Kiribati is the first country to welcome the New Year.
Celebrating the New Year First
Based on information from sources like m.economictimes.com, as the clock strikes midnight to begin January 1st, Kiribati, a country located in Oceania, is the first nation globally to welcome the New Year.
Specifically, Kiritimati Island, also commonly known as Christmas Island, which is part of Kiribati, leads the world in embracing the new dawn of the New Year. Due to its location near the International Date Line, it experiences midnight before other countries.
This makes Kiribati a key point of interest during the global New Year countdown celebrations each year.