The first celebrations of the New Year 2025 are starting worldwide!

Today, December 31, 2024, the New Year will be celebrated worldwide. At 11:00 a.m. CET, 13 hours before Austria, the people on the South Sea atoll of Kiritimati, which is part of Kiribati, rang in the New Year. This island with around 7,300 inhabitants was the first place in the world to start the year 2025. Just 15 minutes later came the Chatham Islands, an area of ​​New Zealand 800 kilometers east of Kiritimati. Here too, a handful of hundred people celebrated, before New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga celebrated an hour later, as [klick-kaernten.at] reported.

Spectacular celebrations have been announced in several metropolises for New Year's Eve. In Auckland, New Zealand, the Sky Tower is lit up with a breathtaking 500 kilograms of fireworks to welcome in the New Year. At 2:00 p.m. CET, the world-famous fireworks display will be lit over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. There were initially concerns about a planned public transport strike, but organizers were able to find a solution. Around nine tons of pyrotechnics have been prepared for the big show, which will be ignited in 264 places. An estimated one million people are expected, while many more will watch the spectacle via live streams, as [oe24.at] reported.

Global celebrations are gaining momentum

Exciting light shows are also on the program in Asia. Bangkok is preparing for celebrations along the Chao Phraya River, while Singapore is planning an impressive fireworks show at Marina Bay. In Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Towers shine at the center of a magnificent light and color show. For a quieter New Year's Eve celebration, Greece and Cyprus are relying on "silent fireworks" this year, which creates less noise pollution. The popular New Year's Eve trail is taking place again in Vienna. American Samoa will be the last country on the other side of the international date line to welcome the New Year - twelve hours after Austria.