The party is on. On Wednesday, December 31, the traditional Times Square ball drop in New York – a glowing sphere that descends a flagpole at midnight – will be dedicated to the 250^th anniversary of the United States. The countdown to the New Year will include a shower of red, white and blue confetti, as the crystal ball lights up with the colors of the American flag and the America250 logo.

In the federal capital, a video narrative celebrating America will be projected for six days onto the Washington Monument, the 169-meter-tall obelisk that was inaugurated in 1885. At midnight, the monument will be transformed into a giant candle to mark the beginning of the Semiquincentennial festivities, the 250^th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

From January through fall 2026, Americans are invited to celebrate their history and its exceptionalism: For the first time, a nation was created from scratch based on democratic principles such as the “consent of the governed.” This national narrative is one that US President Donald Trump and his loyal supporters have sought to purge of its less heroic aspects, from the extermination of Indigenous populations to slavery, which officially lasted until 1863.

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