Where a new one has already arrived. Which countries will be the first to celebrate the New Year and where they don’t celebrate it at all. When is the New Year according to the Chinese calendar?

Every time another one approached New Year, I began to be interested in the question: “Where will he come first? Where will his journey around the Earth begin?”

In the last two years, this question interested not only me, but, of course, could not compete in popularity with the “question of the century”: “When will the new millennium begin - January 1, 2000 or 2001?”

This question actually contains several different questions. Some of them are related to physical phenomena, for example, when a given place on Earth ends average solar day December 31, 2001 or where will the Sun rise first on January 1, 2002?

In order to answer the first question, you need to find the easternmost point on Earth lying west of the date line. This is Cape Dezhnev in Chukotka (if you do not take into account the small islands lying slightly to the east). There it will happen two minutes earlier than on the Tonga Islands, and ten minutes earlier than on New Zealand's Chatham Islands. To determine the point of the earliest sunrise, it is necessary to take into account the latitude and longitude of the point, its altitude above sea level, time of year (winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere), etc. For example, on January 1, 2000, the earliest sunrise according to the Greenwich Observatory occurred on the island of Katchal, which is part of the protected Nicobar Islands group in the Bay of Bengal. Because of this, no one was able to celebrate the New Year there, and the very first meeting took place on the top of a mountain on Pitt Island, part of the Chatham Islands group subordinate to New Zealand.

Another question is purely formal - where will January 1, 2002 come first according to the officially accepted time counting. Before discussing further, it’s worth looking at a number of pictures. The most convenient of them is a map time zones in cylindrical projection. The map was taken from the Educational Atlas of the World about 20 years ago (in fact, not too many changes have occurred on it during this time, you can read about the most important ones below). It shows that the Earth is divided into strips approximately 15° wide in longitude, in each of which a single time is set. Most often, time zone boundaries follow the borders of countries or their parts.

A very important detail on this map is. It passes along approximately 180° latitude, but experiences very interesting and important deviations for the issue we are considering. In the north, this line first deviates far to the east to go around Chukotka, and then to the west, going around the ridge of the Aleutian islands stretching from Alaska. Then the line goes exactly along the 180th longitude, deviating to the east just past New Zealand.

I always thought. that the New Year comes first to Chukotka, since it is located in the 12th time zone, and since in Russia it has been customary since the beginning of the 20th century maternity time(shifted 1 hour forward), then this is where the first phenomenon of the New Year occurs.

But everything turned out to be not so simple.

New Year is traditionally celebrated almost all over the world on December 31st. However, the dwarf Kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean is the first to celebrate the New Year. And they finish - in Haiti and Samoa - in 25 hours.

0.15 - Chatham Island (New Zealand), remote from the main islands of New Zealand, is located in a special time zone and is the second place where the New Year comes.

1.00 - New Zealand (Wellington, Auckland, etc.) and polar explorers celebrate the New Year South Pole in Antarctica.

2.00 - The New Year begins for residents of extreme eastern Russia (Anadyr, Kamchatka), the Fiji Islands and some other Pacific islands (Nauru, Tuvalu, etc.)

2.30 - Norfolk Island (Australia).

3.00 - Part of eastern Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra) and some Pacific islands (Vanuatu, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, etc.).

Australia. A huge celebration is being held in Sydney. On New Year's Eve, the entire city looks like an incomparably decorated Christmas tree, the branches of which bend under the weight of all the decorations. The sky over Sydney sparkles with numerous fireworks and salutes.

3.30 - South Australia (Adelaide).

4.00 - Queensland state in Australia (Brisbane), part of Russia (Vladivostok) and some islands (Papua New Guinea, Mariana Islands).

4.30 - Northern Territories of Australia (Darwin).

5.00 - Japan and Korea.

In Japan, New Year is celebrated on January 1st. The custom of seeing off the Old Year is obligatory, including organizing receptions and visiting restaurants. As the New Year begins, the Japanese begin to laugh. They believe that laughter will bring them good luck in the coming year.

6.00 - China, part of Southeast Asia and the remaining territories of Australia.

7.00 - Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia.

7.30 - Myanmar.

8.00 - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and part of Russia (Novosibirsk, Omsk).

8.15 - Nepal.

8.30 - India.

In India, New Year is celebrated in different ways. In one part, the holiday is considered open when a paper kite is struck by a burning arrow.

9.00 - Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and part of Russia (Ekaterinburg, Ufa).

