The New Year is the time or day at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increases by one
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year falls on January 1, which was also the first day of the year in the original Julian and Roman calendars (after 153 BC)
It is a universal celebration that unfolds differently across the globe due to diverse time zones
New Year symbolizes fresh beginnings, marking the end of one chapter and the start of another
Different global time zones influence the time of the New Year celebration, creating a unique global celebration
It is first celebrated in Pacific Island nations like Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati, at 10 am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or 3:30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)
It is followed by New Zealand, Russia, Australia, Japan, China, Thailand, and all other countries
The uninhabited islands of Howland and Baker Island near the United States welcome the new year lastly, at 12 pm GMT, or 5:30 pm IST on January 1