List of objects dropped on New Year's Eve

[1] In turn, the event was inspired by the time balls used by ship navigators in the 19th century to calibrate their chronometers.

Most drop events are scheduled so that they conclude at midnight in the hosting location's time zone.

Some may hold a drop at an earlier time to appeal to families who do not wish to stay up for the later event, with the earlier event being held either alongside, or in lieu of one held at midnight.

Occasionally, an earlier countdown may be promoted as celebrating the arrival of midnight in a different location with ties to the city (such as a sister city, or one that shares the same name) Whilst some of these events use a ball in imitation of Times Square, many "drops" utilize objects that represent an aspect of local culture, geography, or history.

Ball drops are by far the most common in, but not exclusive to, the United States.