When do different countries welcome New Year at India time? Here’s a list

“It has been a year since I took a bath” — it’s that time of the year once again for these jokes to do the rounds. Before you get shell-shocked, it essentially means that the person last took a bath on December 31 and now it’s January 1, and a “whole year” has passed since their last bath.

In fact, as we usher in the New Year at the strike of the clock at midnight, many countries — to our east, of course — will have already welcomed 2023. Even as you read this, some may already be a year ahead of us. So, when will the major cities around the world welcome New Year at India time? Here’s a list.

3.30 pm Saturday: Tonga, Kiribati and Samoa

We are all used to seeing magnificent pictures of fireworks above the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as Australia in what is considered the extreme east of the globe welcomes New Year. However, three hours before Australia, the tiny islands of Oceania, including Tonga, Kiribati, and Samoa, already enter a new year.

4.30 pm Saturday: Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand

Fifteen minutes after the tiny Pacific Ocean island, Chatham Islands in New Zealand welcomes New Year at 3.45 pm. However, most of the island nation, including the cities of Wellington and Auckland, usher in 2023 at 4.30 pm.

6.30 pm Saturday: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra

It’s time for most parts of Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, to ring in 2023. However, a small part of the country, including Adelaide, welcomes the New Year half an hour later, at 7 pm. Brisbane in Queensland is another 30 minutes behind to usher in 2023 at 7.30 pm, even though it’s east of Sydney. Northern Territory of Australia, including Darwin and Alice Springs, is another half-hour behind, and welcomes the New Year only at 8 pm. Another 45 minutes later, Western Australia enters a new year at 8.45. And you thought entire Australia wishes “Happy New Year” with the Sydney fireworks? Nope!

Also read: How countries welcome New Year: 15 strange traditions around the world

8.30 pm Saturday: Tokyo, Seoul, Pyongyang

The Land of the Rising Sun is a whole five hours behind Oceania to welcome the first sun of the new year. Tokyo in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, and Pyongyang in North Korea welcome the New Year together at 8.30 pm India time.

9:30 pm Saturday: Beijing, Manila, Singapore

Cities like Beijing and Hong Kong in China, Manila in Philippines, and Singapore usher in 2023 two and a half hours before we do. Despite being a huge country, China has only one time zone, like India. Therefore, unlike Australia, which has several time zones, entire China welcomes New Year at the same time.

Midnight: Entire India, Sri Lanka

As the clock strikes 12, not only is it time for us in India to wish “Happy New Year,” so does Sri Lanka. Our neighbour Bangladesh is half an hour ahead of us, while Pakistan is half an hour behind us. Nepal is 15 minutes ahead of India time and they all welcome New Year accordingly.

1.30 am Sunday: Dubai, Abu Dhabi

Dubai ushers in the New Year with spectacular fireworks an hour and a half after we do. Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Port Louis do so at the same time.

2.30 am Sunday: Moscow, Baghdad, Nairobi

Along with Moscow (Russia) and Baghdad (Iraq) in west Asia, Nairobi (Kenya) in eastern Africa also welcomes the New Year at 2.30 am India time.

Also read: You can have up to 18 long weekends in 2023; plan your escapes now

4.30 am Sunday: Paris, Rome, Madrid

Most of Europe will welcome the New Year between 3.30 am and 5.30 am. While nations like Greece, Egypt, and South Africa will usher in 2023 at 3.30 am, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France will do so an hour later, at 4.30 am.

5.30 am Sunday: London

Countries such as The United Kingdom, Portugal, and Iceland in Europe usher in New Year the last on the continent, along with nations like Ghana in western Africa.

8:30 am Sunday: Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago

No matter their battle on the football field, most of Brazil and Argentina welcome New Year together, and that won’t be until 8.30 am Sunday India time.

10.30 am Sunday: New York, Washington DC

You are likely to be on or over your Sunday breakfast when the East Coast, including Big Apple and the seat of USA’s power, welcomes 2023. Like Australia, the USA has several time zones and the entire country welcomes New Year over several hours.

1:30 pm Sunday: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas

The West Coast, including LA and Vegas, welcomes New Year a good three hours behind the East Coast. And there are a couple of time zones in between and after these. American Samoa rings in New Year another three hours later, at 4.30 pm.

5:30 pm Sunday: Baker Island, Howland Island

The last to enter 2023 will be much of US Minor Outlying Islands, including Baker Island and Howland Island, in the Pacific Ocean. However, none of these are inhabited.