The ball received a fresh coat of crystals for the big night.

2021 is just about over. I can’t say it was an especially fantastic year, though I guess it was… slightly better than 2020? Maybe? Well, either way, time marches on, and hopefully, a gradual return to normalcy will appear on the horizon in 2022. Before 2022 can get started, though, we’ve got a tradition to uphold. New Year’s Eve is this Friday, and that means it’s time to watch a disco ball descend slowly.

The ball is once again scheduled to drop on Times Square in NYC this year. Every year, the ball receives a makeover to ensure it stays impeccably shiny, and this year, that makeover came in the form of beautiful new crystals provided by Irish company Waterford.

“We’re here today replacing 192 of the Waterford crystal triangles on that ball behind me with a new design, ‘the Gift of Wisdom,'” Jeffrey Strauss, president of Countdown Entertainment, told CNN. “It’s represented by a wheel with these petals of knowledge growing ever forward.”

Unfortunately, since we’re still living in interesting times, New Year’s Eve will once again be a scaled-back affair compared to years past. Only 15,000 spectators will be permitted to attend the event in person in the interest of pandemic safety, with everyone else being encouraged to watch from their homes. On the bright side, it will still be a massive entertainment event, with musical performances by KT Tunstall, LL Cool J, Journey, and Chloe.

“We’re going to have more than a billion revelers around the world joining us on TV and on the internet celebrating,” said Strauss. “It’s the one moment where we all come together, even if it’s just for 60 seconds as we count down towards 2022.”