Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong Jan. 1, 2015. Read on to learn fun facts about the world's New Year's Eve celebrations. Getty Images
The next 365 days will kick off with one incredible night of celebration Thursday. But while you may have your New Year's Eve dress and resolutions ready, you may be surprised how little you know about the parties that surround the turn of the year.
For example, were you aware that Las Vegas, Disney World and New York City are the top three most popular places to spend New Year's Eve in the United States, but internationally No. 1 is Sydney Harbor? Or that about half of Americans make New Year's resolutions? Or that the first Ball Drop was in 1907?
Be sure to prepare yourself not only with alka-seltzer for your morning after but also trivia you can tell your friends throughout the evening. To get you started, here are a few of our favorite facts about New Year's Eve and Day.
The Ball
The Ball that drops in New York City's Times Square each year weighs nearly 12,000 pounds. It's covered in about 2,700 crystal triangles, according to the Times Square website.
This version of the Ball is the seventh since the tradition started in 1907. The first Ball weighed only 700 pounds.
The Ball has dropped every year since 1907 except for two: 1942 and 1943, during World War II, according to the site.
About 1 million people are expected to turn out in Times Square for the celebrations this year. Roughly a fifth of them will be visiting from another country, according to the event's website.
More than 100 million Americans will watch the New York City bash on TV. In total, about 56 percent of people in the U.S. will see the Times Square event. The Ball Drop will appear on TV sets outside North America, as well. Broadcasters in Spain, China, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Venezuela and other countries will show the event, according to its website.
Afterward, more than 50 dedicated sanitation workers will clean up the area for the next morning.
Resolutions
Speaking of dedication, about half of Americans will make New Year's resolutions promising to change something about themselves in 2016. The most popular resolutions last year were to "stay fit and healthy," "lose weight" and "enjoy life to the fullest," according to Nielsen.
About 16 percent of Americans said they resolved not to make any resolutions.
One of Americans' most treasured resources in keeping their resolutions? Apps -- more specifically, calorie trackers, according to Nielsen.
About 75 percent of people keep their resolutions through the first week of the year, but only 46 percent keep it up for six months.
Only about 8 percent of people keep their resolutions all year long, according to statisticbrain.com.
More people in their 20s keep their resolutions than people older than 50.
Traditions
The Japanese host bōnenkai, or parties where they forget the year, in December.
In Lebanon, Pennsylvania, residents drop bologna at midnight, CNN reported. In Mount Olive, North Carolina, they drop a pickle. In Folly Beach, South Carolina, they drop a pair of flip flops.
In Spain, locals eat 12 grapes in the 12 seconds right before midnight for good luck. In Chile, they eat lentils.
On New Year's Day in Ireland, residents hit loaves of bread against the walls of their homes in order to scare away any bad spirits, according to boston.com.
Some people in Latin America believe it's good luck to wear red underwear on New Year's Eve. Yellow works, too.
In Germany, revelers pour hot metal into bowls of cold water. The shape it forms dictates the kind of year they're going to have.
