When the ball drops in Times Square, New York, to announce the arrival of 2025, it will be late to the party as dozens of countries worldwide will have already welcomed the New Year. Kiritimati, known as Christmas Island, was the first to ring in 2025, doing so at 5 AM ET on December 31, just as the clock struck 11 AM UTC. With its location at the center of the Pacific Ocean, this island nation of Kiribati leads the world, followed by the Chatham Islands, which celebrated at 5:15 AM ET, and soon after, most of New Zealand at 6 AM ET along with Tokelau, Samoa, and Tonga.
Across the International Date Line, regions such as Hawaii and American Samoa will be among the last to pop their champagne, waiting until Wednesday morning to toast to 2025. There are 39 different time zones worldwide, some diverging by 15 or 30 minutes from nearby zones, including two zones sitting over 12 hours ahead of UTC. Hence, it takes the entire world 26 hours to give the traditional warm welcome to the New Year.
Here’s how the world celebrates the arrival of 2025, hour by hour, starting from Kiritimati:
- 5 AM ET - Kiritimati, Kiribati
- 5:15 AM ET - Chatham Islands, New Zealand
- 6 AM ET - Most of New Zealand, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, and some regions of Antarctica
- 7 AM ET - Fiji and various islands of the Pacific
- 8 AM ET - Much of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne
- 9 AM ET - Queensland, Australia
- 10 AM ET - Japan, South Korea, and parts of Northern Russia
- 11 AM ET - China, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore
- Noon ET - Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of Indonesia
- 1 PM ET - Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Bhutan
- 1:30 PM ET - India and Sri Lanka
- 2 PM ET - Pakistan and Uzbekistan
- 3 PM ET - Georgia, Armenia, and the UAE
- 4 PM ET - Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia
- 5 PM ET - Lebanon, Egypt, and Greece
- 6 PM ET - Germany, France, and Belgium
- 7 PM ET - UK, Portugal, and Iceland
- 8 PM ET - Cape Verde and the Azores
- 9 PM ET - Most of Greenland and parts of Brazil
- 10 PM ET - Majority of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay
- 11 PM ET - Regions of Canada and Venezuela
- Midnight ET - The U.S. East Coast, including New York
- 1 AM ET - U.S. Central Time and most of Mexico
- 2 AM ET - U.S. Mountain Time
- 3 AM ET - U.S. Pacific Time
- 4 AM ET - Alaska and parts of French Polynesia
- 5 AM ET - Hawaii and the Cook Islands
- 6 AM ET - American Samoa and other small U.S. islands
New Year’s celebrations are not just about the starting time but also reflect the rich cultural traditions each region brings. Residents of Kiritimati, for example, with their population of approximately 7,000, celebrate this New Year with festivities fueled by their unique time zone. These traditions echo as celebrations ripple through neighboring areas like Samoa and Tonga before reaching global metropolises.
Meanwhile, the grandiose fireworks display marks Sydney’s iconic welcoming of the New Year at 10 AM ET, drawing crowds and excitement from all corners of the Earth. Tokyo and Seoul embrace the start of 2025 at midnight on January 1, local time, continuing the festive spirit across the globe.
From Moscow celebrating at 6 PM ET and Berlin at 7 PM ET to London welcoming the New Year at 8 PM ET, the world keeps passing the baton of celebration until it reaches Buenos Aires at midnight local time and finally New York, famed for its famed ball drop—a lively spectacle watched by millions.
Time zones may separate these celebrations, but they unite the world through shared traditions and joy at the start of the New Year. The last celebrations to highlight this global joy will take place across Hawaii at 6 AM ET as they ring in the New Year after everyone else.