As the world prepares to bid farewell to the old year, New Zealand once again took centre stage as one of the first countries to usher in the New Year. Celebrations in Auckland were highlighted by a spectacular fireworks display that illuminated the night sky above the city’s iconic Sky Tower.
The Sky Tower, a defining feature of Auckland’s skyline, remained the focal point of the celebrations, attracting large crowds of locals and tourists eager to witness one of the earliest major New Year countdowns globally. In New Zealand, however, the Chatham Islands are the first to officially ring in the New Year, NDTV has reported.
The five-minute fireworks show featured around 3,500 fireworks launched from multiple levels of the 240-metre (787-foot) Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the country. The vibrant display lit up the city, marking the beginning of the New Year with colour and celebration, NDTV has reported.
Meanwhile, forecasts predicting rain and the possibility of thunderstorms led to the cancellation of several smaller community events across parts of New Zealand’s North Island, as authorities prioritised public safety.
Globally, Kiritimati Island in Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean, holds the distinction of being the first place in the world to welcome the New Year. Situated in the UTC+14 time zone, the island is also widely known as Christmas Island, as reported by NDTV.
As the New Year progresses across time zones, different countries and regions welcome midnight at varying times. Kiribati marks the New Year at 3:30 PM IST on December 31, followed by New Zealand at 4:30 PM IST. Australia’s east coast follows at 6:30 PM IST, while Japan, South Korea, and North Korea celebrate at 8:30 PM IST. China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan welcome the New Year at 9:30 PM IST, Thailand at 10:30 PM IST, and India and Sri Lanka at midnight IST, as reported by NDTV.
In Europe, Russia (Moscow) celebrates at 2:30 AM IST on January 1, followed by Ukraine at 3:30 AM IST, and countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland at 4:30 AM IST. The UK, Portugal, and Ghana ring in the New Year at 5:30 AM IST. In the Americas, Brazil and Argentina celebrate at 8:30 AM IST, while the US East Coast marks midnight at 10:30 AM IST.
The final places on Earth to welcome the New Year are American Samoa and the Baker and Howland Islands in the UTC-12 time zone, where midnight arrives nearly a full day after celebrations begin in Kiribati.
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