9.30 - Afghanistan.

10.00 - Armenia, Azerbaijan, part of Russia (Samara), some islands in the Indian Ocean.

10.30 - Iran.

11.00 - Part of East Asia, part of Africa, part of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg).

12.00 - Eastern Europe(Romania, Greece, Ukraine, etc.), Turkey, Israel, Finland, part of Africa.
Finland. Finnish families gather around a New Year's table full of various dishes. The children are waiting for a large basket of gifts from Joulupukki, the name of the Finnish Father Frost. On New Year's Eve, Finns tell fortunes to find out their future.

In Greece, New Year is St. Basil's Day. Saint Basil was known for his kindness, and Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace in the hope that Saint Basil will fill the shoes with gifts.

13.00 - Western and Central Europe (Belgium, Italy, France, Hungary, Sweden, etc.), part of Africa.

Italy. As soon as the New Year begins, Italians rush to get rid of things that have already served their purpose. In Italy, the custom of bringing clean water from a spring on the first morning of the new year has been preserved, as it is believed that water brings happiness.

France. Even before Christmas, the French hang a branch of mistletoe over the door of their houses, believing that it will bring good luck next year. In addition, the French decorate the entire house with flowers and always place them on the table. In every house they try to place a model depicting the scene of the Birth of Christ. According to tradition, a good winemaker should clink glasses with a barrel of wine on New Year’s Eve, congratulate it on the holiday and drink to the future harvest.

14.00 - Prime Meridian (Greenwich), Great Britain, Portugal, part of Africa.

Great Britain. The ringing of a bell announces the New Year in England. The British have a tradition to let the old year out of the house; before the bell rings, they open the back doors of the houses, and then open the front doors to let in the New Year. New Year's gifts in the English family circle are distributed according to the old tradition - by drawing lots.

15.00 - Azores.

16.00 - Brazil.

Brazil. On New Year's Eve, residents of Rio de Janeiro go to the ocean and bring gifts to the Goddess of the Sea Yemanja. Traditionally, Brazilians dress in white clothes, which symbolizes a plea for peace addressed to the Goddess of the Sea.

17.00 - Argentina and part of eastern South America.

17.30 - Newfoundland Island (Canada).

18.00 - Eastern Canada, many Caribbean islands, part of South America.

19.00 - Eastern parts of Canada (Ottawa) and the USA (Washington, New York), western part of South America.
USA. In New York, in Times Square, the traditional ceremonial descent of the famous Ball, sparkling with thousands of neon lights, takes place.

20.00 - Central parts of Canada and the USA (Chicago, Houston), Mexico and most Latin American countries.

21.00 - Part of Canada (Edmonton, Calgary) and the USA (Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City).

22.00 - Western parts of Canada (Vancouver, and USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco).

23.00 - State of Alaska (USA).

23.30 - Marquesas Islands as part of French Polynesia.

24.00 - Hawaiian Islands (USA), Tahiti and Cook Islands.

25.00 - Residents of Samoa are the last to celebrate the New Year.

So, Saudi Arabia doesn't celebrate New Year at all. The fact is that celebrating the change of dates is considered alien to Islam in principle. For the faithful in Saudi Arabia, there are only three holidays: Independence Day, the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice.

IN Israel January 1 is also a working day, unless, of course, it is Saturday - a holy day for the Jews. Israelis celebrate their New Year in the fall - on the new moon of the month of Tishrei according to the Jewish calendar (September or October). This holiday is called Rosh Hashanah. It is celebrated for 2 days.

January 1 is an ordinary day and on Iran. The country lives according to the Persian calendar. New Year is celebrated in Iran on the vernal equinox - March 21. The holiday is called Navruz, that is, a new day.

In a multicultural India There are so many holidays that if we had to celebrate everything, there would be no time to work. Therefore, some of them have become "holidays by choice." On these days, all institutions and offices are open, but employees can take time off. January 1st is one of these holidays. March 22 marks the New Year according to the unified national calendar of India. In Kerala, New Year is celebrated on April 13th. It is called Vishu. Sikhs celebrate their New Year - Vaisakhi - on the same day. In South India, Divapali is widely celebrated in the fall, which also signifies the arrival of the new year. This is not a complete list of New Year's days that can be celebrated in India. By the way, among the “holidays to choose from” there is also Catholic Christmas.

