30 December 2023 , 08:30
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The first place to pop the champagne on New Year's Day will be Kiritimati Island - the easternmost of a string of coral islands in the Pacific known as the Line Islands.
Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, will be closely followed into the new year by neighbours Samoa and Tonga. Kiritimati Island will enter 2024 at around at 10am GMT on December 31 - with Tonga and Samoa joining them at about 11am.
Kiritimati is actually located south of Hawaii but celebrates New Year’s Day a full day earlier due to a quirk of the international date line. The international date line used to cut right through the island nation of Kiribati, to which many of the Line Islands belong, meaning it would be a different day depending on whether you were on one of Kiribati’s westernmost or easternmost islands.
Kiribati moved the dateline in 1995 however, so that all of its islands would observe the same day at the same time - the move also brought an influx of tourists wishing to be the first to ring in the new year. These celebrations take place in family homes, bars and hotels along with celebrations at the Christian and local maneaba or meeting houses, scattered across the island.
Feasting is an integral part of every local festival, and on New Year’s Eve, Kiribati people love to dig into a menu containing a roast pig and crayfish, as well as other traditional foods, such as taro, banana galore, and of course, coconuts. All are washed down with the most common beverage, coconut sap, collected from coconut flowers and consumed with water, tea, or alcohol.
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The peaceful paradise islands are the very first place to welcome in the new year (Getty Images/Cavan Images RF)Kiribati festive events are called “Te Botaki” which typically refers to a traditional gathering or community event where people come together for to celebrate festivals or commemorate special occasions like birthdays, marriages, funerals or rites of passage. The term "te botaki" emphasises the communal aspect of these events, where everyone in the community is encouraged to participate and contribute in various ways. It plays a vital role in preserving and passing down the cultural heritage of Kiribati from one generation to another.
On Thursday 29 December 2011, Samoa shifted time zones from east of the International Date Line to west, skipping Friday 30 December completely. The country went from being one of the last countries to celebrate the New Year to the first. The time zone was changed to bring it in line with its closest trading partners, New Zealand and Australia.
As one of the first places in the world to celebrate New Year the island of Samoa also takes it seriously. The island sees fireworks displays and resorts offering spectacular New Year’s feasts, with locals wishing each other “Manuia le Tausaga Fou!” which is Samoan for Happy New Year! It is also possible to celebrate New Year's Eve in Samoa and then hop on a plane eastwards, over the international date line to American Samoa, which is just a 35-minute flight away but 24 hours behind Samoa. That means, you guessed it, you can celebrate New Year’s Eve all over again.
The Polynesian kingdom of Tonga is famous for its balmy weather, stunning beaches and charming island culture. The locals prefer to celebrate New Year's Eve here with church, family and food. Churches of all Christian denominations put on sunset and midnight services where visitors can experience the enthusiastic singing of the locals. Tongans also like to share food with many families gifting meals to each other throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday period.