It’s official, 2017 has just hours to expire and in that lot, there are many interesting mixes about which country ushers in the rest of the world into the New Year.
But obviously, the New Year arrives at different times for different countries across the world. So which country will enter 2018 before any other and where does the New Year arrive last?
Which country celebrates New Year first?
Fireworks exploding over Sydney harbour symbolises the start of global New Year’s festivities for most Brits.
But it may surprise you to hear that Australia is not the first country in the world to welcome the New Year.
The tiny Pacific island of Tonga will ring in 2018 at 10am GMT on December 31 – a full three hours before it reaches Down Under.
Where will 2018 arrive last?
After travelling all around the world, the New Year will eventually come full circle – or near enough.
The last place or places to receive 2018 will be the tiny outlying islands of the US, the Sun UK reported.
Baker Island and Howland Island will greet the New Year at 12 Midday on January 1 – or at least they would if any people lived there.
Second last will be American Samoa at 11am – just 558 miles from Tonga, where locals and visitors were celebrating a full 25 hours before.
It’s therefore possible to get a quick flight in between the two and count down to 2018 twice.
What time does New Year arrive around the world?
Using London time, this is when the world will welcome in 2018:
- Sun 10:00 Tonga and two more
- Sun 11:00 New Zealand
- Sun 13:00-15:15 Australia
- Sun 15:00 Japan & South Korea
- Sun 15:30 North Korea
- Sun 16:00 China, Philippines, Singapore
- Sun 17:00 Most of Indonesia
- Sun 17:30 Myanmar and Cocos Islands
- Sun 18:00 Bangladesh
- Sun 18:15 Nepal
- Sun 18:30 India and Sri Lanka
- Sun 19:00 Pakistan
- Sun 19:30 Afghanistan
- Sun 20:00 Azerbaijan
- Sun 20:30 Iran
- Sun 21:00 Moscow/Russia
- Sun 22:00 Greece
- Sun 23:00 Germany
- Mon 00:00 United Kingdom
- Mon 02-3:00 Brazil
- Mon 03:00 Argentina, Paraguay
- Mon 03:30-8:00 USA, Canada
- Mon 09:00 Alaska
- Mon 10:00 Hawaii
- Mon 11:00 American Samoa
- Mon 12:00 US outlying islands (Baker Island, Howland Island etc)
