As the world bids farewell to 2023, the New Year celebrations have commenced, with Kiribati leading the way in the Pacific Ocean’s Oceania region. Kiritimati Island, also known as Christmas Island, part of Kiribati, welcomed the first light of New Year 2024 at 10:00 am GMT (3:30 pm IST). The celebration marked the beginning of a sequential cascade of festivities across the globe.
Following Kiribati, Auckland, New Zealand, celebrated the onset of 2024 with a spectacular fireworks display from the iconic Sky Tower, accompanied by a dazzling downtown light show, as reported by Reuters.
In the uninhabited Howland and Baker Islands, January 1 will commence at 5:30 pm IST, marking the conclusion of New Year celebrations worldwide.
Reflecting on the historical origins of New Year traditions, which trace back to Rome in 153 BCE, the adoption of January 1 as the commencement of the New Year gained prominence through Julius Caesar’s calendar reforms in 46 BCE. This tradition later became universally recognized with the adoption of the Georgian calendar in 1582.
Timings for countries to welcome 2024:
– New Zealand: December 31, 11:00 am GMT (4:30 pm IST)
– Australia: December 31, 1:00 pm GMT (6:30 pm IST)
– Japan, South and North Korea: December 31, 3:00 pm GMT (8:30 pm IST)
– China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines: December 31, 4:00 pm GMT (9:30 pm IST)
– Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia: December 31, 5:00 pm GMT (10:30 pm IST)
– India: December 31, 6:30 pm GMT (12:00 am IST)
– UAE, Oman, Azerbaijan: December 31, 8:00 pm GMT (January 1, 1:30 am IST)
– Greece, South Africa: December 31, 10:00 pm GMT (January 1, 3:30 am)
– Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland: December 31, 11:00 pm GMT (January 1, 4:30 am IST)
– UK, Ireland, Portugal: January 1, 00:00 GMT (5:30 am IST)
– Brazil, Argentina, Chile: January 1, 3:00 am GMT (8:30 am IST)
– Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Venezuela, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands: January 1, 4:00 am GMT (9:30 am IST)
– US East Coast (New York, Washington DC, etc), Peru, Cuba, Bahamas: January 1, 5:00 am (10:30 am IST)
– Mexico, parts of Canada and the US: January 1, 6:00 am GMT (11:30 am IST)
– US West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc): January 1, 8:00 am GMT (1:30 pm IST)
– Hawaii, French Polynesia: January 1, 10:00 am GMT (3:30 pm IST)
– Baker Island, Howland Island – January 1, 12:00 pm GMT (5:30 pm IST)
