December 31, 11 a.m .: "Samoa: The land where the sun goes down last" – this was the slogan that the small Pacific island nation, halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, had marketed for years. Because until the end of 2011 the almost 200,000 inhabitants of Samoa lived east of the date line – 23 hours behind New Zealand and a whole day behind the Tonga Islands, although they are only 900 kilometers southwest of Samoa. But everything has been different for four years.
Samoa is now one of the regions where people are the first to greet the New Year. Before it is New Year's Eve in Germany, the champagne corks will pop a good 15,000 kilometers southeast at 11 a.m. CET. Because independent Samoa moved the international date line to the east on December 29, 2011 at midnight, thus switching sides.
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Advantage: The former German colony now belongs to the same time zone as its most important trading partners New Zealand and Australia. Disadvantage: The eastern islands of the group – American Samoa – belong to the USA and thus now to a different time zone. Around 11.15 a.m. change the Chatham Islands, which are part of New Zealand, into the new year.
December 31, 12 noon: Now the corks are already popping in New Zealand and the Fiji Islands. A part of the northeast of Russia is also slipping into the new year.
December 31, 1 p.m .: At 1 p.m. our time, the people of South Tarawa in Kiribati, Nauru, other parts of north-east Russia and the Marshall Islands slide into the new year.
In Australia, the new year starts at 2 p.m. German time
December 31, 2 p.m .: Sydney (Australia) and Vladivostok (Russia) are celebrating the New Year.
December 31, 3 p.m .: Brisbane follows Sydney into the New Year in Australia. Papua New Guinea, Vladivostok in Russia and Guam (US territory in Micronesia) are now also in 2018.
December 31, 4 p.m .: Japan slips behind. In the temples and shrines, the Japanese traditionally ask for happiness, health and success for the new year. Exactly at midnight, i.e. 4 p.m. German time, the temple bells ring 108 times, ringing in the new year. Also North Korea ends 2019 and starts 2021.
December 31, 5 p.m .: All of China and the Philippines celebrate the New Year at 5 p.m. Central European Time.
December 31, 6.00 p.m .: Thailand, Vietnam, Kamodscha and large parts of Indonesia reach 2021.
December 31, 7 p.m .: Five hours before Germany, for example, the people in Bhutan, the happiest country in the world, and Bangladesh start the new year. Around 7.15 p.m. follows Nepal to 7.30 p.m. India and Sri Lanka.
December 31, 8 p.m .: At eight o'clock in the evening it becomes heavenly: Because now the Maldives are starting the new year. With them also welcome Pakistan and some French southern and Antarctic regions in 2021. Um 8.30 p.m. follows Afghanistan.
Seychelles, Mauritius and Reunion Island celebrate New Year's Eve
December 31, 9 p.m .: It continues heavenly: At 9:00 p.m. German time, the Seychelles, Mauritius and La Réunion celebrate the New Year. Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia and parts of Georgia are now also writing the year 2021. Iran will follow suit 9.30 p.m..
December 31, 10 p.m .: Russia still hasn't quite arrived in the new year. But Moscow has now also made it. At the same time, people in large parts of Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Bahrain celebrate.
December 31, 11.00 p.m .: Just one hour before Germany, people in parts of South Africa, Greece, Egypt and Cyprus are slipping into the new year.
Happy New Year – Germany celebrates 2021
1.1., 00.00 a.m .: Happy New! Together with Germany, the new year now begins in 45 other nations. In addition to our neighboring countries, also in Tunisia, Gibraltar, Nigeria, Malta and the Vatican.
1.1., 1.00 a.m .: With one hour "delay", Great Britain, parts of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Morocco are now starting the new year.
1.1., 2.00 a.m .: This is followed by Cabo Verde and the Azores as well as other small areas of Greenland.
1.1., 3.00 a.m .: From now on, the first people in Brazil are celebrating the New Year in a relaxed manner.
1.1., 4.00 a.m .: Other parts of Brazil follow, along with Argentina, Uruguay, some parts of Chile and most of Greenland. Around 4.30 a.m. Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) follow.
1.1., 5.00 a.m .: Now things are going really well again. The New Year begins in 28 parts of the world, including parts of Canada and several Latin American countries such as the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Guadeloupe. Small parts of Greenland are also still moving up.
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The US celebrates the New Year at 6 a.m. German time
1.1., 6.00 a.m .: Peru, Panama, Cuba, Jamaica and the first big wave of states in the USA (after Guam, which started the new year at 3 p.m.) start the new year. In New York, for example, where people traditionally celebrate the New Year in Times Square.
1.1., 7.00 a.m .: Other states in the USA follow, as well as Costa Rica, Mexico City and Guatemala.
1.1., 8.00 a.m .: The United States of America continues to follow suit, along with parts of Canada and parts of Mexico.
1.1., 9.00 a.m .: It still goes on in the US, for example in Los Angeles, Canada and Mexico.
1.1., 10.00 a.m .: Now the people of Alaska and parts of French Polynesia are also celebrating the New Year.
1.1., 11.00 a.m .: While we Germans are already preparing lunch, the last parts of the USA, including Hawaii, the rest of French Polynesia and Tahiti will follow us into 2018.
1.1., 12.00 p.m .: More than a full day later than the rest of the island, American Samoa is now starting the new year.
1.1., 1 p.m .: Baker Island and Howland Island, which are part of the United States, are the last to start the new year.
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