New Year’s Eve around the world: billions of people celebrated the turn of the year on December 31st. More than half a day before Germany, residents of South Pacific regions welcomed January 1, 2023. On the island of Kiritimati, which is part of the Kiribati archipelago, the first day of the new year started at 11 a.m. German time.
Beautiful images of the fireworks over the Harbor Bridge and Opera House were broadcast from Sydney, Australia. The Australians shot a glittering rainbow into the air with their traditional giant fireworks display, a waterfall of light poured from the Harbor Bridge – the show was intended as a harbinger of “Sydney World Pride”, which starts in February in the South Australian metropolis.
As a contrast to so much pyrotechnic aesthetics, milk cans were blown up in some places in the Netherlands. Germany’s neighbors see carbide shooting in some regions as a worthy alternative to New Year’s Eve celebrations. It’s just very, very loud.
For some Dutch people, however, New Year’s Eve fun was spoiled as some fireworks shows were canceled due to strong winds.
Meteorologists had predicted very mild weather for Germany. The most spectacular party in the country was planned at the Brandenburg Gate.
The photo series shows impressions of New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world.
New Year’s Eve worldwide at a glance – which regions start the new year and when:
- 11 am Kiribati is the first country in the world to start the new year
- 12 p.m. New Zealand and Samoa
- 1 p.m. Tuvalu in the Pacific
- 2pm Sydney in Australia welcomes in the New Year
- 3pm Parts of Australia including Brisbane
- 4 p.m. South Korea and Japan
- 5pm Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore
- 6 p.m. Thailand, Vietnam
- 7pm Bangladesh and Bhutan
- 7.30pm India and Sri Lanka
- 8 p.m. Maldives and Pakistan
- 9pm Armenia, United Arab Emirates
- 10 p.m. Turkey, Russia’s capital Moscow, Kenya
- 11pm Ukraine, Greece, Finland, Baltic States, Romania
- 12:00 a.m. Germany and large parts of the EU
January 1, 2023 (CET):
- 1am UK, Portugal, Iceland
- 2 p.m. Cape Verde
- 4 p.m. Parts of Brazil (Rio), Argentina, Uruguay
- 5 p.m. Bolivia, Venezuela
- 6 a.m. US East Coast with New York, also Cuba, Peru
- 7 a.m. Mexico City and parts of the US (Chicago)
- 9am California in the US with Los Angeles
- 1 o’clock Alaska (USA)
- 11 am Honolulu in Hawaii (USA)
- 1 o’clock Pago Pago (American Samoa)
- 1 p.m. Baker Island and Howland Island in the Pacific (uninhabited)
Sources: Imago / with material from dpa