World

Which countries will ring in New Year 2025 first and last?

Lands uninhabited by humans are first and last to welcome New Year 2025

By Web Desk
December 30, 2024
A view of fireworks over the London Eye to mark the New Years celebrations, in London, Britain, January 1, 2024. — Reuters
A view of fireworks over the London Eye to mark the New Year's celebrations, in London, Britain, January 1, 2024. — Reuters

It is a universal fact that New Year is not celebrated by the entire world at the same time due to different time zones. 

Some countries do count down the moments until the New Year kicks in at the same time. 

So, which countries are the first to welcome the year 2025 and which ones are the last? 

It is interesting that the regions celebrating the beginning of the New Year the first and last are inhabited by humans. 

Which country celebrates New Year first?

The United Kingdom runs on the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is used as the time format all over the world. It is the baseline time zone and other time zones are measured by how much they differentiate from it, as per The Sun.

So, the Kiritimati Island also known as the Christmas Island and 10 others mostly uninhabited islands of the central Pacific Ocean were the first to welcome 2024 and will be the first to ring in 2025.

Tonga, New Zealand and Samoa all celebrate the first day of the New Year before Eastern Australia then Central Australia marks the new beginning.

Fireworks light up the sky over Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral Clock to mark the New Year, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain January 1, 2024. — Reuters
Fireworks light up the sky over Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral Clock to mark the New Year, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain January 1, 2024. — Reuters

Which country will welcome New Year last?

Countries furthest to the west on a British map are the last to celebrate the New Year this means, two uninhabited islands southwest of Hawaii, named Baker Island and Howland Island, will be the last to see the start of 2025.

The US is one of the last countries to welcome the New Year with New York and Washington DC being the last to celebrate the arrival of 2025 as they will have to wait until 5am GMT.

When will Pakistan mark beginning of 2025?

As for Pakistan, the country will welcome the New Year on December 31 at 7pm GMT making it one of the first countries to welcome 2025.

Pakistan’s neighbouring country India will celebrate New Year on the same day at 6:30pm GMT whereas Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran will mark the beginning of the New Year at 6:00pm, 7:30pm and 8:30pm respectively.