New Delhi: New Year is just around the corner, and we the people living in India will ring in 2025 just as the clock strikes 12 midnight. To many, the beginning of the new year is an emotional moment as they bid goodbye to a year and welcome another one. However, due to the varying time zones across the world, different countries welcome the New Year at different time. There are around 40 countries which celebrate the New Year ahead of India and countries worldwide adds its unique traditions to this joyful occasion, showcasing the diversity of this planet in celebrating a fresh start.
New Year and the difference in time zones
Based on longitude, the Earth has been divided into 24 time zones with each of them having a standard time, which is why the New Year is celebrated at different hours in different countries. India goes by the Indian Standard Time (IST), which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +5:30).
The international date line plays the most crucial role in the division of the time zones and it is the start and end point of each day. In 1884, its ideas was first introduced at a conference and it roughly follows the 80th meridian north to south through the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its located is halfway around the world from the Prime Meridian which crosses England’s Greenwich.
Countries can choose the side of the international date line they want to be on and moreover, they set their own time. As per an article by the National Geographic, at present there are 38 local times. Due the peculiarities in the global time zone, the time of the celebration of New York varies from one place to another.
Which place celebrates the New Year first?
According to reports, the first place on the Earth to celebrate the new year is the Kiritimati Island. Also known as the Christmas Island, it is a Pacific Ocean atoll and a part of the Republic of Kiribati. It is one of the largest atolls in the world in terms of land area.
It is not long since the Kiritimati Island became the first place to ring in the new year. Once upon a time, the international date line went through Kiribati and it meant that depending on the location of a person, the day would be different. In 1995, Kiribati moved the international date line to bring uniformity in its islands and also to attract tourists who wants to be the first to ring in the new year. After Kiritimati Island, New Zealand’s Tonga and the Chatham Islands welcome the new year.
Which place celebrates the New Year last?
The new year is celebrated last in the islands of American Samoa and Niue to Kiribati’s southwest in the South Pacific. While the day ends an hour later in Baker Island and Howland Island both of which are the US territories, both of the places are uninhabited.
Also, there was a time when Samoa (not American Samoa) was one of the last countries to celebrate the new year. The scenario changed in 2011 when the country changed time zones to align with Australia and New Zealand, its trading partners. Now, Samoa is one of the first countries to celebrate.
Which countries celebrate new year before India?
Due to varying time zones all over the world, there are many countries which fall in this category. Infact, there are reportedly 41 nations which celebrate new year before India. Some of those countries are Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, certain parts of Russia, Myanmar, Japan and Indonesia.
The New Year isn’t celebrated simultaneously worldwide due to varying time zones. Kiribati’s Kiritimati Island is typically the first to ring in the new year, while American Samoa and Niue celebrate last. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
