NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — A rainy day in New York City could not dampen the festivities at the traditional Times Square confetti air worthiness test on Thursday (December 29). As the rain poured down so did the confetti from the top of the Times Square Hard Rock Cafe marquee.
A youth marching band provided the drumroll to the start of the confetti toss.
From high above the street, volunteers threw handfuls of colorful confetti into the air. Passersby on the sidewalk watched as the thin paper fluttered to the ground.
Jeffrey Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment and the co-producer of the New Year’s Eve events in Times Square, said the confetti can withstand even the worst weather.
“That’s exactly why we do a confetti test. Because we’ve got to be ready in all weather conditions. And there is nothing worse than soggy confetti. And yet, if you see the video and the pictures, that confetti flew beautifully even under the worst conditions. We are so ready for December 31,” he said.
Straus added that there is an art to the confetti toss.
“You’d have to fluff it up and get it ready before it goes, and you take big hand loads, and you throw up and out and it flutters down beautifully in here in Times Square. What’s great is the current of wind and air that comes in Times Square, it takes it down and it swoops up and down and up. And if it’s the perfect year, it will take like ten minutes for the confetti to float down.”
As in previous years, mixed into the New Year’s eve confetti will be thousands of pieces of confetti with people’s New Year’s wishes written on them. For weeks, visitors to Times Square have been writing down their 2017 wishes onto pieces of confetti paper.
“People wish for all the same things. We’re all wishing for love. We’re wishing for good health. We’re wishing for a good job. We’re wishing for peace. We’re wishing for the best things for our family and friends. So it’s a great way to start the year,” said Straus.
The annual Times Square confetti test is held every year a few days before the massive Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration where 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of confetti will be tossed onto revelers.