Christmas Island in Kiribati, an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, is the first to celebrate every year. Hawaii, American Samoa and many of the US outlying islands are among the last places.
Fireworks explode in the sky in central London. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesA couple kisses as they celebrate the new year in Vilnius, Lithuania. Mindaugas Kulbis/APFireworks light up the night sky at the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Mohamed Elshahed/Anadolu/Getty ImagesSyrians celebrate New Year’s in Damascus, Syria. Emin Sansar/Anadolu/Getty ImagesA light show and fireworks illuminate the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, during New Year’s celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty ImagesPeople flash lights from their cell phones as they attend New Year’s celebrations in Mumbai, India. Hemanshi Kamani/ReutersLocals watch fireworks at Ancol Beach in Jakarta, Indonesia. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesA couple shares a tender moment as they walk with their child in Donetsk, Ukraine. Alexei Alexandrov/APBalloons are released in Wuhan, China, to celebrate the new year. Getty ImagesFireworks light up the midnight sky over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. May James/AFP/Getty ImagesPeople take video of fireworks from the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty ImagesA New Year’s message is projected onto the surface of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersWomen wear 2025 headbands as they attend celebrations in Jakarta. Willy Kurniawan/ReutersFireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House. Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image/APPeople cheer during a New Year’s celebration in Taipei. Chiang Ying-ying/APChildren light firecrackers on a street in Mandaluyong, Philippines. Eloisa Lopez/ReutersA person poses in front of a decoration in Cairo. Amr Nabil/APPeople in Seoul, South Korea, take pictures as they observe the last sunset of the year. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
