New Year parade held in California

PASADENA: The largest New Year celebration in the US West was held in Pasadena, California with an estimated one million spectators watching the world famous Rose Parade along the 5.5-mile route and about 39 million viewers on television.

The traditional New Year celebration that can be traced back to 124 years ago in Pasadena has gradually become a nation-wide event with world participation.

People came from different parts of the country, some from other countries, to watch the parade of 42 floats, all decorated with roses and fresh flowers and cost between 100,000 to 400,000 dollars each to be built.

The parade provided a best chance for people to participate and celebrate along the 5.5-mile Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. The route has actually become a camping site since the New Year's Eve with many people sleeping along the street to wait for the parade starts at 8:00 a.m. (1600 GMT).

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