New Years Around the World: The Ultimate Guide When It Starts

When is New Year’s Eve celebrated first? How long does it take for the entire world to ring in the New Year? Where are the best New Year’s Eve celebrations? This comprehensive guide answers all those questions and more about how the world celebrates New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated holidays globally. With over 7 billion people across 39 different time zones, it takes 26 hours for the New Year to reach every corner of the world. From the remote Pacific islands like Tonga and Samoa to the world-famous celebrations in Times Square, Rio, and Sydney, unique cultural traditions, iconic countdowns, elaborate fireworks displays, and raucous parties mark the occasion. New Year’s Day also holds significant cultural importance, with traditions like eating lucky foods in the U.S. South and ‘first footing’ in Scotland for prosperity and good luck. Read on for a complete hour-by-hour look at the first places to welcome the New Year and how they celebrate the special event.

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on the coming year. It’s the day when people all over the world celebrate the same holiday, and the festivities are elevated to another level. Most of us observe New Year’s Eve traditions for good luck, celebrations, resolutions, or even New Year’s Eve superstitions to ring in the New Year and bid farewell to the year that has passed.

We have a dedicated blog post on the New Year’s Countdown Ball drop and other live-stream events you can watch if you decide to watch from home this year.

We still want to share who celebrates New Year’s First and how they would celebrate in a typical year. So when is it 12 o’clock midnight in some of your favorite travel destinations in the world?

Tonga, New Zealand, and Australia are the first places in the world to celebrate the New Year. The Pacific island of Tonga is the first to ring in the New Year festivities, kicking off at 5 am EST, 10 am UTC on December 31st. New Zealanders in cities like Auckland and Wellington hit 12 o’clock midnight and are next to pop champagne at 6 am EST, 11 am UTC, with dazzling fireworks over skyscrapers and harbors. Australia soon follows with parties and midnight kisses in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and across the massive country’s time zones at 8 am EST. The Aussies and Kiwis celebrate similarly to most cultures, filled with parties and dazzling fireworks. Here’s an interesting fact: Gisborne in New Zealand is west of the International Date Line, so they are the first major city to celebrate New Year’s.

New Year’s Celebrations in Sydney Harbour

Sydney’s world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks display over the iconic harbor and bridge draws over 1 million spectators. The extravagant 12-minute show features pyrotechnics launched from the tops of the Harbour Bridge with more than 58,000 individual fireworks coordinated with popular music. If you are awake or can catch it later in the day, watch the fireworks around Sydney Harbor. Often regarded as the best in the world, the fireworks are set off over the bridge. Over 1 million people line the river bank to catch the fantastic display. The fireworks lead into the New Year’s Eve countdown. It’s one of the longest and best-choreographed displays in the world, an event that will leave travelers awestruck.

After the Australia and Asia-Pacific celebrations wind down, the party moves across Russia with festive meals and traditions around burning wishes for the new year.

Next stop: Japan. Travelers looking to celebrate the New Year on more than one day must travel to Tokyo, as celebrations stretch from December 29th through January 4th. The most popular location is the Tokyo Tower, where fireworks and flashbulbs light up the sky. Japan’s New Year is at 10 am EST in Tokyo, Seoul, and Pyongyang. Another popular place is Juya No Kane, the Watch Night Bell. Known as Omisoka, their custom includes ringing this bell 108 times. Why 108? It represents repentance for each of the moral desires the Buddhist faith has identified. Another interesting fact is that the Imperial Palace is open to the public on January 1st – only one of two dates you can get in the entire year. By 11 am EST, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore celebrate the New Year.

Moving on to India, they celebrate at 1:30 pm EST. Sounds strange, but yes their time zone falls on the half-hour. Although it is not India’s official New Year, many regions still celebrate with festivals.

Eight hours before midnight (3 pm EST), it’s 12 o’clock in most of Russia. Unlike most cultures, people in Russia spend the last few minutes of the New Year in silence. They use this time to write down wishes and burn them. Hardcore believers take the ashes, put them into their champagne glasses, and drink up at the stroke of midnight.

At 6 p.m., while we are preparing for our dinners and parties, much of Europe is celebrating New Year’s, including Italy, Germany, and France. Western European capitals like London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, and Berlin count down to midnight next, with prominent celebrations including fireworks along the Thames River, feasting on traditional New Year’s dishes, and ringing in 2025 with kisses and toasts of champagne at countless lively parties. In Denmark, their meal includes pork, cod, and kale, as well as a ring cake called Kransekage.  Many break dishes at the stroke of midnight for luck. They often throw some of their old dishes on a friend’s door to symbolize their love for their friend. The more dishes you have in front of your door from your friends, the better!

