Fireworks explode over skyscrapers during New Year celebrations on January 01, 2025 in Makati. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
Kiribati to Usher in 2025 First Among Nations
As the world eagerly anticipates the arrival of 2025, time zones dictate a staggered global celebration. The tiny island nation of Kiribati, situated in the central Pacific Ocean, will claim the distinction of welcoming the New Year first.
“Kiribati’s position on the International Date Line places it ahead of the rest of the world in ringing in 2025,” said a global timekeeping expert. While celebrations commence there, many others will still be preparing for the final hours of 2024.
In contrast, the East Coast of the United States will just be waking up to December 31 at 5:00 a.m. ET as Kiribati marks the New Year. Following Kiribati, the Chatham Islands in New Zealand will welcome 2025 next, closely trailed by parts of eastern Russia and other Pacific islands.
Major countries including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China will celebrate sequentially before the clock strikes midnight across India and Sri Lanka at 1:30 p.m. ET in the United States.
Interestingly, the last places to welcome 2025 will be the U.S. minor outlying islands of Baker Island and Howland Island in the Pacific. These locations will greet the New Year at 7:00 a.m. ET on January 1, 2025.
This global sequence of celebrations reflects both the diversity and interconnectedness of our world, uniting people across vast time zones in marking a shared moment of renewal.
