Happy New Year 2026 : The countdown to welcome the year 2026 has started in the world. New Year was first celebrated in Kiritimati Island (Christmas Island). The island is part of the Republic of Kiribati. It is 7.30 hours ahead of India. A total of 41 countries celebrate New Year before India. New Year has also arrived in New Zealand. Auckland is witnessing a grand celebration.
Due to different time zones in different parts of the world, the New Year starts at different times in each country. The New Year is also celebrated in New Zealand’s Tonga and Chatham Islands a few minutes after New Year’s Day in Kiritimati Island. Most recently in the South Pacific it is celebrated in American Samoa and the Niue Islands.
41 countries of the world celebrate New Year before India
Around 41 countries of the world celebrate New Year before India. Countries like Kiritimati, New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Japan and Indonesia are included. According to Earth’s rotation and time zone, Kiritimati Island and New Zealand are at 12 midnight on December 31. This is the reason why New Year is celebrated first in these two places.
#WATCH With fireworks in Auckland, New Zealand #NewYear2026 Was welcomed.
(Source: TVNZ via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/IfO4u24YnV
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) December 31, 2025
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The world is divided into 24 time zones based on longitude, each with its own standard time. Hence New Year is celebrated at different times in different countries. India follows Indian Standard Time (IST), which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +5:30).