If a story involves something on "New Years Eve 2008" - is that 12/31/2007, or 12/31/2008?

Factual Questions
1

Just curious how the rest of you would typically read that?

2

12/31/2008

3

I’d read it as 12/31/08.

4

great thanks - I basically have read it the same way, but there was a discussion at lunch yesterday that had me second-guessing it.

Thanks!

5

I do see the possibility for confusion but I would read it like everyone else here: 31 Dec 2008.

6

While 12-31-08 would be the correct literal interpretation, if I read that I would suspect that the author meant 12-31-07, since the forthcoming year is really the important thing about New Year’s Eve, not the current year that’s about to roll over.

7

I would just see it as ambiguous, and look for a reference to New Years + date. If it was never mentioned, I’d assume the author meant the eve of New Years 2008.

8

At the turn of the last millennium, I remember it being called New Year’s Eve 1999.

9

Looks ambiguous to me too. It should be 12/31/08 but I wouldn’t take it on faith that the writer meant that.

Googling “New Years Eve 2008” and just looking at the descriptions that have dates (like blog or videos from 12/07 to 1/08), it seems that 12/31/07 is just as popular.