Which countries celebrate the New Year first and which ones last? Where does New Year come from? Residents celebrate New Year

Last updated: 12/29/2015

Russians will celebrate this year New Year 11 times. AiF.ru has created a special infographic hint that will help Muscovites not to get confused and at the right time to congratulate their relatives living in other regions of the country on the holiday.

In what order will Russian residents celebrate the New Year?

In Russia, residents of Kamchatka and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug will be the first to celebrate the New Year. The holiday for them will come 9 hours earlier than for Muscovites.

Following Kamchatka and Chukotka, the president will wish Happy New Year to residents of the eastern regions of the Yakutsk region and the North Kuril region of the Sakhalin region. There, the last chime will sound 8 hours earlier than in the capital.

The third to open champagne will be residents of the central part of Yakutia, as well as the Primorsky Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, Magadan Region, Jewish Autonomous Region and the western part of the Sakhalin Region. They will celebrate the holiday 7 hours earlier than Moscow.

Then, walking around the country, the New Year will come to visit the residents of the western regions of Yakutia and the Amur region. For them, the holiday will come 6 hours earlier than the Russian capital.

Residents of Buryatia will enter the New Year fifth, Trans-Baikal Territory and Irkutsk region. They will make their most cherished wish at the chime five hours earlier than Muscovites.

The sixth to celebrate the holiday will be residents of Tyva, Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Territory and Kemerovo region. They will open the champagne four hours earlier than in Moscow.

The seventh to join the New Year celebration will be the Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk regions, as well as the Altai Republic and the Altai Territory. They will be able to see the fireworks three hours earlier than Muscovites.

The eighth places in the Russian Federation to celebrate the holiday will be Bashkortostan, the Perm Territory, Yugra, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as the Kurgan, Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions. Glasses will be raised there in anticipation of the last chime two hours earlier than Moscow.

Residents of the Udmurt and Samara regions. They will enter the New Year an hour earlier than Muscovites.

Tenth glasses of champagne will be raised by Muscovites and residents of the European part of Russia and the Crimean Peninsula.

Residents of the Kaliningrad region will be the last to celebrate the holiday in the Russian Federation - the president will wish them happiness in the new year an hour later than the Muscovites.

The President's 2018 New Year's address has already been published online. Putin's speech was shown in the country's easternmost time zone, where the New Year had already arrived.

President Vladimir Putin delivered a traditional New Year's address to the country's residents. It has already been seen by residents of the easternmost time zone of Russia, where 2018 has already arrived. The video is also available online.

Addressing the residents of the country, the head of state noted that the New Year is a family holiday, which is celebrated with gifts, surprises and expectations of change.

“This holiday comes to us every year, but we still perceive it as intkbbach new, kind, welcome. We believe that everything we dreamed of in these minutes, all our hopes will come true,” the president began his address to the Russians.

According to the Russian leader, changes will definitely happen if you remember and take care of your parents, understand children more and “support those around you who need our participation and spiritual generosity.”

Putin sent special congratulations to those who are currently at work or in the service, “performing military or professional duty, on duty in hospitals, piloting planes and trains.”

“We are together on this wonderful New Year’s Eve,” the president assured.

In his address, Putin did not mention anything at all about 2017.

“The time has come to say the most cherished words to each other, forgive mistakes, insults, hug, confess love, warm with care and attention. May the new year bring changes for the better in the life of every person, every family, so that everyone is healthy, so that children are born and so that they make us happy,” he said.

“Peace and prosperity to our great Russia, our beloved and only one. Be happy,” the president concluded his address.

New Year's address by President Putin 2018. Watch VIDEO

Do you think New Year can be celebrated only once a year? You are wrong. In our country, due to the fact that Russia is geographically divided into several time zones, this can be done 11 times. Imagine, you can make 11 wishes that will definitely come true, you just need to know in what order Russians celebrate the New Year.

The sequence of the New Year in Russia

• You can safely make your first wish at 15.00. by Moscow time. It is at this time that residents of Kamchatka raise their glasses and wish all the best to their loved ones and friends.
• At 16.00 they celebrate the New Year in the Magadan region and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
• AT 17:00. When the chimes strike, they burn a piece of paper with a cherished wish and drink it along with champagne in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Ussuriysk.
• At 18.00. this will be done in Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Transbaikalia and the Amur region. At the same time, in Yakutia, the spirit of cold - Chyskhaan (our Grandfather Frost) fulfills all wishes, for this you just need to touch his magic staff and say your wish out loud.
• At 19.00 they celebrate the New Year in Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude and Buryatia.
• At 20.00. in the Krasnoyarsk, Altai Territories, Kemerovo, Tomsk, Novosibirsk regions, in the Republic of Tyva.
• 21.00. They make another wish together with the residents of the Omsk and Sverdlovsk regions.
• AT 22.00. the cities of Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Perm, the Republic of Bashkortostan.
• 23.00. The New Year will reach Udmurtia, Samara and Togliatti, just one hour and it will reach Moscow.
• At 24.00. on Red Square, the chimes will strike, fireworks will go off, and festivities will begin.
• But the holiday will hurry on, and at one in the morning it will come to the Kaliningrad region. So, there is a chance to make another wish even after 12 o’clock at night - at 01.00.

