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Although the New Year officially starts with the striking of midnight, we know the world doesn't come together to celebrate simultaneously. Due to geographical differences, countries mark the occasion at different times. So, do you know which place welcomes the New Year first and which ones have to wait their turn? And where does Vietnam stand in comparison to others? Let's find out.
The vibrant fireworks display in Sydney, Australia, is often seen as the iconic kickoff to the New Year. However, contrary to popular belief, New Zealand and Australia aren't the first countries to ring in the New Year, and likewise, the United States isn't the last.The very first countries to welcome the new year are the tiny island nations nestled in the Pacific Ocean such as Tonga, Samoa, and Christmas Island (Kiribati). Samoa, which is a part of the United States (distinct from the independent Samoa above, American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the U.S., also part of the Samoan Islands), is regarded as the final destination for New Year celebrations, occurring at 18:00 GMT+7, according to Vietnam time zone.
Below is the list of countries welcoming the new year earliest based on GMT (Vietnam time zone is GMT+7 hours)
- 10:00 (17:00): The tiny island nations in the Pacific Ocean including Samoa, Tonga, and Christmas Island (Kiribati) mark the earliest New Year's celebrations
- 11:00 (18:00): New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington)
- 12:00 (19:00): Fiji, Russia (Eastern regions)
- 12:30 (19:30): Australia (Lord Howe Island and New South Wales)
- 13:00 (20:00): Eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Guam
- 15:00 (22:00): Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Eastern Indonesia
- 16:00 (23:00): China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan
- 17:00 (24:00): Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
- 18:00 (1:00): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan
- 18:30 (1:30): India, Sri Lanka
- 19:00 (2:00): Maldives, Pakistan, Uzbekistan
- 20:00 (3:00): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Oman, Reunion, Seychelles, UAE
- 20:30 (3:30): Iran
- 21:00 (4:00): Bahrain, Belarus, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Qatar, Moscow (Russia), Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen
- 22:00 (5:00): Botswana, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mozambique, Namibia, Palestine, Romania, Rwanda, South Africa, Syria, Ukraine, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- 23:00 (6:00): Albania, Algeria, Angola, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Gibraltar, Vatican City
- 24:00 (7:00): United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Iceland, Ireland, Liberia, Portugal, Canary Islands, Senegal, Sierra Leone
- 1:00 (8:00): Cape Verde, Azores
- 3:00 (10:00): Argentina, a part of Brazil, Falkland Islands, Uruguay
- 4:00 (11:00): Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Canada (Atlantic Time Zone), Chile (excluding Easter Island), Dominica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Venezuela.
- 5:00 (12:00): Bahamas, Brazil, Canada (Eastern Time Zone), Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Peru, United States (Eastern Time Zone - EST)
- 6:00 (13:00): Belize, Canada (Central Time Zone), Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, a part of Mexico, United States (Central Time Zone)
- 7:00 (14:00): Mountain Time Zone areas in Canada and the US
- 8:00 (15:00): Pacific Time Zone areas in Canada and the US
- 9:00 (16:00): Alaska
- 10:00 (17:00): Cook Islands of New Zealand and Hawaii
- 11:00 (18:00): American Samoa
- 12:00 (19:00): Howland and Baker Islands of the US
And so, we have officially stepped into the year 2021. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, peaceful New Year, achieving your desires, and having a truly fulfilling day off.According to Inews
