But in many cities around the world, party organizers are gearing up for perhaps the biggest global bash of all time. Champagne sales are at record levels. Without Jesus Christ there would be no excuse for a party. Up to three million foreign pilgrims have been converging on the Holy Land to mark the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.
Security is tight to deter any violence from religious zealots or cults.
The Asia-Pacific region will be the first to get a slice of millennium action. Mathematically speaking, the third millennium of the Christian era will start on January 1, 2001. Pope John Paul opened the Roman Catholic Church's millennium celebrations on Christmas Eve and they will end on Jan. 6, 2001. But all those round numbers have wrought their magic and seriously big parties are planned around the world to mark the start of 2000, popularly dubbed the new millennium. For the party-goer, the choice has never been so great.