IN South Korea January 1 is a day off. Decorated Christmas trees and Santa Clauses are common here, but the beginning of the year in Korea is perceived not as a holiday, but as an additional day off, which can be spent in a pleasant circle of family and friends. But if anything is celebrated on an unprecedented scale, it is Seollal - New Year according to the lunar calendar. On this day, most Koreans go to their hometowns to honor their ancestors.

One of the most joyful holidays is approaching - New Year. Where on the planet will be the first to celebrate New Year 2010?

— Time zone UTC+14 — Kiritimati Islands, Kiribas

The first territory to celebrate the New Year will be the Christmas Islands, the island chain of Kiritimati, the state of Kiribati (pronounced Kiribati).

The state of Kiribas (also called Gilbert Island) is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and stretches from the eastern to the western hemisphere.

Until 2004, the Date Line, roughly running along the 180th meridian, divided the state of Kiribati into 2 different dates, when the islands in the western part of the state were 24 hours ahead of the eastern part.

In 2005, the Kiribati government decided to move the International Date Line several thousand kilometers to the east, thereby putting all of its 3 time zones on one side of the International Date Line (roughly like the eastern part of Chukotka, which is in the Western Hemisphere).

Following this decision, the eastern islands of Kiribati moved from the Western Hemisphere time zones GMT-10 and GMT-11 (the “-” sign indicates time behind Greenwich Mean Time by 10 and 11 hours) to the new time zones GMT+13 and GMT+ 14 (“+” means times 13 and 14 hours ahead of Greenwich).

Previously, all territories located in the area of ​​the 180 meridian (Chukotka, New Zealand, Fiji) could be conditionally considered the first to celebrate the New Year.

IN modern world the use of Summer Time and the shift of the Date Line of the state of Kiribas - the arrangement of the clock hands on New Year's Eve has changed slightly.

So, when the Christmas Islands (Christmas isl.) celebrate the New Year 2010, the time in Kamchatka and Chukotka will be 22 hours (December 31), the time in Vladivostok will be 20 hours, in Moscow - 13 hours, in London (Greenwich) - 10 hours morning of December 31st. It is not difficult to add 14 hours difference with the Christmas Islands to 10 o'clock in the morning in Greenwich to get midnight - New Year's Day in Kiritimati.

— Time zone UTC+13:45 — Chatham Islands, New Zealand

15 minutes after the arrival of the New Year on the Kiritimati Islands, the second in line to celebrate the New Year will be the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. These islands are 12h45 minutes ahead of Greenwich Time. Taking into account summer time in the southern hemisphere, they are 13 hours 45 minutes ahead of Greenwich time at the time of the New Year 2010.

— Time zone UTC+13 — New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Phoenix Islands

In third place for the arrival of the New Year (or with a difference of 13 hours in time from Greenwich Mean Time) are New Zealand (taking into account summer time), Fiji (summer time), the islands of Tonga (13 hours ahead of Greenwich all year round) and the Phoenix Islands, already the mentioned state of Kiribati.

So, when the New Year is celebrated in Wellington, the time in Kamchatka and Chukotka will be 23 o'clock, in Magadan - 22 o'clock, in Vladivostok and Sakhalin - 21 o'clock, in Moscow - 14 o'clock, in London - 11 o'clock in the morning, in New York - 6 o'clock in the morning, in Los Angeles - 3 am on December 31st.

NEW YEAR IS COMING TO RUSSIA

— Russia time zone MSK +9 (UTC+12) — Kamchatka, Chukotka

The fourth place (or with a 12-hour difference from Greenwich Time) in celebrating the New Year 2010 falls on Chukotka and Kamchatka, the islands of Nauru, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and last - third time zone of the state of Kiribati - with the capital Tarawa.

When the New Year is celebrated in Anadyr and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the time in Magadan will be 23:00, in Vladivostok and Sakhalin - 22:00, in Moscow - 15:00, in London - 12:00, in New York - 7:00 am, in Los Angeles - 4:00 am, in Hawaii - 2 am on December 31st.

Residents of Honolulu (Hawaii) will celebrate the New Year 22 hours later than residents of Chukotka and Kamchatka. Next, the New Year will come to Norfolk Island (Australia) - which is 30 minutes ahead of the time in Sydney.

— Russia time zone MSK +8 (UTC+11) — Magadan

New Year in Magadan coincides with New Year in the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the main Australian cities - Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart (these cities are in summer time).

