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Satindra Chauhan

Updated on Jun 5, 2026•news-current-topics

Why is Kiribati famous for the New Year?

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2 Answers
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Priya Agrawal
Random Facts Enthusiast
Updated on Jun 5, 2026

Kiribati is famous for New Year celebrations because it is one of the first countries in the world to enter the New Year due to its location near the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.

Kiribati changed its time zones in the 1990s so that all of its islands could share the same calendar date. Because of this, islands like Kiritimati (Christmas Island) are among the very first places on Earth to welcome January 1st.

As a result, people around the world often watch Kiribati’s New Year celebrations as one of the earliest official beginnings of the new year. This unique time-zone position has made the country internationally famous during New Year festivities.

Must Read: Best New Year Gift Ideas
 
 
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Urmila Solanki
Updated on May 30, 2026

Kiribati and Samoa is a group of Pacific islands. These islands are located halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, and falling on the West of the International Date Line, they get to see the New Year before any other region in the world.

Letsdiskuss 

The International Date Line is an imaginary line separating two consecutive dates.
 
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “When you cross the date line, you become a time traveler of sorts! Cross to the west and it's one day later; cross back and you've 'gone back in time.” 
 
So the Island groups falling closest to the West side of the line, are the first to greet Happy New Year. It’s all in the Geography.
 
Being the first to start the celebrations, Kiribati leaves no stone unturned in making it grand. The other partner, Samoa, gets to celebrate the New Year twice as American Samoa falls on the East of the imaginary line, thus marking the difference of one day. It used to be the case with Kiribati too back in the 1990s the line used to split this Polynesian destination into two.
 
Here are some more facts about Kiribati:
 
• Kiribati is pronounced as “Kiribas” in its local language.
• It became a full member of the UN in 1999. It is also a member of IMF.
• Its capital is Tarawa and currency is Australian Dollar.
• Out of 33 islands of Kiribati, 21 are inhabited.
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