Happy New Year: First 20 Countries To Celebrate the New Year

"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word." Goran Persson

Happy New Year: The native sooty tern of Kiritimati Island

1. Samoa (Apia), Kiribati- Christmas Island, Kiritimati is the FIRST to enter New Year 2015. At midnight there, Dec 31, 2014 (New Year 2015), the local time in New York was 5:00am on the morning of the 31st.  It was 10 am in London and 9pm in Sydney.
2. Chatham Islands - New Zealand. Local time in New York was 5:45am
3. New Zealand - Wellington, Tokelau, Fiji, Tonga, Antarctica-South Pole, McMurdo, Skott stations; Kiribati- Phoenix Islands. Local time in New York was 6:00am
4. Russia - Chukotka, Kamchatka; Nauru, Tuvalu, Marshall Isl., Wallis and Futuna, Kiribati - Tarawa. Local time in New York was 7:00am.
5. Norfolk Island (Kingston) - Australia. Local time in New York was 7:30am Courtesy World Time Zone

Happy New Year! By the time you read this post, it would be New Year's Day in, at least, the top 15 countries listed here. It might even be New Year's Day in all of them and many more.
Kiritimati in Kiribati is the first part of the world to enter the New Year. It's an island that is considered a Wildlife Sanctuary; with lots of beautiful and unique fauna and flora. Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979 and has a fascinating history. As you think of things to do in 2015, add this beautiful nation and sanctuary as a peaceful oasis on your calendar of places to visit.

 "Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin
 

Happy New Year: The Famous Sydney Opera House

6. Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart; Solomon Isl., New Caledonia, Micronesia - Pohnpei, Vanuatu;Bougainville (Papua New Guinea); Russia - Srednekolymsk. Local time in New York was 8:00am in the morning
7. Australia - Adelaide. Local time in New York was 8:30am
8. Russia - Vladivostok , Khabarovsk, Magadan, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Birobidzhan, Komsomolsk-na-Amure; Guam; Australia - Brisbane; Papua New Guinea, Northern Mariana Isl. Local time in New York was 9:00am
9. Australia - Darwin, Alice Springs. Local time in New York was 9:30am
10. Japan - Tokyo, South Korea, North Korea; Russia - Yakutsk, Blagoveschensk, Mirnyi, Tiksi; Palau, Indonesia- Jayapura, Ambon; East Timor, more ... Local time in New York was 10:00am. Courtesy World Time Zone

At number six on the list of places in the throes of New Year's celebrations, Sydney, Australia and many other parts of that nation are blowing kisses in the air and welcoming 2015. For those folk lucky enough to be nearby, the famous Sydney Opera House will welcome you and your family with fantastic entertainment. Wherever you are around the globe, make the new year a memorable one.

More Below!


  "Celebrate what you want to see more of." Tom Peters

                     Happy New Year: A trip to Beijing calls for visits to these key sites: Tiananmen, Temple of Heaven, National Center for the Performing Arts, and Beijing National Stadium

11. Eucla - Western Australia. Local time in New York was 10:45am in the morning
12. China - Beijing, Shanghai, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia-Bali, Mongolia, Brunei Darussalam, Russia-Irkutsk , Chita, Bratsk, Ulan-Ude; Australia - Perth, more ... Local time in New York was 11:00am
13. Thailand - Bangkok, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia - Java, Sumatra; Australia - Christmas Isl; Russia-Krasnoyarsk , Kemerovo, Abakan, Kyzyl. Local time in New York was 12:00noon in the afternoon
14. Myanmar (Burma) - Yangon, Cocos Island (Keeling Islands - Australia). Local time in New York was 12:30pm 
15. Russia - Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul; Bangladesh - Dhaka; Bhutan; British Indian Ocean Territory - Chagos - Diego Garcia, Kazakhstan - Almaty, Astana, Kyrgystan. Local time in New York was 1:00pm.  Courtesy World Time Zone

 If you are across the world in Beijing, China, Happy New Year! Take some time to say a prayer of gratitude and resolve to make this a fantastic year. While at it, make sure to visit the wonderful sites listed above; they are Tiananmen, Temple of Heaven,  National Center for the Performing Arts, and Beijing National Stadium . Enjoy the rich history of this very busy hub of China.

Happy New Year: If Kathmandu calls, be sure to visit: at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Bagmati river,  Budhanilkantha, Singha Durbar, Swayambhunath temple at night, Pashupatinath temple

16. Nepal - Kathmandu. Local time in New York was 1:45pm in the afternoon.
17. India - New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata; Sri Lanka. Local time in New York was 1:30 pm
18. Russia - Yekaterinburg , Chelyabinsk, Perm, Ufa, Kurgan, Orengurg, Tyumen; Pakistan - Islamabad, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan-Aqtau, Aqtobe, Maldives, Kerguelen Isl.(Fr.).  Local time in New York was 2:00pm 
19. Afghanistan - Kabul, Kandahar. Local time in New York was  2:30pm
20. United Arab Emirates - Dubai; Russia - Samara, Izhevsk; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Seychelles, Reunion - France, Oman, Mauritius. Local time in New York was 3:00pm  Courtesy World Time Zone

Not to be outdone by any of the other places listed above, Kathmandu is a place for the avid traveler to visit and stay awhile; do hang out for a very, very long while. Why? Because there is so much to see, eat and do in this magnificent, historically rich, ancient city. Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal. You won't regret any time spent there. So go do it in 2015. Happy New Year!

Some Food for Thought: What are your goals for the New Year? How do you plan to make a difference/an impact as an active member of the global community in 2015? I would love to hear from you: Please leave me a comment.
Thank You!

Positive Motivation Tip: Start the New Year with vim and vigor! ♥HAPPY NEW YEAR :-)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Kiribati Kids, Sooty tern bird,  Sydney Opera House,  Beijing, China Montage, Kathmandu Sites, via Wikipedia

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet