Tiny sparkly flakes used on decorations, cards and outfits.
- goal list
- A written list of things you hope to do or achieve in the year ahead.
- group hug
- Several people hugging at once.
- group photo
- A picture with everyone squeezed into the frame.
- Happy New Year
- The greeting everyone shouts once the clock strikes twelve.
- kazoo
- A small tube you hum into to make a buzzing sound.
- late-night TV
- Television programmes shown after most people's bedtime, like live countdown shows.
- midnight
- Twelve o'clock at night, the moment one day (and on 31 December, one year) ends and the next begins.
- midnight snack
- Something to eat very late at night.
- noisemaker
- Anything you blow, shake or twirl to make a cheerful racket at midnight.
- party hat
- A paper hat, often cone-shaped, worn for fun at a celebration.
- party playlist
- A list of songs picked to play during the party.
- party poppers
- Small tubes that pop and shoot out paper streamers when you pull the string.
- photo booth
- A corner with props and a backdrop where guests take fun pictures.
- resolution
- A promise to yourself to start or stop doing something in the new year.
- selfie
- A photo you take of yourself, usually with a phone held at arm's length.
- sequins
- Small shiny discs sewn onto clothes so they sparkle.
- sparkler
- A thin handheld firework that fizzes with tiny sparks. Only to be used with an adult.
- sparkling juice
- Fizzy fruit juice, often served in fancy glasses so everyone can join the toast.
- streamers
- Long ribbons of crepe paper hung or thrown as decorations.
- tiara
- A small, jewelled crown-like band worn on the head.
- time zones
- Regions of the world that set their clocks to the same time. Midnight reaches each zone at a different moment.
- toast
- Raising your glass and saying a few words to wish everyone well.
- yawning
- Opening your mouth wide and breathing in deeply, often a sign you are tired or sleepy.
- year in review
- Looking back over the biggest moments of the past year.
A game for the slowest hours of the year
New Year's Eve has a strange shape. Everyone gathers early, the big moment is hours away, and the kids are fighting sleep by ten. Bingo fills that gap without anyone having to run a quiz. Hand out cards when guests arrive, and mark squares as the night unfolds: someone pops a party popper, the playlist gets turned up, a tiara appears, a cousin yawns.
The built-in list has 40 squares, so with 20 or so players the cards stay different enough that the whole room doesn't shout bingo at once. Play classic called bingo with the caller sheet, or "spot it" bingo where people mark squares only when they actually see them happen.
Ideas for the night
- Early-evening round for kids: use 3×3 cards and call squares from the caller sheet so little ones get a win before bed.
- Countdown blackout: the first full card before midnight gets the first slice of dessert.
- Resolution twist: when someone wins, they share one goal for the coming year.
- Time-zone party: play a round each time a new country you know reaches midnight.
Printing
Two cards per page on card stock is easy to read across a crowded room. Change the free square to the new year's number if you like. Everything is made in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Questions people ask
How do you play New Year's Eve bingo?
Either call it like normal bingo, reading squares from the caller sheet, or play "spot it" bingo, where guests mark squares as those things happen during the night. The first full line wins.
Is this suitable for kids?
Yes. The list is about the party itself: hats, confetti, the countdown and so on. For young children use 3×3 cards and an early round before bedtime.
Why does the list have 40 squares?
A 5×5 card needs 24 words. With 40 to choose from, cards differ more, so a big group is less likely to get bingo at the same time.
Can I put the year in the free square?
Yes. Type anything up to 14 characters into the free-square label, such as the new year's number or "CHEERS".
What is in the Medium and Hard PDFs?
Each has 20 unique 5×5 cards and a caller checklist. Medium has a free centre square; Hard has none, so a winning line needs all five squares.