Kiritimati Island: Christmas Island leads the Global Entry into 2024
In the spirit of this global celebration, have you ever wondered which country is the first to embrace the dawn of a brand new year? While the UK bids farewell to the old and welcomes the new in one of the final New Year’s celebrations, there’s a group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean that steals the spotlight as the very first to ring in the New Year.
Located in the central Pacific Ocean, Kiritimati Island, also known as Christmas Island, stands as a beacon on the edge of time, playing a unique role in the global countdown to the New Year. Pacific island nation composed of 33 atolls and reef islands, located in the central Pacific Ocean. It straddles the equator and is spread across both the eastern and western hemispheres. The capital of Kiribati is South Tarawa.
One notable aspect of Kiribati is its unique position in terms of time zones, making it the first country to welcome the New Year. The country spans three different time zones — Gilbert Islands Time (GILT), Phoenix Islands Time (PHOT), and Line Islands Time (LINT). The International Date Line runs just to the east of the Line Islands, and as a result, it is one of the first places on Earth to enter a new day.
Kiritimati Island, affectionately known as Christmas Island, along with a chain of 10 other mostly…
