By Dan Fastenberg and Hussein al Waiile

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – New Waterford crystals were joined by over 2,000 sparkling triangulars that covered the ball that falls over New York’s Times Square each year. This was just days before the countdown towards 2022.

Jeffrey Strauss of Countdown Entertainment stated Monday, “We are here today replacing 192 of those Waterford crystal triangles behind me with a brand new design, the Gift of Wisdom.’ It’s symbolized by the wheel that has these flowers of knowledge moving forward.

Every year, the 12 foot diameter geodesic sphere weighs 1175 pounds. It receives 192 new crystal faces that are representative of themes such as Happiness. There are 2,688 crystal panels that cover the ball, ranging in length from 4-3/4″ to 5-3/4″.

New Year’s Eve will take place in Times Square for the second year. However, organizers encourage people to go online and watch it. Due to spread of Omicron virus, the in-person attendance of approximately 60,000 people before the pandemic will be limited at 15,000 because of this.

However, the global audience will likely remain large.

Strauss stated that there will be more than one billion people worldwide joining in the celebrations on television and the internet. “It’s that one time when all of us come together even if it only lasts for 60 seconds, as we count down to 2022.”

This year, stars are expected to appear at the celebration including KT (NYSE: ) Tunstall and LL Cool J. Journey, Chloe, and Journey.