New Year 2025: Which Country Celebrates New Year First And Last? Find Out Here!

As 2025 approaches, people around the world are preparing to welcome the new year with enthusiasm, but the festivities begin at different times due to varying time zones.

From tiny islands in the Pacific to major cities across continents, here's a journey around the globe to see who celebrates first-and who rings in the new year last.

The First to Celebrate: Christmas Island and Samoa

The first place to welcome 2025 will be Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Republic of Kiribati. Located in the Pacific Ocean, this small island is the first to see the dawn of the new year at 5:00 AM EST. Not far behind, the Chatham Islands of New Zealand will mark the new year at 5:15 AM EST, followed closely by New Zealand's major cities, Auckland and Wellington, at 6:00 AM EST.

The Pacific's Festivities: Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji

As New Zealand's celebration continues, countries like Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji will quickly join in, ushering in 2025 with fireworks and parties. Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra in Australia will follow suit, lighting up the skies with spectacular displays. Smaller Australian cities, including Adelaide, Broken Hill, and Ceduna, will soon join in, with Queensland and Northern Australia ringing in the new year just a bit later, at 8:00 PM IST.

Asia Follows the Excitement: Japan, Korea, and China

The excitement then spreads eastward. Japan, South Korea, and North Korea will begin their celebrations at 10:00 AM EST, with Perth, Western Australia, joining in shortly after at 10:15 AM IST (8:45 PM IST). As the clock strikes midnight in China, the Philippines, and Singapore, the streets will come alive with fireworks, lanterns, and joyous celebrations marking the arrival of 2025, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh Join the Revelry

As the time zone shifts, Southeast Asia joins in, with Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar celebrating the new year before Bangladesh and Nepal join in. India and Sri Lanka will mark the arrival of the new year at 1:30 PM EST, with Pakistan and Afghanistan following suit soon after.

The Final Celebration: Baker and Howland Islands

The very last places to greet 2025 are the uninhabited Baker and Howland Islands, located southwest of Hawaii. These remote islands, which are the last to witness the transition into the new year, will see the final moments of global celebration at 5:30 PM IST on January 1, as reported by Times Of India

A Global Celebration Across Time Zones

From Christmas Island's early festivities to the quiet uninhabited islands marking the end of the global celebration, the transition into 2025 is a spectacular global event. As different time zones come to life with celebrations, each region has its own way of welcoming the new year, creating a continuous wave of festivities that spans the globe, as per media reports.