Where To Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2022 In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — Get ready to ring in 2023 in Santa Monica with events near the city that aim to bring fun and excitement from this year into the next.

From a fireworks show to a countdown at the Santa Monica Pier, residents of Santa Monica have plenty to do to celebrate this New Year's Eve.

Here is a look at some additional events happening in Santa Monica:

New Year’s Eve Countdown To 2023: Pacific Park Ferris Wheel, Santa Monica

• When: Saturday, December 31st at 11:30 p.m.
• What: Pacific Park Ferris Wheel New Year’s Eve Countdown To 2023 Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 - Light display begins 11:30 p.m. Countdown: 11:59 p.m. Pacific Park, 380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, and CA (Viewing info below) From Pacific Park: "Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will ... Learn More

New Year's Eve Fireworks & Glow Party 2022: Marina Del Rey

• When: Saturday, December 31st at 7:00 p.m.
• What: New Year's Eve Fireworks & Glow Party Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 - 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, and CA From Marina del Rey Tourism Board: "Head to Fisherman’s Village or anywhere near the South Jetty to enjoy the annual fireworks display... Learn More

Prohibition New Year's Eve 2022-23: DTLA Union Station, Los Angeles

• When: Saturday, December 31st at 9:00 p.m.
• What: 9th Annual "Prohibition NYE" Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 at 9 p.m. to Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 at 2 a.m. Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA From Prohibition NYE: "McCullough and Ross proudly present the ninth annual Prohibition NYE, bringing the long anticipated New Y... Learn More

Universal Studios Hollywood New Year's EVE Fest & Fireworks 2022: Universal City

• When: Saturday, December 31st at 9:00 p.m.
• What: Universal Studios Hollywood New Year's EVE Fest & Fireworks Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 - 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plz, Universal City, CA From Universal Studios Hollywood: "Universal Studios Hollywood rings in 2023 with EVE, Hollywood’s... Learn More

'Knott's Merry Farm' 2022: Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park

• When: Saturday, December 31st at 9:00 a.m.
• What: Knott's Merry Farm Through Jan. 8, 2023 - Hours vary by date Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA From Knott's Berry Farm: "Guests can enjoy the holidays at Knott's Merry Farm through January 8. "Every year during the joyous season, and the park undergoes a complet... Learn More

In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is, of course, the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square. Various cities have adopted their own iterations of the event — the Peach Drop in Atlanta, the Chick Drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the giant Potato Drop in Boise, Idaho.

The end of one year and beginning of another is often celebrated with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish folk song whose title roughly translates to “days gone by,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica and History.com.

The history of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians, who would make promises to return borrowed objects and pay outstanding debts at the beginning of the new year, in mid-March when they planted their crops.

According to legend, if they kept their word, pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year. If they broke the promise, they would fall out of God’s favor, according to a history of New Year’s resolutions compiled by North Hampton Community College New Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Many secular New Year’s resolutions focus on imagining new, improved versions of ourselves. The failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is about 80 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report. There are myriad reasons, but a big one is they’re made out of remorse for gaining weight, for example, and aren’t accompanied by a shift in attitude and a plan to meet the stress and discomfort of changing a habit or condition.