When Magadan celebrates the New Year, the time in Vladivostok and Sakhalin will be 23:00, in Moscow - 16:00, in London - 13:00, in New York - 8:00 am, in Los Angeles - 5:00 am, in Hawaii - 3:00 am on December 31st.

— Russia time zone MSK +7 (UTC+10) — Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Sakhalin

New Year in Vladivostok, Sakhalin and Khabarovsk coincides with New Year in Guam, Papua New Guinea, and the Australian cities of Brisbane and Cairns (these cities do not use summer time).

When Vladivostok celebrates the New Year, the time in Tokyo will be 23:00, in Moscow - 17:00, in London - 14:00, in New York - 9:00 am, in Los Angeles - 6:00 am, in Hawaii - 4:00 am on December 31st.

— Russia time zone MSK +6 (UTC+9) — Chita, Yakutsk, Blagoveshchensk

New Year in Chita, Yakutsk coincides with New Year in Japan, Korea, Palau, and the Australian city of Perth (does not use summer time).

When Chita and Yakutsk celebrate the New Year, the time in Beijing will be 23:00, in Moscow - 18:00, in London - 15:00, in New York - 10:00 am, in Los Angeles - 7:00 am, in Hawaii - 5:00 am on December 31st.

— Russia time zone MSK +5 (UTC+8) — Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude

The New Year in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude coincides with the New Year in China, Singapore, Mongolia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Bali (Indonesia).

When Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude celebrate the New Year, the time in Moscow will be 19:00, in London - 16:00, in New York - 11:00 am, in Los Angeles - 8:00 am, in Hawaii - 6:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati Islands it will already be 6am on January 1, 2010, and in New Zealand it will be 5am on January 1, 2010.

— Russia time zone MSK +4 (UTC+7) — Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo, Kyzyl

The New Year in Krasnoyarsk and Kemerovo coincides with the New Year in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

When Krasnoyarsk celebrates the New Year, the time in Moscow will be 20:00, in London - 17:00, in New York - 12:00 noon, in Los Angeles - 9:00 am, in Hawaii - 7:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati Islands it will already be 7am on January 1, 2010, and in New Zealand it will be 6am on January 1, 2010.

— Russia time zone MSK +3 (UTC+6) — Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul

The New Year in Novosibirsk and Omsk coincides with the New Year on the Diego Garcia Islands (Indian Ocean), Bhutan, and Astana.

When Novosibirsk and Omsk celebrate the New Year, the time in Moscow will be 21:00, in London - 18:00, in New York - 13:00, in Los Angeles - 10:00 am, in Hawaii - 8:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati Islands it will already be 8am on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand it will be 7am on January 1, 2010, in Sydney it will be 5am on January 1, 2010.

When the New Year is celebrated in Kathmandu, the time in New Zealand will be 7:15 a.m. on January 1, in Vladivostok it will be 4:15 a.m., in Beijing - 2:15 a.m., Moscow will be 21:15 a.m., in London - 18:15 a.m., in New York - 13:15 a.m., in Los Angeles - 10:15 am, in Hawaii - 8:15 am on December 31st.

After Nepal, the New Year will come to India and Sri Lanka - the time in which is 5:30 minutes ahead of Greenwich time.

When Delhi and Mumbai celebrate the New Year, the time in New Zealand will be 7:30 a.m. on January 1, in Vladivostok it will be 4:30 a.m., in Beijing it will be 2:30 a.m. on January 1, in Moscow it will be 21:30 a.m. on December 31, in London it will be 6:30 p.m., in New York. - 13:30 minutes, in Los Angeles - 10:30 minutes in the morning, in Hawaii - 8:30 minutes in the morning on December 31.

— Russia time zone MSK +2 (UTC+5) — Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Tyumen, Ufa

The New Year in Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk coincides with the New Year in the Maldives, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan.

When Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk celebrate the New Year, the time in Moscow will be 22:00, in London - 19:00, in New York - 14:00, in Los Angeles - 11:00 am, in Hawaii - 9:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 9:00 am on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 8:00 am on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 7:00 am on January 1, 2010.

— Russia time zone MSK +1 (UTC+4) — Izhevsk, Samara, Tolyatti

New Year in Izhevsk and Samara coincides with New Year in Dubai, Seychelles, o. Mauritius.

When Izhevsk and Samara celebrate the New Year, the time in Moscow will be 23:00, in London - 20:00, in New York - 15:00, in Los Angeles - 12:00 noon, in Hawaii - 10:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 10 am on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 9 am on January 1, 2010, on Kamchatka and Chukotka - 8 am on January 1, 2010.

