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First Countries to Celebrate the New Year

Which 20 countries are the first to welcome in the New Year each year?
Based on the first area of the country to reach midnight
NOT including overseas territories
Source: Wikipedia
Quiz by
kiwirage
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Last updated: May 12, 2023
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First submittedOctober 24, 2014
Times taken43,453
Average score80.0%
Rating4.96
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Time
Country
First country
Kiribati
+1:00
Samoa
+1:00
Tonga
+1:15
New Zealand
(Chatham Islands)
+2:00
Tuvalu
+2:00
Fiji
+2:00
Russia
+2:00
Marshall Islands
+2:00
Nauru
+3:00
Vanuatu
+3:00
Solomon Islands
+3:00
F. S. Micronesia
+3:00
Papua New Guinea
+3:30
Australia
(Lord Howe Island)
+5:00
Japan
+5:00
Palau
+5:00
Indonesia
+5:00
South Korea
+5:00
North Korea
+5:00
East Timor
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40 Comments
ruth457
+8
Level 15
Oct 24, 2014
Good quiz although need to know all countries in oceania
comjag
+3
Level 92
Dec 27, 2015
Where does the Philippines figure in this list?
Quizmaster
+10
Level ∞
May 12, 2023
Six hours after Kiribati
Neodymium
+1
Level 63
May 12, 2023
May I make a Spanish Translation?
Neodymium
+2
Level 63
May 12, 2023
I just need your permission to submit it.
kiwirage
+4
Level 63
May 12, 2023
Yes, go ahead.
Neodymium
+4
Level 63
May 12, 2023
Thanks!

Spanish Version!

Geografen
+1
Level 70
May 12, 2023
Australia and New Zealand doesn't work.
Dimby
+7
Level 83
May 12, 2023
Korean New Year is a totally different day, though! It's like... +965:00
wkrpnyc
+10
Level 80
May 24, 2023
We celebrate both January 1 and the lunar new year, called Seolnal or Seollal. On a recent exam I had my students (about 150 undergrads) answer which they considered more important, and surprisingly they mostly said January 1. (We don't have school for either holiday, because winter break is over the solar new year (end of December to March), but the lunar new year break is just 4-5 days, including Saturday and Sunday. Workers may think differently because they only get January 1 off and maybe Dec 25, but not the days in between them.
Dimby
+4
Level 83
Jun 9, 2023
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Gael
+1
Level 70
May 13, 2023
France!?
FlyingG
+3
Level 68
Jul 10, 2023
No overseas territories.
Alexquiz17
+6
Level 94
May 14, 2023
I thought Alaska reached into the Eastern hemisphere…
TurkeyCookTime
+12
Level 85
May 15, 2023
Yeah, but it's still on the opposite side of the International Date Line.
Grasshopper13
+1
Level 29
Dec 31, 2025
No, there are a couple of the Islands that are on the other side of the line. Specifically Little Diomede Island.
joedimaggio
+1
Level 75
Dec 31, 2025
No, all Alaskan islands are on the eastern side of the IDL
LichenJan
+10
Level 70
May 15, 2023
Nice quiz :)) I think though that NZ should be +0:15 and Australia should be +3:00 because of daylight savings time, the summer time zone for Chatham Islands is +13:45 and south eastern Australia is +11:00 :))
QuizzyOne
+6
Level 78
Dec 31, 2023
I agree. The quiz implies it is when New Year is 'celebrated' . Doesn't change which countries appear, and is consistent with the logic of using observed time rather than longitude that excludes the western reach of Alaska.

Happy New Year!

henrigolo
+6
Level 71
Dec 13, 2023
Those people, they live in the futur
henrigolo
+2
Level 71
Dec 31, 2025
Hello I am future you calling from Banana, Kiribati. I'm here to warn you about a danger. Remember next year on January, 7 at 12:34:51 to never, absolutely never d... [premature end of holographic call]
benjNYC
+1
Level 71
Dec 31, 2023
How about USA (Guam and Northern Mariana Islands)?
Xtrordinary
+2
Level 75
Dec 31, 2023
it says not including overseas territories
Kama24
+1
Level 44
Dec 31, 2023
May I make a Polish Translation?
kiwirage
+1
Level 63
Dec 31, 2023
Yes that’s fine.
yummypizza491
+3
Level 57
Dec 31, 2023
nice quiz! i really like it, and find it cool how all the oceanian countries are first on new year

to everyone reading this, happy new year! may this year be filled with success!

DoubleADish
+1
Level 38
Jan 2, 2024
Does Japan not make it into here?
kiwirage
+2
Level 63
Jan 2, 2024
Yes, it's there already.
AwesomePotato170
+1
Level 63
Dec 12, 2024
"Celebrate"

"North Korea"

FreeStater
+1
Level 81
Dec 31, 2025
The most ostentatious country on Earth likes to celebrate, after all.
tonnetic
+1
Level 38
Dec 23, 2024
Forgot north korea even tho i got south
Alex3813
+1
Level 67
Apr 8, 2025
got south korea but nearly forgot north korea!
Selmarya
+2
Level 67
Apr 15, 2025
Shouldnt the United states count because of the Aleutian islands? They technically are not an overseas territory as it is apart of alaska and is inhabited by a few hundred people.
LordHydro
+1
Level 52
Jan 1, 2026
They are on the west side of the International date line, so they are the last to celebrate.
RoboquizM86
+5
Level 61
Dec 31, 2025
Happy New Year Everyone! 2026! Got 20/20 very proud!
Johanliebert
+1
Level 36
Dec 31, 2025
so it’s… oceania tee ball versus the new york yankees
OohAngelo
+1
Level 49
Dec 31, 2025
2026! Happy new year!🎆
Pontiac
+1
Level 61
Dec 31, 2025
Few hours left for me.
DaWaffle
+1
Level 55
Jan 2, 2026
kept typing france thinking of french poly 🥀
phnigri
+1
Level 17
Jan 2, 2026
100% 0:52 Happy New Year 2026
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