Many countries celebrate New Year after Australia, as Australia spans several time zones, but generally, New Zealand's easternmost areas (like Chatham Islands) and Pacific islands like Kiribati and Samoa are among the first, while the last to celebrate are places like American Samoa, Niue, and Hawaii, following the International Date Line westward through Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The last inhabited places to celebrate the New Year are typically American Samoa and Niue, located in the South Pacific, which are among the last spots on Earth to cross the International Date Line into the new year, with uninhabited US territories like Baker and Howland Islands being the absolute final points.
The second country in the world to celebrate the New Year is Samoa. Located in the South Pacific and positioned just west of the International Date Line, Samoa enters January 1st immediately after Tonga, making it the second nation on Earth to do so.
No, Australia isn't the absolute first to celebrate New Year's, but it's among the very first major countries, with smaller Pacific island nations like Kiribati, Tonga, and Samoa getting there just before, thanks to their location near the International Date Line. New Zealand is also ahead of Australia, with Sydney's celebrations often marking the start for many as one of the first prominent global events, as shown in these fireworks displays over Sydney.
Virtually all countries that use the Gregorian calendar, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, and Brazil, officially celebrate the New Year on January 1st.
American Samoa and the uninhabited Howland and Baker Islands are among the final territories on Earth to enter the New Year, almost 24 hours after Kiribati. As the rest of the world waits for midnight, Kiribati quietly begins the New Year, long before the countdowns, fireworks, and celebrations elsewhere even begin.
First Country to Welcome the New Year
The first place to celebrate the New Year is Kiritimati Island, also called Christmas Island, located in the Republic of Kiribati. This island is in the UTC +14 time zone, making it the first to ring in 2025.
The 26th of January was chosen as the date of Australia Day because it was the day the first of the British ships arrived in what we now call New South Wales. As such, for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders this date represents the beginning of their dispossession.
Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands (like Kiritimati), is the first country to celebrate the New Year, followed closely by Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand's Chatham Islands, all thanks to their location just west of the International Date Line. These Pacific island nations usher in January 1st hours before most other countries, making them the first to welcome the new year.
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While Christmas in July may be a really big deal in Australia, some in New Zealand and South Africa have Christmas in July celebrations of their own each year. After all, it's winter there, too, and both countries also have strong British and Northern European backgrounds.
In Russia, Novy God (New Year's Eve) is the highlight of the season. Given the two calendars, Russians celebrate New Years twice, once on January 1 and again on “Old New Year” on January 14.
Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands (including Kiritimati), starts the day first because it's in the earliest time zone (UTC+14), strategically shifting the International Date Line eastward in 1995 to unify its nation and claim the symbolic first-day honor, meaning they greet the new day hours before most other countries.
When the clock strikes midnight on December 31 in Kiritimati, it's still December 30 in most of the world. Other countries that follow closely behind Kiribati in celebrating the New Year include Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand.
Happy New Year! New Zealand is the first country in the world to enter 2026.
This is American Samoa. Located in the South Pacific, the island nation is the last inhabited land mass where the clock strikes midnight. Halfway between Hawaii in the north and New Zealand in the south, American Samoa is known for its rich blue hues, its historical sites, its beaches and its relationship with time.
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While Baker and Howland Islands are technically last on the clock, they are uninhabited. For travelers, the meaningful “last New Year” celebrations happen in American Samoa, Niue, and Hawaii.
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Kiritimati is in the world's furthest forward time zone, UTC+14, and is therefore one of the first inhabited places on Earth to experience New Year's Day (see also Caroline Atoll, Kiribati).
In recent years, there has been a growing debate and discussion surrounding the date of Australia Day as January 26. This is because the date marks the beginning of dispossession, violence, genocide, and the negative impacts of European colonisation on Indigenous communities.
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26 January was chosen as the date for Republic Day as it was on that day in 1930 when the Declaration of Indian Independence was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress.
The islands of Niue and American Samoa, which are southwest of Kiribati in the South Pacific, are the last inhabited places to celebrate the New Year, according to National Geographic. By the time American Samoa says goodbye to 2025, a lot of the rest of the world will already be firmly in 2026.
The last inhabited places to celebrate the New Year are typically American Samoa and Niue, located in the South Pacific, which are among the last spots on Earth to cross the International Date Line into the new year, with uninhabited US territories like Baker and Howland Islands being the absolute final points.
The world has entered the 1st January 2025 (by Kiritimati, Christmas Island, Kiribati time)