— Russia time zone MSK (UTC+3) — Moscow, St. Petersburg

New Year in Moscow and St. Petersburg coincides with New Year in Kenya, Tanzania, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Madagascar.

When Moscow and St. Petersburg celebrate the New Year, the time in London will be 21:00, in New York - 16:00, in Los Angeles - 13:00, in Hawaii - 11:00 am on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 11 am on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 10 am on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 9 am on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 8 am on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 7 am 1 January 2010.

— Russia time zone MSK -1 (UTC+2) — Kaliningrad

New Year in Kaliningrad coincides with New Year in Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, Syria, Israel, Turkey, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia (summer time).

When Kaliningrad celebrates the New Year, the time in London will be 22:00, in New York - 17:00, in Los Angeles - 14:00, in Hawaii - 12:00 on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati Islands it will already be 12 noon on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 11 a.m. on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 10 a.m. on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 9 a.m. on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 8 a.m. 1 January 2010.

— Time zone UTC+1 — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway

When Paris and Rome celebrate the New Year, the time in London will be 23:00, in New York - 18:00, in Los Angeles - 15:00, in Hawaii - 13:00 on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 13:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 12:00 in the afternoon on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 11:00 in the morning on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 10:00 in the morning on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 9:00 in the morning on January 1 2010.

— Time zone UTC — Great Britain, Iceland, Portugal, Canary Islands.

When London and Lisbon celebrate the New Year, the time in New York will be 19:00, in Los Angeles - 16:00, in Hawaii - 14:00 on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 14:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 13:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 12:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 11:00 am on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 10:00 am on January 1, 2010 .

Next, the New Year will come on the islands of Cape Verde and the Azores (UTC-1), which are 1 hour behind Greenwich time; in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Raulo (UTC-2) - 2 hours behind Greenwich, Chile and Argentina (UTC-3) - 3 hours behind Greenwich; O. Newfoundland (Canada), which is 3h30 minutes behind Greenwich (UTC-3:30); Halifax (Canada), Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico (UTC-4); Venezuela - which is 4h30 minutes behind Greenwich (UTC-4:30);

— Time zone UTC-5 — New York, Cuba, Panama

When New York and Havana celebrate the New Year, the time in Los Angeles will be 21:00, in Hawaii - 19:00 on December 31st.

On the islands of Kiritimati it will already be 19:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 18:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 17:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 16:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 15:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 8 am on January 1, 2010, in London - 5 am on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-6 — Chicago, Houston, Mexico City

When Chicago and Houston celebrate the New Year, the time in Los Angeles will be 22:00, in Hawaii - 20:00 on December 31st.

On the islands of Kiritimati it will already be 20:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 19:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 18:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 17:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 16:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 9 am on January 1, 2010, in London - 6 am on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-7 — Denver, Albuquerque, Calgary

When Denver and Calgary (Canada) celebrate the New Year, the time in Los Angeles will be 23:00, in Hawaii - 21:00 on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati islands it will already be 21:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 20:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 19:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 18:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 17:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 10 am on January 1, 2010, in London - 7 am on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-8 — Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, Vancouver, o. Pitcairn

When Los Angeles and Vancouver celebrate the New Year, the time in Hawaii will be 22:00 on December 31st, the time in Samoa and Niue will be 21:00 on December 31st.

On the islands of Kiritimati it will already be 22:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 21:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 20:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 19:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 18:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 11 am on January 1, 2010, in London - 8 am on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-9 — Anchorage (Alaska)

When Anchorage celebrates the New Year, the time in Hawaii will be 23:00 on December 31st, the time in Samoa and Niue will be 22:00 on December 31st.

On the islands of Kiritimati it will already be 23:00 on January 1, 2010, in New Zealand - 22:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 21:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 20:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 19:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 12 noon on January 1, 2010, in London - 9 a.m. on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-10 — Hawaii, Cook Islands, Tahiti

When Honolulu and Papeete celebrate the New Year, the time on the islands of Samoa and Niue will be 23:00 on December 31st.

On the Kiritimati Islands it will be midnight on January 1-2, 2010, in New Zealand - 23:00 on January 1, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 22:00 on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 21:00 on January 1, 2010, in Vladivostok - 20:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 13:00 on January 1, 2010, in London - 10:00 in the morning on January 1, 2010.

