The year 2025 is coming to an end around the world, and today many countries, including Pakistan, will welcome the New Year.
Due to time differences across various regions of the world, the year 2026 will begin at different times, which is why the countries that welcome the New Year first always attract special interest.
The year 2026 began first in the island nation of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean. Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, in the eastern part of Kiribati, is the place where the New Year arrives first.
According to Pakistani time, the New Year started there at 3:00pm, while it was midnight on the island. For this reason, Kiribati is referred to as the world’s first host of the New Year.
After Kiribati, the New Year began in New Zealand at 4:00 pm Pakistani time, where a spectacular fireworks display was held in the city of Auckland.
Shortly afterward, various cities in Australia welcomed the year 2026, with large-scale fireworks and public celebrations taking place.
In Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries as well, traditional rituals and ceremonies are organized to mark the New Year.
In Europe and the Middle East, the New Year begins relatively later, while the United States is among the last to welcome the New Year.
In the US city of New York, preparations for New Year celebrations have been completed, with the famous crystal ball installed in Times Square and its testing already carried out.
As every year, millions of people are expected to participate, while hundreds of millions around the world will watch the event on television and online platforms.
According to experts, this difference in the timing of the New Year around the world is the result of the global time zone system, under which the Earth is divided into different regions.
Because of this system, the New Year has already begun in some countries while the old year is still ongoing in others. In this way, the world enters the New Year at different times on the same day, and each country welcomes it according to its own traditions and culture.
