On December 2nd, Times Square, known as the “crossroads of the world”, kicked off its famous annual “New Year’s Wish Wall” event. Visitors from New York and around the world are willing to write their New Year’s wishes on colorful paper strips and stick them on the small wall at this bustling intersection, believing that this will make their wishes easier to come true.
The “New Year’s Wish Wall” is located at Broadway Plaza in Manhattan (between 46th and 47th Streets), open from December 2nd to December 29th, welcoming people from all over the world to make wishes from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with the exception of Christmas Day on December 25th.
Tom Harris, chairman of the Times Square Alliance, said, “The festive crowds on-site and families and friends watching TV together as they ring in the new year, with colorful confetti flying in Times Square, symbolize new hope because everyone is not just looking back but also looking forward to achieving new accomplishments in the coming year.”
Representing the organizers, Schriber, mentioned that people’s wishes are varied, but three wishes have struck him the most: “world peace,” “becoming a millionaire,” and “health.”
“Some wishes are ambitious, all aiming for things that will benefit them, and the most important to people, they wish for ‘health,’ which is something truly beloved to everyone; and there are also wishes like hoping for some good movies to come out in 2025,” he said. “People from all over the world come here, write down their wishes, stick them here, and when the board is filled up, we gather them in barrels and sprinkle them on Times Square at midnight on New Year’s.”
A young man from a couple in New Jersey expressed his wish for “world peace.” “I hope for world peace, I hope for love all over the world, I send everyone my best wishes!”
His girlfriend, a first-time visitor, shared, “I hope for more happiness, I wish for my family and everyone.”
Daniella from the UK said that their family of ten came here to play and made wishes upon hearing about the event.
“Knowing that they will sprinkle these papers on New Year’s Eve gives a sense that wishes will come true, which brings hope,” she told NTD TV. “I wrote about eternal health, happiness, and prosperity.”
Jordan from Massachusetts and her husband had visited Times Square to make wishes earlier and returned to participate in the event this year. “I wrote about filling 2025 with love, joy, and laughter,” she said.
Her husband added, “I wrote about making my wife happy, making my life happy… This is a creative event.”
For readers who can’t come to Times Square in person, they can also visit their website online, fill out their wishes, have them printed out, and then sprinkle them from the sky along with others’ paper strips before the New Year’s arrival, as if wishes have turned into reality.
Times Square Wish Wall website: timessquarenyc.org/wish