NEW YORK, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The iconic New Year's Eve Ball in New York City's Times Square had its latest decoration done on Thursday for the upcoming celebrations, featuring a new theme of "Gifts of Harmony."
Workers installed 192 new sparkling crystal triangles from the Waterford Crystals onto the ball for replacement on the roof of the One Times Square building, where the ball is located year round. With small rosette cuts flowing into each other in beautiful harmony, the crystal triangles "seek the refuge of accord and compatibility amid the discourse of the world for the betterment of all," said a press release.
Covered with a total of 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles, the ball is 12 feet (3.65 meters) in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds (5.38 tons). It is illuminated by 32,256 LED lights and capable of displaying a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns.
As a New Year's Eve tradition in the Big Apple since 1907, the ball starts to descend down a flagpole at 11:59 p.m. local time on Dec. 31 (04:59 GMT Jan. 1) and rests as the New Year kicks off.
Several million revelers gather in the square every year to wait for the ball drop, which is also in live broadcasts nationwide.