The arrival of New Year It is a global event held over a 24-hour period due to differences in time zones. This phenomenon responds to the design of time zones and the International Date Line, a convention that divides the planet into consecutive days. In this context, some countries have the privilege of receiving the New Year early, while others must wait up to a full day to join the celebration.
The first country to welcome the New Year was Kiribati, specifically its Kiritimati Island or Christmas Island. This archipelago, located in the central Pacific, 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 time boundary that separates two consecutive days: crossing it to the west means moving forward one day, while crossing it to the east means going backwards.
On the opposite side of the International Date Line, Howland and Baker Islands, uninhabited territories of the United States, are the last places on the planet to welcome the New Year. Located in the central Pacific, these islands remain almost a full day behind Kiribati and Samoa.
From Sydney to Vladivostok, communities around the world have already welcomed 2025 with fireworks, amazing light shows, hugs and ice diving.
Auckland became the first major city to celebratewith thousands of people crowding downtown or climbing the city’s ring of volcanic peaks to get a prime view of the fireworks. A light show recognized Auckland’s indigenous tribes.
Countries in the South Pacific Ocean were the first to welcome 2025, as midnight arrived in New Zealand 18 hours before the ball dropped in Times Square in New York.
Fireworks were launched from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and across the bay. More than a million Australians and visitors gathered on Sydney’s iconic harbor for the celebration. British pop star Robbie Williams led a collective sing-along with the crowd. The celebration also featured indigenous ceremonies and performances that recognized the country’s first inhabitants.
In Bangkok, Thailand, shopping malls competed to draw crowds with live musical acts and fireworks displays. A performance by popular rapper Lisa, a Thai member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink, was scheduled to perform just before midnight.
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thousands of people were expected to attend the annual fireworks show at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.
Traditional New Year’s Eve festivities in Roma They have an additional attraction: the start of the Holy Year of Pope Francis, a celebration that occurs once every quarter of a century projected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to the Eternal City in 2025. January 1 is a day of obligation for Catholics, marking the Solemnity of Mary.
Paris will culminate a momentous 2024 with its traditional festive countdown and a fireworks show on the famous Champs Elysees.
London plans to ring in the New Year with a fireworks display along the River Thames and a parade through the city center on Wednesday, featuring 10,000 performers.
With a storm bringing bad weather to other parts of the UK, celebrations in Edinburgh, Scotland, such as the Hogmanay street party, garden concert and castle fireworks display have already been cancelled. But In Switzerland and some other places, people took in the cold, stripping naked and submerging themselves in freezing water.
Rio de Janeiro will host Brazil’s main New Year’s Eve party in Copacabana beachwith offshore ferries that will offer 12 straight minutes of fireworks. Thousands of tourists on cruise ships will witness the spectacle up close. More than 2 million people are expected to be in Copacabana, hoping to attend concerts by Brazilian superstars like the pop singer Anita and Grammy winner Caetano Veloso.
In New York City, the organization that manages Times Square has tried out its famous ball drop and inspected the illuminated 2025 signs, lights and thousands of crystals, as part of a tradition that dates back to 1907. This year’s celebration will include musical performances by TLC, Jonas Brothers, Rita Ora y Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Meanwhile, the pyrotechnic show of vegas will take place on the Las Vegas Strip, with forecasts of 340,000 attendees while fireworks are launched from the casino rooftops. Nearby, the massive Sphere venue will for the first time show the countdown to midnight in different time zones.
In Pasadena, eager Rose Parade spectators will camp out on the cold streets and ring in the New Year hoping to get the best spots for the iconic Southern California tradition. And some 200,000 people will attend a party in Nashville, Tennessee, with a five-hour show from some of country music’s biggest stars.
American Samoa will be among the last to welcome 2025, a full 24 hours after New Zealand.
(With information from AP)
