Google wishes the world Happy New Year with doodle: 'Just like that 2022 is here'

Happy New Year 2022: Google's doodle features a purple party popper, with “2021” written on it, bursting to reveal “2022”.

Google on Saturday came out with a festive and colourful doodle to wish the world Happy New Year.

The animated doodle is an extension of the one that Google unveiled on New Year’s Eve. It features a purple party popper, with “2021” written on it, bursting to reveal “2022”. Clicking on the doodle takes users to the Google’s homepage, which features a shower of confetti.

“And just like that, 2022 is here,” Google said in a post. “Happy New Year’s Day!”

This time, New Year celebrations took place in the shadow of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly across the world.

Some ceremonies were constant, like the iconic fireworks in Sydney. In the United States, many people gathered at New York city’s Times Square to ring in the New Year.

There was a spectacular display of fireworks at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, while people in London were treated to a laser show. This marked a departure from the fireworks event that usually place in the city to mark the new year.

In Dubai, fireworks erupted from the Burj Khalifa during New Year's Eve celebrations on December 31. Coronavirus-related restrictions have been tightened in the United Arab Emirates in view of the surge in cases.

In India, people were seen visiting decked-up malls. Many others opted for celebrations at home as COVID-19 restrictions are in place in several states.