New Years is just a few hours away and while you’re reading this, do you know some countries are already celebrating the New Year? Well, 2015 is officially over and 2016 already in! You still have to wait a few hours but then hey, that’s not a very long wait as it’s merely hours. Each New Year brings with it a whole lot of joys and hopes and expectations and while the New Year is often a mixed bag of good and bad, there’s always the wish that the coming year be better and even more happy than the present one or the one gone by. People also make a whole list of resolutions they believe they will keep throughout the New Year. So, who do you think is the first country to make its New Year resolutions? Take a wild guess!

1.31st Dec, 3.30 PM– Samoa and Christmas Island/Kiribati
If you said Australia, you’re wrong. Christmas is first celebrated in Samoa and Christmas Island/Kiribati! It will only be 3.30PM on the 31st December in India when people here are already on their countdown and enjoying!

2. 31st Dec, 3.45 PM- Chatham Islands/New Zealand
Next on the list comes New Zealand, though not all of it, only parts. It’s 3.45PM on the 31st December in India at that time. Yes, you’ll still be office while in New Zealand glasses are already clinking.

3. 31st Dec, 4.30 PM- New Zealand with exceptions, Fiji, some regions of Antarctica, Tonga, Phoenix Islands/Kiribati and Tokelau
Many of the cities in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate New Years earlier. The time in India then is 4.30PM on the 31st of December.

4. 31st Dec, 5.30 PM– Small region of Russia, regions of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Nauru, regions of US Minor Outlying Islands and Tuvalu
After New Zealand come the small independent islands littered around and parts of Russia. They celebrate New Years while Indians are busy checking their watch and noting it’s 5.30PM on the 31st of December.

5.31st Dec, 6.30PM to 8.00 PM- Much of Australia, Sakha (Yakutia)/Russia, Vanuatu, some regions of Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, Regions of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam
Australia is 5th on the list! When theie countdown ends, you have just begun to get into the celebration mode as it’s 6.30PM on 31st December and you’re packing your bags to leave work. However, different regions in Australia celebrate at different times and some of them ring in the New Year as late as 8.00PM in India.

6. 31st Dec, 8.30 PM- Japan, South Korea, Sakha (Yakutia)/Russia, small region of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Palau
The land of the rising sun celebrates New Year 6th on the list and at that time, it is 8.30PM on the 31st December in India.

7. 31st Dec, 9.00 PM- North Korea
Almost 30mins after South Korea, North Korea celebrates New Year at 9PM on the 31st on December in India.

8. 31st Dec, 9.30 PM- China, Philippines, regions of Indonesia, Western Australia/Australia, Malaysia, most of Mongolia, Taiwan, small region of Russia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau
The cluster of countries on the South East Asian border ring in the New Year pretty close to the Indian New Year, when it is 9.30PM in India on the 31st of December.

9. 31st Dec, 10.30 PM– Much of Indonesia, Thailand, Krasnoyarsk/Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, some regions of Mongolia, small region of Antarctica and Christmas Island
The smaller regions, India’s favourite honeymooning destinations, celebrates New Year while it is 10.30PM in India on the 31st of December.

10. 31st Dec, 11.00 PM - Myanmar and Cocos Islands
Next come Myanmar and Cocos Islands who celebrate New Years at 11.00PM in India on the 31st December 2015.

11.31st Dec, 11.30 to 11.45 PM- Bangladesh, much of Kazakhstan, small region of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, small region of Antarctica and Nepal
The two countries bordering India celebrate New Year before India, between 11.30PM and 11.45PM according to Indian Standard Time on the 31st December 2015.


www.india.com/whatever/1dayto2016-do-you-know-which-is-the-first-country-to-celebrate-the-new-year-805304/

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