Also, at 6 pm EST, customs in Spain include celebrating with a feast, wearing red underwear, and eating 12 grapes while making a wish for each one. The parties and pubs keep going into the wee hours of the morning, and for breakfast, people have churros, pastries, and hot chocolate. (We had churros dunked in the hot chocolate sauce in Barcelona – it’s delicious!) If you are in Barcelona for New Year’s, head to Placa Catalunya in Barcelona’s city center. You can also find live music and festivals along the beach. In France, New Year’s Eve is called la Saint-Sylvester and is celebrated with a feast that includes foie gras, oysters, and champagne. The French exchange cards and gifts and also kiss under the mistletoe. In Austria, the main television station broadcasts the Pummerin, which is the bell of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Afterward, they play Johann Strauss’s The Blue Danube, and people dance in the streets. They eat roast pig and peppermint ice cream, which symbolize good luck.

At 7 pm EST, England, Ireland, Portugal, the Canary Islands, and Morocco are at 12 o’clock. You will find people holding hands in many English pubs and singing Auld Lang Syne. Every year in London, people line the banks of the River Thames. There is also an amazing fireworks display above the London Eye accompanied by music. As the clock strikes midnight, Big Ben sounds off thunderous chimes. On New Year’s Day, the celebration continues with a huge parade.

The celebrations sweep across the Atlantic next to Brazil, which is famous for its lively beachside parties and fireworks in Rio de Janeiro. After North and South America welcome 2025, the last time zones to celebrate are small South Pacific islands like American Samoa. Three hours before midnight (9 pm EST), Brazil comes alive. Traditional gatherings with food and drink and lots of fireworks. It is said that in Rio, at Copacabana Beach, you will see one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the world. Argentina celebrates the New Year at 10 pm EST.

Azores and Cape Verde celebrate their New Year at 8 pm.

Three hours before midnight (9 pm EST), Brazil comes alive. Traditional gatherings include foods such as lentils and plenty of alcohol while watching a fireworks display.

It is said that in Rio, at Copacabana Beach, you will see one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the world. Argentina celebrates the New Year at 10 pm EST.

In New York City, you will find over 1 million people in Times Square, with another billion watching on TV to witness the iconic ball descend down the 141-foot pole atop the One Times Square Building. The first ball was dropped in 1907. Heading west, Las Vegas is another great New Year’s. Hotels and casinos along the strip come together for a massive fireworks display. Who is the last to bring in the New Year? Well, it’s not midnight in Hawaii until 5 am on January 1st, and the very last place in American Samoa and the Midways Islands at 6 am EST on January 1st.

What Time Does the New Year arrive around the world?

December 31

• 5:00 am – Samoa and Christmas Island/Kiribati
• 5:15 am – Chatham Island
• 6:00 am – Most of New Zealand, including Auckland, Suva & Wellington
• 7:00 am – parts of Russia
• 8:00 am – Most of Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney & Canberra
• 9:00 am – Queensland/Australia, including Brisbane & Port Moresby
• 9:30 am – remainder of Australia, including Darwin, Alice Springs & Tennant Creek
• 10:00 am – Japan, South Korea, and North Korea
• 11:00 am – China, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong & Manila
• 12:00 pm – Thailand, Cambodia, and large parts of Indonesia
• 1:00 pm – Bangladesh
• 1:15 pm – Nepal
• 1:30 pm – India and Sri Lanka
• 2:00 pm – Pakistan
• 3:00 pm – parts of UAE, including Dubai & Abu Dhabi
• 5:00 pm – Greece, Turkey, Kenya, Nairobi, and most of Russia, including Moscow
• 6:00 pm – Germany, France, Spain, Italy & Brussels & other Central & Eastern European cities
• 7:00 pm – United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, and Iceland
• 10:00 pm – Most of Brazil, Argentina & other South American countries
• 11:00 pm – Some parts of Canada, San Juan, and the Dominican Republic
• Midnight – East Coast of the U.S. & Cuba
• 1:00 am – Midwest states, including Chicago. Also, Mexico City & Guatemala
• 2:00 am – Calgary, Denver, Pheonix & other large cities in the region
• 3:00 am – Los Angeles, San Fransisco & Las Vegas
• 4:00 am – Alaska & parts of French Polynesia
• 5:00 am – Hawaii & Papeete
• 6:00 am – American Samoa & Pago Pago
• 7:00 am – Baker Island & Howard Island

