Rev. Danny Fisher

Photo by KGO-TV.

This from KGO-TV:

Everything that went wrong over the year has been rung out in an ancient tradition, completed in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve.

A Buddhist monk who is head of Soto Zen Buddhism in North America conducted the ceremony.

Bishop Gengo Akiba rang the 500-year-old, one-ton bell 108 times at the Asian Art Museum. The bronze bell was from a temple in Japan.

Tradition says that the bell ringing leaves the ills of old behind, allowing a fresh start in the New Year.

Happy New Year, everybody!