On New Year's Eve, I felt homesick, and I was far away in the world, unable to return to my hometown. The end of the year refers to the end of the year, and here it refers to New Year's Eve.
The poet is a stranger in a foreign land. New Year's Eve is a day for family reunion but he cannot go back. The New Year is about to be celebrated but he is in a foreign land, which reflects his deep sadness of homesickness and family.