Kiribati becomes the first place to receive 2025

While the rest of the world is still getting ready to say goodbye to 2024, Kiribati is already celebrating the beginning of 2025.

Kiribati, specifically its Kiritimati Island or Christmas Island, is located in the central Pacific and benefits from its strategic position east of the International Date Line.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this line functions as a temporal boundary that separates two consecutive days: crossing it to the west means advancing one day, while doing so to the east implies moving back one day.

The Government of Samoa decided to change its position regarding this dateline to better align with its trading partners in Asia and Oceania in 2011. Since then, this country has also been among the first to welcome the new year, along with Kiribati, sharing the spotlight in the Polynesian region.

The first 10 countries to celebrate New Year's

1. Kiribati (Christmas Island): the first inhabited place to cross midnight
2. Samoa: strategically located following its change in position with respect to the Date Line.
3. Tonga: island country near Samoa in Polynesia
4. New Zealand (Chatham Islands): a small region that precedes the rest of the country in welcoming the New Year
5. New Zealand (North Island and South Island): known for its famous fireworks in Auckland
6. Fiji: famous tourist destination in the Pacific
7. Australia (Norfolk Island): an island that leads the rest of the country in celebrations
8. Australia (Sydney and Canberra): home to one of the most iconic fireworks displays in the world
9. Papua New Guinea: close to Australia and within the first time zones
10. Japan: known for its ceremonial and festive traditions on New Year’s Eve