First in the New Year: how Kiritimati Atoll reopened the holiday season to the world
31 December 15:03
Residents of Christmas Island (Kiritimati) atoll in the Pacific Ocean traditionally became the first on the planet to celebrate the New Year. This was reported by the BBC, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
What happened
At midnight local time, New Year’s celebrations began in Kiritimat, the largest atoll in the Pacific nation of Kiribati. Due to its special location in relation to the line of change of dates, the calendar year changes here earlier than anywhere else on Earth.
Where exactly do they celebrate first
Kiritimati is located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. The atoll is known not only for its symbolic status as the “first New Year” but also for its size: it stretches for almost 4 thousand kilometers from east to west and consists of several atolls.
Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. Today, the archipelago is home to about 116 thousand people. It is home to the largest marine reserve in the South Pacific. At the same time, most of the atolls are only a few meters above sea level and are considered to be among the most vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
Despite its geographical proximity to Hawaii, New Year’s Eve in Kiribati comes a full day earlier than in the United States. This makes the island not only a tourist symbol of the beginning of the year, but also a clear example of how conventional time frames shape the global calendar.
Kiritimati is already spending the first hours of the new year
While Kiritimati is already celebrating the first hours of the new year, the holiday wave is gradually moving westward to Australia, Asia, Europe, and eventually America. For Kiribati, the New Year’s celebrations once again combine festivity with a reminder of the existential challenges posed by rising sea levels.
