New Year rings in with arrival of 2025; Which country celebrates first and which rings in last ? Check here
PTC News Desk: 2025 has finally arrived and India has welcomed New Year with grand celebrations across the country. People from every nook and corner came together to embrace the new chapter marking the beginning with utmost enthusiasm with fervour, tradition, prayers and joy.
New Year celebrations began in many cities with parties, cultural events, live music performances, and themed decorations. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Dropadi Murmu also extended New Year wishes.
As the New Year celebrations ring in, here's a complete list of countries that celebrate New Year first and rings it in last.
Kiritimati: The first to ring in 2025
Located in the central Pacific Ocean, Kiritimati operates 14 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 8.5 hours ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST). This time difference allowed the island to step into 2025 at 3.30 pm IST on December 31, 2024.
Across the Pacific: Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji
In the Pacific, the celebration continues to spread as Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji join the excitement. These countries will mark the new year just moments after New Zealand, followed by Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in Australia.
Southeast Asia
Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar will also celebrate as the clock moves forward, followed by Bangladesh and Nepal. India and Sri Lanka will mark the occasion at 1.30 pm EST (11 pm IST).
Final Destination: Baker and Howland Islands
The last destination to extend New Year will be the islands of Baker and Howland, located southwest of Hawaii.
With 38 distinct local times in play, the New Year takes 26 hours to complete its journey across the globe. From the Pacific islands to the Americas, each region adds its cultural flavour to this worldwide event, uniting people in a shared celebration.
- PTC NEWS
