Australia, Europe and North America When the clock strikes midnight (UTC+14) and begins New Year's Day in Kiritimati, Kiribati, it's 9pm in Sydney, Australia.
Brisbane
Brisbane is a great city on the eastern coast of the scenic land of Australia and this city is known for sun, sand and a beach party atmosphere. This is a great city to spend the New Year celebration in Australia as there are great parties in the city.
The Line Islands (part of Kiribati), Samoa and Tonga, in the Pacific Ocean, are the first places to welcome the New Year, while American Samoa, Baker Island and Howland Island (part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands) are among the last.
Taumeasina Island Resort Samoa.
Due to its geographical position close to the International Date Line, Australia is one of the first countries in the world to welcome the New Year.
When the clock strikes midnight (UTC+14) and begins New Year's Day in Kiritimati, Kiribati, it's 9pm in Sydney, Australia. In London, England, it's only 10am on December 31, though most other European countries are slightly ahead—for example, it's 11:00 AM in Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; and Rome, Italy.
Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual New Year's Eve fireworks event in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
According to the clock, the first areas to experience a new day and a New Year are islands that use UTC+14:00. These include portions of the Republic of Kiribati, including Millennium Island in the Line Islands.
The first known record of New Year's celebrations began about 2000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. This occurred at the time of the vernal equinox, which is toward the end of March. Babylonians would have a religious festival named Akitu taken from the Sumerian term for barley.
Which country will see the sunrise first on Christmas day? New Zealand is the first country to see the sun on Christmas morning. According to the Greenwich Observatory, New Zealand's Balleny Islands are the first land to have sunrise each day.
Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31, the eyes of the world turn once more to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs high. New Year's Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration — it's a global tradition.
Due to its geographical position close to the International Date Line, New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to welcome the New Year.
Seollal - Korean New Year
Several south-east Asian cultures celebrate New Year's Day on the Lunar New Year. In Korea, the celebration lasts three days: the day before Korean New Year, Korean New Year itself, and the day after Korean New Year. This year, Seollal will be celebrated on February 1.
Best for: Culture
The multicultural city of Melbourne is widely considered to be Australia's cultural capital with a strong arty vibe, amazing museums and an endless selection of cool bars, eateries and festivals. It's also city of sporting fans.
TASMANIA. It's only natural that Tasmania should be Australia's finest holiday state. Around 40 per cent of the state is protected by national parks and reserves, and around half of that land is World Heritage listed.
According to the Fair Work Obudsman, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria have the most public holidays in 2023, with both states marking a whopping 14 public holidays on their calendars. Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia are close behind, also marking 14 public holidays, but with a catch.
Those who adhere to the revised Julian calendar (which synchronizes dates with the Gregorian calendar), including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Romania, Syria, and Turkey, observe both the religious and civil holidays on January 1.
Thus, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a revised calendar in 1582. In addition to solving the issue with leap years, the Gregorian calendar restored January 1 as the start of the New Year.
1 January is also a legal holiday in China, and people also celebrate the Gregorian New Year in this day, but it is not as grand as the traditional Chinese New Year. Japanese New Year is celebrated on 1 January because the Gregorian calendar is now used instead of the Chinese calendar in use until 1873.
Last place to celebrate New Year
The uninhabited islands of Baker Island and Howland, located near the United States, will be the last places in the world to welcome the new year. These islands will begin their celebrations at 12 pm GMT, or 5:30 pm according to Indian Standard Time, on January 1st.
Oceania is the place in the world which marks the New Year celebration first. Tonga, Kiribati and Samoa- tiny Pacific island nations- are the first to ring in a new Calendar year as here, January 1 starts at 10 am GMT or 3:30 pm as per Indian Standard Timing on December 31.
It is also referred to as the "latest time zone" on Earth, as clocks in it always show the 'latest' (i.e., most advanced) time of all time zones. UTC+14:00 stretches as far as 30° east of the 180° longitude line and creates a large fold in the International Date Line around the Pacific nation of Kiribati.
Seventeen Seventy, sometimes inaccurately written as 1770 or Town of 1770, is a coastal town and locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia.
The crown returns to New South Wales, as Albury claims this year's win, proving the border town has become far more than a pit-stop destination. Bundaberg, Queensland, and New Norfolk, Tasmania round out the top three.
Statutory holidays in Australia are based on varying religious, cultural and civic observations. Christian celebrations, namely Christmas and Easter, are some of the most significant ones observed. A Labour Day is observed in each state and territory, although it is varied in date.