Welcoming 2025: Names of Countries that Celebrate New Year Before and After Nigeria Released

Welcoming 2025: Names of Countries that Celebrate New Year Before and After Nigeria Released

  • As millions prepare to welcome the New Year, Kiritimati Island in the Republic of Kiribati will be the first to celebrate, thanks to its unique position in the Pacific Ocean
  • Approximately 41 countries, including Australia and Japan, will ring in 2025 before India, showcasing the diversity of global celebrations across different time zones
  • The islands of American Samoa and Niue will be among the last to mark the New Year, highlighting the fascinating journey through the world's 24 time zones

As midnight approaches on December 31, millions of people worldwide are preparing to greet the new year.

Due to the Earth's rotation and multiple time zones, the transition into 2025 will be celebrated at different times across various regions, each adding its unique customs to this joyous occasion.

Countries that celebrate New Year before Nigeria
Full list of countries that celebrate New Year before Nigeria. Photo credit: Virlo54 via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Time zones and new year celebrations

The world is divided into 24 time zones, each having its own standard time, which is why the New Year is celebrated at different times in different countries.

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Countdown to 2025: Top 10 countries that will cross over to New Year before Nigeria

Approximately 40 nations celebrate the New Year before India, highlighting the diversity of global celebrations.

First and last new year's celebrations

First Celebration: Kiritimati Island, part of the Republic of Kiribati, is the first location on Earth to celebrate the New Year.

Also known as Christmas Island, Kiritimati is one of the largest atolls in the world. In 1995, Kiribati changed the international date line to provide uniformity across its islands and attract tourists eager to be the first to ring in the New Year.

Following Kiritimati, the Chatham Islands and Tonga in New Zealand celebrate the New Year.

Last Celebration: The islands of American Samoa and Niue, southwest of Kiribati, are among the last to celebrate the New Year.

The day ends an hour later on Baker Island and Howland Island, both uninhabited US territories. Samoa, which was previously one of the last nations to celebrate, switched time zones in 2011 to align with its trading partners, Australia and New Zealand, making it now one of the first nations to welcome the New Year.

Read also

Not in first month: Countries that celebrate New Year on different dates instead of January 1

Pastor releases prophetic message

Legit.ng reported that Pastor David Ogbueli, president of Dominion City Global, has released a prophetic message for 2025.

In a video on his official YouTube page, seen by Legit.ng, Pastor Ogbueli warned his followers against "joining the natural men in murmuring and complaining".

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.

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