New Year’s Eve: Kiribati is the first country to ring in 2026. Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, welcomed the New Year at 10:00 GMT, which is 3:30 pm IST. Kiribati reaches the new year first because it lies just west of the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand is among the next to enter 2026. Chatham Island is the second place in the world to welcome the New Year, followed by the rest of New Zealand, including Auckland. Countries like Samoa, Tonga, and Tokelau also celebrate early, with midnight arriving at 11:00 GMT or 4:30 pm IST.
Australia follows soon after. Sydney celebrates New Year’s Eve with fireworks over the Harbour Bridge, including an early family display before the main midnight event. Australia enters 2026 after New Zealand due to its time zone position.
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The difference in New Year timings happens because of the International Date Line, which marks where each new day begins and ends. Since the Earth is divided into many time zones, it takes about 26 hours for the entire world to enter the New Year.
India celebrates the New Year at midnight IST, which is 18:30 GMT. The last place on Earth to welcome 2026 is Baker Island in the Pacific Ocean, where midnight occurs at 12:00 GMT on January 1.
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