— Time zone UTC-11 — Samoa (Apia), American Samoa (Pago), Niue, Midway

The most recent territories to see off the old year 2009 and welcome the New Year 2010 will be the islands of Samoa and American Samoa, Niue and Midway Atoll.

When Samoa and Niue celebrate the New Year, the time on the Kiritimati islands will already be 1 am on January 2, 2010, in New Zealand it will be midnight on January 1-2, 2010, in Kamchatka and Chukotka - 11 pm on January 1, 2010, in Sydney - 10 pm 1 January 2010, in Vladivostok - 21:00 on January 1, 2010, in Moscow - 14:00 on January 1, 2010, in London - 11:00 am on January 1, 2010.

Alexander Krivenyshev (World Time Zone)

Based on materials from http://www.deita.ru/?news,142424

When we are still making the final feverish preparations for the New Year, some inhabitants of the Earth not only met it and had a lot of fun, but by this time they even managed to rest and sleep. For there are places in the world where the New Year is celebrated much earlier than here.

Under the cut you will see the places where the New Year is celebrated first on our planet.

1. Traditionally, Kiribati will be the first to celebrate the New Year 2015. More specifically, on the Linear Islands, which are located further east than the other islands of this country. In 1994, one of the presidential candidates promised citizens that if he won the election, he would make Kiribati the first to celebrate the New Year in the whole world. He won and kept his word: he moved the demarcation line of time (the conventional line on the map of time zones). Since then, Kiribati has been divided into three time zones, and in the easternmost one, midnight occurs 14 hours earlier than in London. (Photo: DS355/flickr.com).

2. In the same time zone as Kiribati is Tokelau, which includes a group of islands consisting of three coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunono and Fakaofo. It is a dependent territory of New Zealand. The time zone change here occurred as recently as 2011, and the main reason for this was the problem of interaction in contacts with New Zealand, since previously the island was on the other side of the time demarcation line. (Photo: Haanee Naeem/flickr.com).

3. Residents of Samoa will celebrate the New Year an hour later. In 2011, there was also a time zone change; the date December 30, 2011 was not in the Samoan calendar. This was done for better interaction and development of cooperation with Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly, the previous time zone change was carried out in 1892 in order to adjust the time to California time. (Photo: Savai’i Island/flickr.com).

4. At the same time as Samoa, residents of Tonga, an island located one-third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii, south of Samoa, will celebrate the New Year. (Photo: pintxomoruno/flickr.com).

5. Chatham Islanders will be next to ring in the New Year. This small archipelago consists of two inhabited islands - Chatham and Pitta. Other small islands have reserve status and are largely inaccessible to both island residents and tourists. Interestingly, Chatham Island has its own time zone, which differs by 45 minutes (less) from the time in New Zealand. (Photo: Phil Pledger/flickr.com).

6. After the Chatham Islanders, New Zealand will be the next to celebrate New Year 2015. (Photo: Philipp Klinger Photography/flickr.com).

7. At the same time as in New Zealand, they will celebrate the New Year in Fiji. This is a state that is located on 322 islands and islets of volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs, of which only 110 islands are inhabited. (Photo: brad/flickr.com).

8. The first mainland state whose residents will celebrate the New Year 2015 (at the same time as the residents of New Zealand and Fiji) is Russia, or more precisely, the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, located in the southeastern part of the volcanic Kamchatka peninsula. (Photo: Jasja/flickr.com).

9. In the same time zone as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, there are numerous small islands and archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean: Tuvalu, Nauru, Wallis and Futuna, Wake and the Marshall Islands. In the photo: Nauru island. (Photo: Hadi Zaher/flickr.com).

10. We travel further and move west. Next to celebrate the New Year will be the residents of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory located in the Western Pacific Ocean, in Melanesia, about 1,400 kilometers east of Australia and 1,500 kilometers northwest of New Zealand. (Photo: Tonton des Iles-Bye bye Everyone /flickr.com).

Countries that celebrate the New Year at the same time as New Caledonia are: Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands.

11. Together with New Caledonia, the New Year 2015 will be celebrated by residents of another Russian city - Magadan. (Photo: Tramp/flickr.com).

12. On our journey, we finally arrived in Australia, where the first to celebrate the New Year, of course, were the residents of the east coast - Sydney and Melbourne. (Photo: El Mundo, Economía y Negocios/flickr.com).