Russia is the only country in the world where such a number of times.

When do other countries around the world wait for the New Year?

In general, on globe The first to celebrate the holiday will be the population of the small Christmas Island (5.5 thousand people in total), which belongs to the Republic of Kiribati, and the residents of the capital of the kingdom on the edge of the earth (as tourists call it) - the city of Nuku'alofa.

Then, following the sequence, Chatham Island (+0.15), New Zealand and the South Pole in Antarctica (+1).

With an interval of one hour, the holiday will reach the island of Fiji (+2).

From there he will go to hot Australia (+3), where he will be greeted with stunning fireworks and a grand music show. The climate of the country allows you to celebrate outdoors. At exactly 12 o'clock local time, the noise of music stops in Australian cities and the sound of car horns, whistles and screams is heard. This is how the inhabitants of the island celebrate the New Year and all the good things they hope to receive with its arrival.

When on January 1 in Moscow the clock hands show 6 am, and at 12 o’clock, do not forget to say to your loved ones and friends: “Akemashite omedeto!”, which means: Happy New Year, and give them a rake for good luck, so that they have something to rake in happiness. This is exactly what the Japanese do on this day.

In China (+6) the New Year is celebrated according to its own special calendar, which can begin on one of the days at the end of January or beginning of February. On this day, old grievances are forgiven and forgotten. The whole family gathers for a festive dinner, and processions of people holding lit lanterns take place in the streets. This is how they light the way for the New Year.

Route 7 of the holiday will pass through Indonesia,

8 celebrate the holiday in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. And although locals celebrate the New Year in April, they organize colorful fireworks and beach parties for tourists on New Year’s Eve. Lobster and king prawns are served for dinner.

Without breaking the sequence, other countries awaiting the New Year are Pakistan (+9), Armenia, Azerbaijan (+10).
In Armenia, the holiday is celebrated three times a year: March 21 (Amanor), August 11 (Navasard) and January 1. These days, relatives and friends give each other gifts, tell fortunes and gather around a rich family table.

12 New Year is celebrated in Greece, Romania, Turkey, Israel, Finland.

13 in Belgium, Italy, France, Hungary, Sweden.

14 in UK, Portugal.

16 in stunning Brazil.

17.30-20.30 in different areas of Canada and the USA.

23 in Alaska.

24 in the Hawaiian Islands.

Residents of the independent island state of Samoa will be the last to celebrate the New Year; at this time on Christmas Island it will already be January 2!

All countries of the world celebrate the New Year in different ways. But for everyone this day is the most special and most magical. It represents the opportunity to leave all the bad things in the past and gives hope for happiness!

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.

Which countries are the first to celebrate the New Year and New Day? These are the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of Kiribati, and the New Zealand possession of Chatham Island.

Let's talk about this in more detail.

Time zone map.

Time zone map.

On the far left and right sides of the map is the Dateline (or (otherwise) International Date Line).

It is crossed (at the bottom of the map, not far from Australia) by the Republic of Kiribati. Kiribati, due to its extent, is located simultaneously in three time zones in relation to Greenwich Time, namely in the zones: plus 12, plus 13, plus 14, and therefore cannot be considered a country that is entirely the first to celebrate the New Year and the new day. Only that part of Kiribati, which is located in the time zones: plus 13 and plus 14, celebrates the New Year and the new day first in the world.

In turn, the Kingdom of Tonga (time zone: plus 13) is the only country in the world that is entirely the first to celebrate the New Year and a new day all year round. Tonga does not switch between winter and summer time, as New Zealand does (winter New Zealand time: plus 12, and summer time: plus 13). Thus, in winter, New Zealand cannot boast of being the first country in the world to celebrate the New Year.

However, the New Zealand possession of Chatham Island (with its winter time: plus 12 hours 45 minutes) celebrates the New Year just 15 minutes after Tonga.

Kingdom of Tonga()- this is the only country in the world that is entirely the first to celebrate the New Year and year-round - the new day b.

