The last ten seconds of the old year in NYC are represented by a huge lighted crystal ball descending on a skyscraper in Times Square. Everyone in the square can see it and the square is packed with bodies. Once the lighted ball starts to go down, the crowd starts a count down. Once it's the New Year, the lights on the ball goes out and the crowd goes wild. Fireworks and confetti rapidly follow.

In contrast, in a few cities in Dixie they used to lower a possum in a cage (not actually dropping one) in the same count down tradition. This has been discontinued.

@WonderWartHog99 wow, that’s kind of funny. I’m sure the possums are happy not to have that kind of attention. Now I’ll have to find footage of the NYC one to quell my curiously
In the uk it’s an Auld Lang Syne singing moment, I’m going to miss singing, ‘Will I Ever See Your Face Again’, Aussie style this year. Probably best not to explain that one to the rest of the world lols!

@girlwithsmiles >I’m sure the possums are happy not to have that kind of attention.

Here in Dixie, they'll trap possums and eat them but not right away. They're carrion eaters. I call them land vultures. (Mostly they look for bugs, grubs and worms). Therefore, the trapper feeds them a diet of corn for a week to flush out the carrion that may be in its system. Luckily for the possums it's a custom that is dying out because of the time and effort involved.

@WonderWartHog99 Wow, I’ve never heard of an Aussie eating possum. Feral cats however...

@WonderWartHog99 Perhaps, but there are loads in Australia And said to be native, a different variety though.
[en.m.wikipedia.org]

@girlwithsmiles Your cited source says possums aren't native to Australia. It says it was introduced 1850's on the wild theory it would start a fur industry. Got your possum coat yet?

Otherwise, a tip of the hat for setting me straight. Our possums don't have bushy tails and unlike yours eat carrion. When they become road kill, the vultures will eat a small part of them and abandon it. The bird brains will try to eat it until the thought "this is a mistake."

Our road kill has built such an large turkey vulture population I can't be outside for more than five minutes without seeing one.

@WonderWartHog99 oh gosh, it says about them being native on the 5th and 6th line of the first paragraph of text! It talks about being introduced to New Zealand, later on, I’m sorry pedantic aren’t we?
Wow that’s interesting about the rest of the information. Thanks for the education on American possums. (I think ours are cuter too ).