In the world, the people of Kiribati are the first to welcome the New Year. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This country is located on the Line Islands in the Pacific Ocean and belongs to the earliest time zone on the planet – UTC+14. Therefore, the New Year begins in Kiribati at approximately 15:00 Tashkent time.
In Kiribati, celebrations are usually held on the ocean shores. The local population gathers on the beaches and celebrates the New Year with fireworks and various festive events.
Tourists also come specifically to this area to take advantage of the opportunity to witness the "first New Year of the year." After Kiribati, the New Year arrives in Samoa and Tonga.
These countries are located in the UTC+13 time zone, and the holiday is celebrated with traditional songs, dances, and public events. It is worth noting that Samoa joined the ranks of countries welcoming the New Year first after changing its time zone in 2011.
Next, New Zealand welcomes the New Year. Large fireworks are organized in the cities of Auckland and Wellington, with thousands of people participating in the celebrations.
The Chatham Islands, belonging to New Zealand, celebrate the New Year somewhat earlier because they are located in the UTC+13:45 time zone. Also, countries located in Oceania such as Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru, Wallis, and Futuna are among the countries that welcome the New Year first in the world.
In these areas, celebrations are held on the seashores and are decorated with national dances, traditional dishes, and other cultural events. Thus, the honor of welcoming the New Year first mainly belongs to the Pacific Ocean countries.