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So, while it takes over 24 hours for the world to ring in 2025, the global excitement and renewed hope transcend borders and time zones. No matter if the night includes a glamorous gala, an eccentric cultural tradition, or a more low-key gathering of friends, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day unite humanity in celebrating the dawning of a fresh new year full of promise.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations

New Year’s Eve celebrations are a time-honored tradition around the world, with people gathering to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. The festivities typically begin on December 31st and continue into the early hours of January 1st. In many countries, people gather in public spaces, such as Times Square in New York City, to watch the iconic ball drop and count down to midnight. The excitement builds as the clock strikes midnight, marking the exact moment when the new year begins. Fireworks light up the sky, and the air is filled with cheers and the sound of clinking champagne glasses.

Around the world, New Year’s Eve celebrations take on various forms. Some prefer the grandeur of public events, while others opt for intimate gatherings with family and friends. Regardless of the setting, the spirit of celebration is universal. People share festive meals, make toasts, and often engage in traditional customs meant to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Whether you’re watching the ball drop in Times Square or enjoying a quiet evening at home, New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the possibilities of the new one.

Traditional Year Celebrations

Traditional year celebrations vary greatly from culture to culture, reflecting the rich diversity of customs around the world. In many Asian countries, the Lunar New Year is a major event, celebrated with vibrant parades, dazzling fireworks, and an array of traditional foods. This celebration, also known as the Spring Festival, is deeply rooted in the lunar calendar and is a time for family reunions and honoring ancestors.

In Europe, the Gregorian calendar is widely used, and January 1st is celebrated as New Year’s Day. One charming tradition in Spain and Portugal involves eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, with each grape representing a wish for each month of the coming year. This custom is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. Meanwhile, in Brazil, people don white clothing and head to the beach to jump over seven waves, a ritual meant to bring good fortune and wash away bad luck.

These traditional year celebrations, whether guided by the lunar calendar or the Gregorian calendar, are filled with unique customs that reflect the hopes and aspirations of people around the world as they welcome a new year filled with promise.

Unique Year Celebrations

Some countries have unique year celebrations that are steeped in tradition and culture, offering a fascinating glimpse into their heritage. In Japan, the New Year, known as Oshogatsu, is one of the most important holidays. Celebrations include visits to shrines and temples, where people pray for good fortune and health. Traditional foods such as mochi (rice cakes) and soba noodles are enjoyed, symbolizing longevity and prosperity.

In India, the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn. This festival is celebrated with kite-flying, bonfires, and the preparation of traditional sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery. It is a time of joy and thanksgiving, as people celebrate the harvest and the lengthening of days.

Scotland’s Hogmanay is another unique celebration, renowned for its lively music, dancing, and the tradition of “first-footing.” According to this custom, the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to bring good luck for the coming year. This visitor, or “first-footer,” often brings symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky.

These unique year celebrations highlight the rich tapestry of cultural traditions that make New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day special around the world.

Preparing for the New Year

Preparing for the New Year is an important part of many cultures, filled with rituals and traditions that set the stage for a fresh start. In some countries, people clean their homes thoroughly, a practice believed to sweep away bad luck and make room for good fortune. Homes are often decorated with flowers, lanterns, and other festive ornaments to welcome the new year with beauty and positivity.

Food and drink play a significant role in New Year preparations. Many people prepare traditional dishes that symbolize prosperity and good health. For instance, in Italy, lentils are eaten for good luck, while in the United States, black-eyed peas are a popular choice. Champagne is a universal favorite for toasting at midnight, symbolizing celebration and joy.

Another common tradition is making New Year’s resolutions. This practice involves setting personal goals and promises to improve oneself or one’s life in the coming year. Whether it’s committing to a healthier lifestyle, pursuing a new hobby, or spending more time with loved ones, these resolutions reflect the spirit of renewal and self-improvement.

Whether you prefer a quiet night at home or a big celebration with friends and family, the start of a new year is a time for reflection, renewal, and celebration. As the clock strikes midnight, people around the world embrace the promise of a new beginning, filled with hope and possibilities.

May your 2025 be filled with peace, good health, prosperity, and travel!

The post New Years Around the World: The Ultimate Guide When It Starts appeared first on The Traveler’s Atlas.

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