Ever wondered who gets to celebrate New Year's Eve first? It's not New York City! The tiny island of Kiritimati, part of Kiribati, is the first to welcome the new year. When it's 5 a. m. on December 31 in the Eastern Time zone, it's already New Year's Day on Kiritimati. Soon after, New Zealand and some Pacific islands join the party. Meanwhile, Hawaii and other US territories are among the last to pop their Champagne bottles. It takes a full 26 hours for the world to finish celebrating!

There are 39 different time zones worldwide, creating a unique timeline for New Year's Eve. Some places, like New Zealand and Fiji, celebrate early in the morning. Others, like Australia and Japan, ring in the new year a bit later. Countries in Europe and Africa follow suit, with the US East Coast celebrating at midnight. The last to join are places like Hawaii and American Samoa, which celebrate on January 1st, local time.

It's fascinating how time zones affect when we celebrate. It's like having a global countdown, with some places starting the new year while others are still in the old one. This global timeline shows the power of time zones and how they connect us all.

Ringing in 2025: A Worldwide New Year's Eve Timeline

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