New Year 2021: Here’s when January 1 begins in nations all over the world

The first yr of a brand new decade, 2021-2030, is sort of upon us. This New Year, nevertheless, is completely different from every other because it comes within the midst of the continuing world pandemic of the coronavirus illness (Covid-19). The outbreak has led to a number of cities asserting curbs on their respective New Year celebrations. The Australian metropolis of Sydney, recognized for its iconic New Year celebrations, too, has requested ‘Sydneysiders’ to remain at dwelling this yr and ring in 2021, as a result of emergence of a virus cluster in its northern seashores.Also Read | Sydney informed to look at its well-known New Year’s Eve fireworks from dwellingSydney, with its extravagant fireworks, has all the time been regarded as the primary metropolis on this planet, and Australia as the primary nation, to welcome a New Year. This, nevertheless, shouldn’t be the case. The first nations on this planet to welcome a New Year are literally the Pacific islands of Tonga, Samoa and Christmas /Kiribati, the place January 1 commences at 10 am GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) or 3:30 pm as per the Indian Standard Time (IST), on December 31. The final place to welcome the New Year are the uninhabited Howland and Baker Islands, close to the United States, at 12 pm GMT or 5:30 pm IST, on January 1. American Samoa is the second final to have fun the New Year, at 11 am GMT or 4:30 pm IST, on January 1.Here’s when the New Year begins in some nations:December 31 (as per GMT):New Zealand: 10:15 amAustralia (most areas): 1 pmJapan, South Korea and North Korea: 3 pmChina, Philippines and Singapore: 4 pmBangladesh: 6 pm, Nepal: 6:15 pm, India and Sri Lanka: 6:30 pm, Pakistan: 7 pmGermany, France, Italy, Belgium and Spain: 11 pmUK, Ireland, Iceland, Portugal: 12 amJanuary 1:Brazil (some areas): 2 amArgentina, Brazil (some areas), Chile and Paraguay: 3 amNew York, Washington, Detroit: 5 amChicago: 6 am, Colorado and Arizona: 7 am, Nevada: 8 amAlaska: 9 am, Hawaii: 10 amAmerican Samoa: 11 amHowland and Baker Islands: 12 pm