In some corners of the globe, New Year’s Eve celebrations are already in full swing as residents count down the final hours or even minutes before the time changes.
For others, however, it is still many hours away.
The first region in the world to officially welcome the New Year is the island of Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, which belongs to the state of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean.
Located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia, Kiribati consists of dozens of atolls – ring-shaped coral formations – and stretches nearly 4,000 kilometers from east to west. Despite being geographically almost opposite Hawaii, Kiribati celebrates New Year’s Day a full day earlier due to its location east of the International Date Line.
The island nation gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979 and is home to the South Pacific’s largest marine sanctuary. Many of its islands are inhabited, but their low elevation makes them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise as a result of climate change. The population of Kiribati is estimated at around 116,000.
Shortly after Kiribati, New Zealand takes over the New Year’s baton, followed by the east coast of Australia
Then the new year arrives in Japan and South Korea, where the welcome is traditionally accompanied by the sound of bells.
An hour later, in 2026 it arrives in areas such as Hong Kong and Singapore.
The last point on the planet to pass into the new year is Baker Island, an uninhabited island in the Pacific.
