With everyone looking forward to New Year’s 2024, it’s interesting to see which nation will be the first to welcome the celebrations and which will be the last to say goodbye to the year that is coming to an end. The world travels into the future as time zones weave a progressive tapestry of festivities.
Historical Echoes of New Year 2024 Celebrations
The first recorded New Year’s celebration took place in Rome on January 1, 153 BCE. Although many Romans celebrated the start of the New Year on March 1st, January 1st was chosen as the official date when Julius Caesar’s solar calendar was implemented in 46 BCE. The Roman Empire widely adopted this custom, and the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 cemented January 1 as the official start of the year worldwide.
Welcoming the New Year in Kiribati
Oceanian nation of Kiribati leads the way in ringing in the New Year as the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2024. Particularly, Kiritimati Island, which is a part of Kiribati and also goes by the name Christmas Island, will be the first to welcome the new dawn. The colourful celebrations will begin at 5:00 am ET on December 31, signalling the start of the world festivities.
The Sequential Unfolding of New Year’s Eve
At six in the morning ET, the New Year’s celebration torch is passed to Tonga and Samoa after Kiribati’s joyous start. As the countdown progresses, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and South Korea join the chorus of celebration, each ringing in the New Year 2024 in a distinctive way, adding to the growing momentum.
The Culmination in American Samoa
American Samoa, an island nation in the South Pacific, is getting ready to say goodbye to the year that is coming to an end while the rest of the world celebrates this joyous transition. Living in the final time zone, American Samoa is the last stronghold for New Year’s Eve celebrations. As January 1, 2024, the last day of celebrations around the world, arrives, it becomes the last place inhabited.
The Technically Last Territories
Interestingly, if we take into account uninhabited areas, Baker Island and Howland Island, essential components of the US Minor Outlying Islands, assert that they are technically the last to welcome in the new year on January 1st at 7:00 am ET. A new era is ushered in by these secluded and immaculate landscapes, signifying the cyclical nature of time.
The simultaneous celebrations of the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, which bring people together from all over the world, represent the connectivity of humanity despite differences in culture and geography. Time zone differences create a narrative of joyous anticipation for what lies ahead in the coming year.
FAQs
Which country celebrates New Year first ?
The island nation of Kiribati, which is located in Oceania and lies east of the International Date Line in the central Pacific Ocean, is the first to welcome the New Year 2024 at 10 am GMT (3:30 pm IST).
Is New Year a holiday in the USA ?
In the United States, January 1st, or New Year’s Day, is recognized as a national holiday. A widely accepted custom in the United States at this time of year is setting New Year’s resolutions.
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