The island nation of Kiribati, specifically its easternmost islands like Kiritimati (Christmas Island), is the first country to celebrate the New Year due to its location just west of the International Date Line, placing it in the earliest time zone (GMT+14). Samoa and Tonga follow immediately after, also being among the first to greet the new year.
Countries across the globe are beginning to usher in 2026. The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to ring in the new year, while Alaska and Hawaii will be among the last places to say goodbye to 2025.
The country that greets the new day first, thanks to the International Date Line, is Kiribati. Specifically, its Line Islands, where Kiritimati Island (Christmas Island) is located. Kiribati made a strategic move by shifting the Date Line eastward for these islands in 1995.
Tonga is generally recognized as the first country to celebrate the New Year due to its UTC+13/14 time zone and position west of the International Date Line.
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Does Australia celebrate New Year before the UK?
Because of this, while all countries celebrate the arrival of the new year at midnight, it may seem as though they celebrate earlier or later than the UK. Generally, Britons look to Australia as the first country to see in the New Year but there are several other countries which beat it to the punch.
The first country to enter 2025 is the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands like Kiritimati (Christmas Island), which are in the UTC+14 time zone, making them the earliest to see the new year before other nations. They welcome January 1st hours before most of the world due to their location just west of the International Date Line.
The first places to have entered into Christmas were Samoa and Kiribati's appositely-named Christmas Island. A whole day later, Samoan Islands on the other side of the international Date Line will finally enter their own Christmas Day.
The day is written first and the year last in most countries (dd-mm-yyyy) and some nations, such as Iran, Korea, and China, write the year first and the day last (yyyy-mm-dd).
On New Year's Day, you're traditionally not supposed to do chores like sweeping, cleaning, or doing laundry as it's believed to sweep or wash away good luck or even a loved one; you should also avoid certain foods like lobster, crab, or chicken (as they walk backward/sideways or have wings) and entering the new year with empty pockets or an empty house, but you should open doors to let out the old year's spirits.
According to the clock, the first areas to experience a new day and a New Year are islands that use UTC+14:00. These include portions of the Republic of Kiribati, including Millennium Island and Kiritimati in the Line Islands.
Which country is the first to enter into the New Year?
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands (including Kiritimati or Christmas Island), is the first country to enter the new year due to its location just west of the International Date Line, placing it in the earliest time zone, UTC+14. This allows Kiribati to welcome the new year hours before other nations, making it the first to see midnight strike on January 1st.
What places will be last to enter 2025? Baker Island and Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean will be the last locations on Earth to enter 2025, according to TimeandDate.com.
Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, not on December 25th, with many scholars pointing to the reign of King Herod the Great as a key indicator, as the gospels state Jesus' birth occurred shortly before Herod's death around 4 BC, though the exact date remains unknown and traditions vary.
Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macau), the Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, the Sahrawi Republic, ...
China, India, and the United States will emerge as the world's three largest economies in 2050, with a total real U.S. dollar GDP of 70 percent more than the GDP of all the other G20 countries combined.
