A new year brings out an array of odd objects

New York City may have the most well-known New Year’s Eve “drop,” when a giant glitzy ball cascades downwards before hitting the ground right at the stroke of midnight, but many cities and towns throughout Georgia have some unusual traditions when it comes to ringing in the new year.
Starting off is Unadilla, where the old saying “when pigs can fly” is appropriate for this area as each year they have a hog drop on New Year’s Eve. (The hog is a replica, and no swine are harmed during the tradition, officials stated).
In cities such as Perry and Gainesville, it’s “no harm, all fowl” during New Year’s with Perry lowering a buzzard and Gainesville hosting the annual Chuck the Chicken drop which benefits the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia.
Brunswick decided to get in on the animal action just last year, starting with the 2023 drop of Bob the Shrimp in the coastal town.
Not to be outdone when it comes to dropping animal character on New Year’s Eve, Tallapoosa’s tradition of dropping Spencer, a taxidermized opossum, the only marsupials native to Georgia, certainly makes the city stand out.
Other objects that make the wild, weird and wonderful drop list in Georgia include: a geranium in McDonough; a shamrock in Dublin; an edelweiss in Helen; and a golden nugget in Villa Rica.
No matter where you drop in on New Year’s Eve, be sure to have a safe and happy end to 2024 and beginning to 2025!