The Tonga government organ, the Tonga Chronicle newspaper (published from 1964 to 2009), in its issue dated February 20, 1997, described the privilege and right of the Kingdom of Tonga to be called the first country to celebrate the New Year and New Day:

"Before late XIX centuries, the world did not have a time zone system. But as the network of railways and regular shipping lines expanded, the need to somehow coordinate their schedules became obvious. As a result, the major trading nations began to discuss the introduction of standard time and standard time in 1870 in order to get rid of the chaos in this matter.

These efforts culminated in the Washington International Meridian Conference. 1884., which divided the Earth into 24 standard meridians, 15° apart in longitude, starting west of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. The meridian, located 180° (12 hours ahead of Greenwich) became the basis for the so-called. The Dateline, in which countries to the west of it entered the next day, while countries to the east still remained on the previous day. (The following countries participated in the Washington International Meridian Conference, which developed a system of time zones for the whole world and established the International Date Line: Austria-Hungary, the Brazilian Empire, Venezuela, German Empire, Guatemala, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Spain, Italy, Colombia, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, Netherlands, Ottoman Empire, Paraguay, Russian empire, El Salvador, Great Britain, USA, France, Chile, Sweden (in union with Norway), Switzerland and Japan Approx. website).

However, when determining the International Date Line, the conference participants agreed with its deviations from the 180th parallel in order to avoid dividing the day within individual entities, such as New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Siberia (meaning the Far North of Russia Note..

In the Southern Hemisphere, the International Date Line was drawn north from the South Pole... so as not to separate Chatham Island, now New Zealand. Raoul, Sunday, now New Zealand . site), the Kingdom of Tonga, the Fiji-owned Lau Archipelago, similar to the North and South Islands of New Zealand... Similar deviations in the implementation of the International Date Line were agreed upon in the Northern Hemisphere, so as not to separate territories in terms of dates in Eastern Siberia(meaning the Far North of Russia. Note..

In theory, standard time should never be more than 12 hours ahead or behind Greenwich Time. But the permissible deviation, according to the decisions of the mentioned conference 1884 placed Tonga 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Time. In turn, New Zealand and Fiji found themselves in a zone 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time, and Western Samoa 11 hours behind Greenwich Time.

But until 1941, Tonga did not adhere to its own local time, which was supposed to be 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Time. Tongan time was then 50 minutes ahead of New Zealand winter time, and accordingly Tongan time was 12 hours and 20 minutes ahead of Greenwich.

When New Zealand adjusted its standard time in the 1940s, Tonga had the choice of either changing its local time to match New Zealand's time; or move to a time 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Time (which would be 50 minutes ahead of New Zealand time).

His Majesty, the future King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, became king in 1965 ., and ruled until 2006. Note site), then known as Crown Prince Tungi, chose in this regard to change Tongan time so that Tonga could be called the land where time begins.

The Legislative Assembly approved this choice. But some of the older, more conservative members of parliament from the outer islands objected: "If at midnight on December 31st we move the clock forward by 40 minutes, as Your Royal Highness wishes, then we will simply lose 40 minutes?"

To which the Crown Prince presented a win-win argument: “But in this case, remember that during the “weekly prayer of the year” (see. Note website) we will be the first people on Earth to perform morning prayer".

Since 1974, when New Zealand began switching to daylight saving time, during the four summer months the country has also been in a zone where its time is 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. But Tonga is still the country in the world that is the first to welcome every new day of every week, every month and every year,” the Tongan newspaper proudly noted.

So, the time in Tonga is equal to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, today also called Coordinated Universal Time UTC) +13 hours.

In addition, Tonga's neighbor and another island country, the Republic of Kiribati, can also be considered the first country to celebrate the New Year and New Day. However, Kiribati, due to its extent, is located simultaneously in three time zones in relation to Greenwich Time, namely in zones +12, +13, +14, and therefore cannot be considered a country that is entirely the first to celebrate the New Year and New Day.

A still frame from the New Year's (2000) broadcast of the American television company ABC, which shows the Dateline (or (otherwise) International Date Line), as well as the three first countries in the world that are the first to celebrate the New Year and the new day: the Kingdom of Tonga ( Time zone: Greenwich Time plus 13); as well as part of the islands of the Republic of Kiribati (namely those belonging to time zones plus 13, plus 14); and besides this, the New Zealand possession is Chatham Island (Chatham, its winter time: plus 12 hours.

A still frame from the New Year's (2000) broadcast of the American television company ABC, which shows the Dateline, or (otherwise) International Date Line, as well as the three first countries in the world that are the first to celebrate the New Year and the new day:

Kingdom of Tonga (Time zone: Greenwich Time plus 13);

as well as part of the islands of the Republic of Kiribati (namely those belonging to time zones plus 13, plus 14);

and besides this, the New Zealand possession is Chatham Island (Chatham, its winter time: plus 12 hours 45 minutes).

