January 1 , 20121 The rising sun on New Year ' s behind Mt . Fuji , observed at Yamanashi prefecture , Japan ( AFP ) 2 Buddhist monks take up alms from Thais during a morning alms offering , part of New Year ' s celebrations in Bangkok , Thailand . ( AP ) 3 Confetti drops as a Filipino blows his paper horn welcoming the New Year in Manila ' s Rizal Park , Philippines . ( AP ) 4 South Koreans in traditional costumes perform to celebrate the New Year at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju near the border village of Panmunjom ( Demilitarized Zone ) , South Korea , that has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War . ( AP ) 5 Fireworks illuminate the Hong Kong skyline above Victoria harbor during new years celebration . ( AFP ) 6 Fireworks explode from Taiwan ' s tallest skyscraper Taipei 101 during New Year celebrations in Taipei . ( Reuters ) 7 People enjoy the first rays of the sun in 2012 in Cancun , Mexico . ( AP ) 8 People celebrate New Year ' s Day on a beach in Durban , South Africa . ( Reuters ) 9 A child plays with colored water bubbles as Kenyans gather with their families at Uhuru Park , Nairobi , Kenya to celebrate the new year . ( AP ) 10 Shooters of the historic riflemen corps fire gun salutes to welcome the new year in Villingen - Schwenningen in the Black Forest , southern Germany . ( AFP ) 11 Fireworks explode over the Houses of Parliament , including St . Stephen ' s Tower which holds the bell known as Big Ben as London celebrates the arrival of New Years Day in London . ( AP ) 12 Russians celebrate the New Year on Red Square in Moscow , with the Kremlin in the background , right , and St . Basil ' s cathedral in background left . ( AP ) 13 Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations over the Brandenburger Tor gate in Berlin , Germany . ( Reuters ) 14 Revelers celebrate on New Year ' s Eve at Times Square in New York , 31 December , 2100 . ( Reuters ) 15 Indian artist Harwinder Singh Gill displays a creation made with 250 small flags of different countries reading " Happy New Year 2012 " on New Year ' s eve in Amritsar , December 31 , 2011 . ( AFP ) 16 A sail boat passes in front of the sun as the last rays of sunlight of 2011 hit the waters off Waikiki Beach in Honolulu , Hawaii , December 31 , 2011 . Hawaii is one of the last places on earth that will usher in the New Year . ( Reuters ) December 31 , 20111 Students sit in a formation during their celebration of the New Year at a school in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad , India . ( Reuters ) 2 Young boys play with firecrackers on the eve of the New Year , as the sun sets in Colombo , Sri Lanka . ( AP ) 3 People ride their bicycles at the Chiang Kai - shek Memorial Hall in Taipei . Hundreds of thousands people participated in the bike ride on New Year ' s Eve as part of an attempt to achieve a Guinness World Record of the largest bicycle parade in the world . Various groups began from 1 , 000 starting points around the island and cycled clock - wise towards the next starting point within one hour . ( Reuters ) 4 Pope Benedict XVI arrives in St . Peter ' s Square to visit the nativity scene at the Vatican . The pontiff marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future . " Another year approaches its end , while we await a new one , with the trepidation , desires and expectations of always . " ( AP ) 5 Indonesian Muslims pray during a mass prayer event for the nation on New Year ' s Eve in the area of the National Monument ( Monas ) in Jakarta . ( Reuters ) 6 A couple looks at an ice sculpture of Father Frost , the local equivalent to Santa Claus , and his Snow Maiden granddaughter Snegurochka during a New Year ' s celebration in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk , Russia . ( Reuters ) 7 Activists wear Guy Fawkes masks during New Year ' s Eve celebrations at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . ( AP ) 8 Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year in Australia , just after midnight , Jan . 1 , 2012 . ( Reuters ) 9 Bernadette Brandl smiles as she takes part in the New Year ' s Eve festivities in New York ' s Times Square . Brandl , who is originally from Austria , is currently living in Minnesota . ( AP ) 10 The number 2012 is written with sparklers during a long exposure in front of St . Stephen ' s Cathedral ( Stephansdom ) during New Year ' s