The first National Bell Festival was held on New Year's Day 2020, with bell ringing events planned in major cities across the United States. It has since grown to include programming around the world which, during the 2024 festival, reached all seven continents with the addition of a special bell ringing program in Antarctica. The two-day festival begins on New Year's Eve with the 'Ring around the World' event, starting with bell towers nearest the
international date line (typically, New Zealand and Australia). At midnight local time,
carillonists perform an arrangement of "
Auld Lang Syne." This continues around the world as midnight reaches subsequent time zones. Many performances are recorded and live streamed. On the following day, New Year's Day, there is a moment for nationwide bell ringing. All are invited to participate by ringing bells at their local churches, community centers, parks, and memorials. In the United States, this occurs annually at 2:00pm Eastern.
Carillon performances,
change ringing peals, and
handbell concerts contribute to the sound. Other events allow the public unique access to bells and bell towers, often combined with programming commemorating moments of national significance or importance. Recent programming includes: • Installing a 226-year-old hanshō, a Japanese temple bell, at the
U.S. National Arboretum on Jan. 1, 2024. • Marking 160 years since the 1863
Emancipation Proclamation by tolling a 160-year-old bell on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 1, 2023. • Commemorating the 200th birthday of
Harriet Tubman by ringing a bell 200 times at the
Military Women's Memorial at
Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 1, 2022. == Spotlight nation ==