Quite close to Tonga is the New Zealand possession of Chatham Island, where the difference with Greenwich time is +12 hours 45 minutes, i.e. 15 minutes less than Tongan. However, in the summer, Chatham switches to summer time and then the difference with Greenwich time is already +13 hours 45 minutes, and therefore 45 minutes more than Tongan time.

In turn, New Zealand has winter time (Greenwich time +12), and summer time (Greenwich time +13). Thus, as noted in the Tonga Chronicle article, in the summer New Zealand can be said to be the first to greet the new day. But not New Year, because... Summer time in New Zealand runs from April to September.

A few words about how the New Year is celebrated in Tonga.

The entire first week of the New Year is called Uike Lotu (ie "weekly prayer") in Tonga. On each day of this week, members of the Protestant churches, which constitute the largest part of the Tongan population (with 15% being Catholics), meet and pray in the morning and evening, with a solemn meal taking place between prayers.

The Tongan New Year's treat consists of umu baked in a pit oven. used in the Hawaiian Islands) is a traditional Tongan dish called lu pulu, which is beef cooked in taro leaves along with onions and coconut milk. People also eat root vegetables such as taro, and also sweet potatoes, i.e. sweet potato, called in Tonga « kumala» (kumala), and in addition - tapioca (i.e. starchy puree), prepared from the roots of the cassava plant (plants of the euphorbia family), and seafood.

Youth launch fireworks using cannons in the form of a large bamboo tube lying on the ground, such a cannon is called fana pitu .

Video: A Tongan teenager prepares a bamboo fana pitu for the 2010 New Year's fireworks display. Below you can see how this gun fires:

On January 1, people also go to the beach and swim, which is the hottest time of summer in Tonga. The King of Tonga hosts a reception for his high-ranking guests on the night of January 1st.

Video: Tonga, Kiribati and the New Zealand possession of Chatham Island are the first to celebrate the New Year (Here it is 2000, and thus in in this case new millennium):

The video below is a fragment of a special international television program “Meeting of 2000” (also known as “2000 Today”), which was broadcast throughout the day on December 31, 1999 around the world and was organized in cooperation by 60 television broadcasters different countries, which included as public - British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Polish Television (Telewizja Polska - TVP), Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Spanish Television (Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española - RTVE ) and the Public Broadcasting Service in the USA (Public Broadcasting Service - PBS), and private - American Broadcasting Company in the USA (American Broadcasting Company - ABC), Japanese TV Asahi. Short excerpts from the program were also broadcast in Russia.

The program was a telethon consisting of live broadcasts showing how countries around the world, one after another, celebrated the New Year 2000. Starting with the very first countries where the new day comes: the Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Kiribati, as well as the New Zealand possession - Chatham Island.

So, the last minutes 1999 . and meeting 2000 g . to Tonga, Kiribati and Chatham Island.

It first shows the then King of Tonga, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, addressing his subjects with a speech of welcome, while the subjects pray (as part of the so-called "weekly prayer") and sing religious songs.

At the same time, dancers and singers from the neighboring Republic of Kiribati, who came to Kiribati's and usually uninhabited Caroline Island, officially renamed Millennium Island by the government of this republic in 1999, held a ceremony to welcome the new millennium and year, in presence of the republic's leadership and journalists. Caroline Atoll is the very first territory of Kiribati to celebrate the New Year and New Day. It is also the first territory in the world to receive a new date, because... The atoll lies next to the Dateline, or International Date Line. Until 1995, the atoll was one of the last places on earth to welcome a new day, because... The international date line ran to the east, and thus Kiribati was a country where the new and old days ran simultaneously. Now all three time zones of Kiribati are in the zone of one current day, in other words, at the initiative of the government of Kiribati, the International Date Line was pushed back.

During the broadcast ceremony, Kiribati dancers performed traditional dances mwaie, as well as songs. In addition, a traditional canoe was launched into the water, driven by an old man and a boy with a torch. The launch of the canoe symbolized hope for a new journey - from the past to the future.

The program also showed how the year 2000 was celebrated on the New Zealand property - Chatham Island. There were present both Europeans and representatives of the Maori - the indigenous population of the New Zealand islands, who once inhabited Chatham.

For our video, the broadcast of the television program “Meeting of 2000” (“2000 Today”) was taken from the broadcasts of Polish television (Telewizja Polska - TVP, broadcast on the second TV channel of this broadcaster) and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC (USA). The comments, respectively, were in Polish and English.

This material was prepared based on an article from the former government English-language Tongan newspaper Tonga Chronicle and a note from the Internet community Hubpages (In both cases, the site translated from English), as well as other sources;