01 · Midnight
Fireworks
A shell bursting against a dark sky, drawn as a night scene instead of an object. That makes it the closest thing to a picture of midnight the set has.
See you on the other side of midnight 🎆
Emoji for New Year
The best New Year emoji
New Year borrowed its emoji from somewhere else entirely. 🎆 and 🎇 were drawn for Japanese summer fireworks festivals, and 🥂 is a toast of any kind. None of them carries a date, which is why the same handful gets reused every 31 December and why the message needs a word or two to fix which celebration it means.
🎆 🥂 🎇 🎉 🎊 📅
Quick answer
Which emoji should you use?
🎆 is fireworks in the sky and 🎇 is a sparkler in your hand. 🥂 is the toast, 🎉 and 🎊 are celebration of any kind, and 📅 is the practical one for a fresh start.
Top picks
6 emoji for New Year
02 · The toast
Clinking Glasses
Two champagne flutes at the moment they meet. It is one of very few food characters drawn as an action, which is why it says celebrating and not drinking.
To a much better year 🥂
03 · The handheld version
Sparkler
A sparkler throwing light in every direction. It is the small, close counterpart to 🎆, and the two are easy to mix up in a picker because the names differ by one word.
Sparklers in the garden, freezing, worth it 🎇
04 · Any celebration at all
Party Popper
A popper firing streamers. It belongs to birthdays, promotions and finished projects as much as to New Year, so it needs the date nearby to be about the date.
Happy New Year everyone 🎉
05 · The pair to 🎉
Confetti Ball
A ball splitting open with confetti inside. It exists mostly to sit next to the popper, and alone it is the less recognised of the two.
Made it to January 🎉🎊
06 · A fresh start
Calendar
A plain calendar page. It is the unglamorous choice and the only one here that says new year with no celebration attached, which suits resolutions and plans.
New year, actually keeping the gym thing this time 📅
At a glance
Compare New Year emoji
The same message can feel quiet, affectionate, playful or intense depending on the symbol. Use this quick comparison before you copy one.
| Emoji | Name | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎆 | Fireworks | Midnight | See you on the other side of midnight 🎆 |
| 🥂 | Clinking Glasses | The toast | To a much better year 🥂 |
| 🎇 | Sparkler | The handheld version | Sparklers in the garden, freezing, worth it 🎇 |
| 🎉 | Party Popper | Any celebration at all | Happy New Year everyone 🎉 |
| 🎊 | Confetti Ball | The pair to 🎉 | Made it to January 🎉🎊 |
| 📅 | Calendar | A fresh start | New year, actually keeping the gym thing this time 📅 |
Ready to send
Message ideas to copy
Happy New Year, hope this one is kinder 🎆
To everyone who got us through this year 🥂
Doors open at nine, fireworks at midnight 🎇
Turn up the tone
Emoji combinations for New Year
Two emoji can blend different shades of the message. Keep the pair short so it still feels intentional and easy to read.
🎆🥂
Fireworks + Clinking Glasses
Combine midnight with the toast when one symbol does not quite carry the whole tone.
🎇🎉
Sparkler + Party Popper
Combine the handheld version with any celebration at all when one symbol does not quite carry the whole tone.
🎊📅
Confetti Ball + Calendar
Combine the pair to 🎉 with a fresh start when one symbol does not quite carry the whole tone.
Tone check
Match the emoji to the moment
🎆 and 🎇 are not the same
One is a shell in the sky, the other a sparkler in your hand. Pickers list them side by side and the names differ by a word, so it is worth a look before sending.
🥂 is not 🍻
The flutes are a toast and the beer mugs are a round in the pub. Both are friendly; only one of them suits a work channel or a client list.
Nothing here says January
Every character on this page works for any celebration. The words have to do the dating, which is also why New Year greetings are the easiest to send to the wrong occasion.
Make it land
How to write the message
Say it in words first
Write the part you need the reader to understand even if the emoji fails to render. This matters most in emotional, professional and unfamiliar conversations.
Choose the emotional volume
Start with 🎆 for midnight, or choose 📅 when a fresh start fits better.
Read it once without context
Check whether a stranger could mistake the reaction for sarcasm, romance or a joke. Add one clarifying phrase when the relationship alone does not explain the tone.
Where you send it
Texts, work chats and public posts
Texts and DMs
Familiar conversations can carry more nuance. Match the emoji the other person already uses, and let your shared history do some of the work.
Work and group chats
Choose the clearest, least ambiguous option and place it after a complete sentence. One emoji usually gives enough tone without distracting from the information.
Captions and comments
Public posts have less relationship context, so readers may interpret a symbol more broadly. Use the caption to establish who or what the reaction is about.
Avoid a mixed signal
One thing to watch for
Let the words carry the meaning
New Year greetings go out in bulk more than any other message of the year, and it shows. A line about the year you actually had, with one 🎆, is worth more than a row of six.
Emoji artwork also changes between Apple, Google, Samsung and other platforms. Small differences in the eyes, mouth, colour or gesture can shift the emotional reading, so a symbol that looks gentle on your phone may look stronger on someone else’s device.
Common questions
About New Year emoji
What is the New Year emoji?
There is not one. 🎆 fireworks is the closest, but it was drawn for Japanese summer fireworks festivals and carries no date of its own. 🥂, 🎉 and 🎊 all work for New Year and all work for anything else worth celebrating.
What is the difference between 🎆 and 🎇?
🎆 is a firework shell bursting in the sky; 🎇 is a handheld sparkler. Both came from the same Japanese festival imagery and both are Emoji 0.6, which puts them among the oldest characters in the set.
Which emoji suit a work New Year message?
🥂 and 📅. The toast is warm without being a party, and the calendar keeps the focus on the year ahead. 🍻 and 🥳 read as a night out, which is a different message to send to a client list.
Keep choosing
Related emoji guides
Celebration emojiUse 🎉 for almost any celebration, 🥳 for parties, birthdays and anything meant to look like fun, 🙌 for a shared win, and 🏆 for a major achievement.Read guideChristmas emoji🎄 is the one that means Christmas on its own. 🎅 is the gift-and-stocking side of it, 🎁 covers presents specifically, and ❄️ is winter rather than the festival. Two together is usually the limit before a message starts looking like a template.Read guideExcited emojiUse 🤯 for astonishing news, 🔥 for something excellent, 🚀 for a launch or rapid progress, and 🥳 when the excitement is already a celebration.Read guide
Emoji can render differently across devices and their meaning changes with culture, relationship and context. When the message matters, let clear words lead.