Did You Know: NYC New Year’s Eve Confetti Is Literally Strangers’ Hopes And Dreams.

To ring in the new year, confetti rains down in New York City. This is a beautiful moment, of course, but knowing what the festive paper is made of makes it all the more magical. For those who don’t know, like I didn’t until today, each shred of confetti contains someone’s hopes and dreams. Yes, really!

Here’s how it works: Leading up to the big night, a Wishing Wall booth pops up near Times Square. Here, folks get the chance to write down any hopes and dreams they have for the upcoming year. Each one is then shredded to become the confetti used for the Times Square Ball Drop.

That’s right — the roughly 3,000 pounds of confetti that you see fall from the sky on television each year aren’t just plain pieces of paper. Each one represents someone’s hope for a brighter future.

In 2023, December 29 was the last day for folks to make it to the Wishing Wall. Any written after that will be included next year.

Feeling bummed that you can’t make it to NYC to share your own hopes and dreams? I have great news!

There’s also an option to submit your goals, hopes, and dreams online! All you have to do is head over to the Times Square website and fill out their form. How cool is that?

You can find the sources of this story’s featured image here and here!