13. Simultaneously with the residents of Sydney and Melbourne, the New Year will be celebrated in Vladivostok and on such Pacific islands as Guam, the Mariana Islands and Papua New Guinea. In the photo: the island of Guam. (Photo: orgazmo/flickr.com).

And I’ll remind you again The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Every time on New Year's Eve, all of us, sitting at the festive table, or standing on the street near a beautifully decorated city tree, look forward to the chiming clock and the coming of the New Year. Glasses of champagne are already in your hands - the long-awaited moment is about to come. In these seconds, someone makes wishes, and someone exchanges funny jokes with their neighbors, and here it is - New Year!

The entire vast country celebrates his arrival. Have you ever thought about who will be the first to celebrate the New Year 2020, to whom Santa Claus or Santa Claus will send his reindeer team first? And who met him long before us? It’s quite interesting who will be celebrating the New Year a few hours after you, and who in general will be the last to celebrate it on this planet. Let's look at this interesting moment of the holiday from the height of the flight of satellites and Santa Clauses.

Residents of which countries will be the first to celebrate New Year 2020?

As it turned out, the first to congratulate each other on the New Year are the residents of Line Island, located in the state of Kiribati. This country is part of the Christmas Islands. Kiribati is located in the earliest time zone UTC+14; it is worth noting that the island’s clocks are identical to those of Hawaii, but the difference is a whole day. Thus, when it is midnight on December 30th in Hawaii, it is already midnight on December 31st on Line Island. Also, the inhabitants of the city of Nuku'alofa, which is also located in Oceania, are among the first to celebrate the New Year. Next in line will be New Zealand, located in the UTC+13:45 time zone, followed by the islands of Phoenix, Tonga and Fiji, which are 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Time.

When is New Year celebrated in the Russian Federation?

Surely, everyone knows that Russia is in more than one time zone, but did you know that their number is nine? Thus, it turns out that Russians have an excellent opportunity to celebrate the New Year nine times. Residents of Magadan, Kamchatka and Petropavlovka are the first to fill their glasses and light sparklers. Their New Year begins on December 31 at 16.00 Moscow time, while Muscovites are just starting to put dishes on the festive table. Then at 17.00 Moscow time, everyone living in Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok and Ussuriysk begins celebrating the New Year.

And so every hour the inhabitants of one or another territory of Russia fill their glasses and make festive toasts. We will not write in detail about each city, since Mother Russia is a rather large country and listing all its cities will take a very long time. Let us only note that Moscow and St. Petersburg celebrate this magnificent holiday at 00.00 on the first of January, and an hour later the clink of glasses will be heard in the homes of residents of Kaliningrad - this city is the last in Russia where the New Year begins.

When is the New Year according to the Chinese calendar?

The Chinese celebrate this holiday differently than we do - on December 31st. They adhere to the lunar calendar, according to which the New Year will begin not on January 1, but on February 19, since this will be the first new moon after winter solstice. Thus, all those who believe in the Eastern (Chinese) calendar will celebrate the New Year one and a half months later, compared to those who are used to celebrating this holiday strictly on December 31st.

How to celebrate Chinese New Year?

It's no secret that China is a country that has a rich culture and many different traditions. They prepare especially diligently and diligently for the New Year. First of all, the Chinese thoroughly clean their home, since dirt and dust are highest degree manifestations of disrespect of the owner of the home for the coming year.
The Chinese try to pay off any debts before the New Year in order to start life with a clean slate and not owe anyone any money. What is important for Chinese residents is what they will wear on New Year's Eve. It is preferable to wear new clothes and bright accessories that will symbolize this amazing holiday.
The Chinese consider a rich festive table to be the key to success, prosperity and wealth in the coming year. As a rule, it contains traditional oriental dishes such as rice, seafood and noodles. Dishes prepared from these ingredients will help appease the White Metal Rat, the patron saint of 2020.
Of course, these are not all traditions. Chinese culture, however, they can be called fundamental.

Finally

It doesn’t matter according to which calendar you prefer to celebrate 2020, and what traditions you adhere to, the main thing is a good mood and faith in the best. Try to ensure that there is no room for conflicts, quarrels and conversations about troubles and troubles at the holiday table. Greet your guests with a smile, willingly thank everyone who gives you New Year's gifts, and completely immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere, forgetting about any problems and worries. And it doesn’t matter at all who is the first to celebrate the New Year 2020, the main thing is that everyone celebrates it well.