HARMONY — While people usually celebrate New Year’s Eve with a midnight ceremony, the borough will be on German time.

The ninth annual Silvester celebration will see the ball drop in the town’s square at 6 p.m. Dec. 31, which is midnight in Germany. A fireworks celebration will follow.

“It’s significant because it brings a lot of people in to see not only the physically restored historic nature of this town, but they get to see the energy of these places as well,” said Rodney Gasch, Historic Harmony president.

Activities will include Harmony Museum tours, music and year-end surprises at area shops.

A German short comedy film, “Dinner for One,” will be shown in English in the museum’s wine cellar on repeat from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

There also will be the Bleigiessen, the German tradition of examining the shape of a bit of melted lead dropped into water to interpret what the New Year may hold. This will be done between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.

The Christmas tree throwing contest will make its return this year as well. Last year’s inaugural contest attracted about 25 contestants and 40 tosses total.

Contestants in men’s and women’s divisions are challenged with throwing trees as far as they can. Prizes will be awarded.

“It’s a more recent tradition in Germany,” Gasch said. “People (in Germany) will actually bring their own tree.”

Children age 10 and younger can test their strength in a Christmas wreath throwing contest.

“We’re hoping this adds more to the family fun,” Gasch said.

A pork and sauerkraut dinner will be at 3:30 p.m. in Harmony Museum’s Stewart Hall. No reservations are required.

A 5K and one-mile fun run also are planned.

The 5K will start at the Harmony town square and will travel to the end of Evergreen Mill Road and back. The fun run will travel toward the canoe launch and go through borough streets. Awards will be given to race winners.

Those interested can register at the Grace Church Youth Center on Main Street or online at www.active.com. People also can sign up that day.

Borough parks director Susie Altemus said the races attract between 500 and 600 people each year.

“There are a lot of people and then they stay,” she said. “It’s become a tradition here.”

While the Silvester celebration brings friends and family together to welcome in the coming year, it also educates people about the borough’s historic German roots.

“This is the best thing we have all year,” borough Mayor Cathy Rape said. “It enlightens some people of what some of the German traditions are.”

The borough was founded in 1804 by pacifist German Lutheran Separatists fleeing militarism and religious intolerance of a state-church system in the Stuttgart area of what was then the Duchy of Württemberg in Germany.

Their Harmony Society became one of 19th century America’s most successful communal groups and moved on to establish New Harmony in Indiana and Economy, that became Ambridge in Pennsylvania.

In Germany, the celebration of New Year’s Eve is commonly called Silvester for the 4th century Pope Sylvester, whose death on the last day of 335 was commemorated with a feast.

“It’s a very fun and festive event,” Gasch said.

For more information visit www.harmonymuseum.org/Silvester.html.