New Year`s Eve: When is it 2017 around the world?

  31 December 2016    Read: 2344
New Year`s Eve: When is it 2017 around the world?
New Year`s Eve is upon us. One final chance to let your hair down, celebrate surviving another rotation around the Sun and repeat your annual vow to one-day learn the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne.



From New York to London and Sydney to Dubai, cities across the world will be letting off fireworks to welcome 2017 on December 31. But with 24 different time zones, who celebrates when?



Did you know?

Tonga and Samoa in the Polynesian Triangle are among the first places in the world to see in the New Year with fireworks set to go off at 10am GMT on Saturday, December 31.

The last places on Earth to see in the New Year are minor outlying US islands like Baker Island and Howland Island - although these are uninhabited. The last inhabited island is American Samoa which will welcome 2017 when it`s 11am in London on January 1.

Sat 10:00 - Tonga, Samoa and Christmas Island/Kiribati
Sat 13:00 - Much of Australia
Sat 15:00 - Japan, South Korea, small parts of Russian and Indonesia
Sat 18:30 - India and Sri Lanka
Sat 20:00 - Azerbaijan and eight other countries including Armenia, UAE, Oman and the Seychelles
Sat 22:00 - Greece and 30 other countries, including South Africa, Syria, Finland and Latvia
Sat 23:00 - Germany and 43 other countries, including Norway, France, Italy and Tunisia
Sun 00:00 - UK and 26 other countries, including Morocco, Ghana and Ireland
Sun 04:00 - Small regions of Canada and 29 other countries including Bolivia, Venezuela and Barbados
Sun 06:00 - Large parts of the U.S and Central America
Sun 09:00 - Alaska/USA and regions of French Polynesia ​
Sun 12:00 - Much of US Minor Outlying Islands




What does Hogmany mean?

Hogmanay is the Scots word for December 31 in the Gregorian calendar, and is synonymous with New Year’s Eve celebrations in Scotland.

About 150,000 people are expected to attend Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh during three days of events to welcome in the new year.

Celebrations will begin with the Torchlight procession on December 30 – which last year saw 40,000 people walk through the Scottish capital – and continue through to the “Loony Dook” on New Year’s Day, during which hundreds of people in fancy dress plunge into the freezing River Forth.


Remind me of the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne.

We`ll tak a cup o` kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

And surely ye`ll be your pint stowp!

And surely I`ll be mine!

And we`ll tak a cup o`kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou`d the gowans fine;

But we`ve wander`d mony a weary fit,

Sin` auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl`d in the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar`d

Sin` auld lang syne.

And there`s a hand, my trusty fere!

And gie`s a hand o` thine!

And we`ll tak a right gude-willie waught,

For auld lang syne.

Strange New Year traditions

Red underwear, Turkey: What better way to bring luck to your loved ones than by wearing red underneath your New Year`s party outfit? The practice is especially popular in Turkey, where stalls selling red lingerie appear over the festive period and sell out fast.

Mass kissing, Venice: St Mark’s Square in Venice is known for holding not only a big firework display over the Basin of St Mark but for something far more unusual - a mass kiss-in.

Bear dances, Romania: Some Romanians celebrate new year by donning bear costumes and furs, and dancing from house to house, in an attempt to keep evil at bay.

Possum-dropping, America: In the town of Brasstown, North Carolina, a possum in a transparent box is lowered over a noisy crowd, in the world’s only known “possum-drop”. It reflects Brasstown’s claim to be “the possum capital of the world”. A lawsuit from an animal-rights group meant a fake possum has been used in previous years, but reports from this year state that a live creature will be used to see in 2016.

Graveyard camp, Chile: Locals in Talca, central Chile, like to see in the new year in the company of their dead relatives. Thought to have begun when a family broke in one year to be near their dead father, the town mayor now opens the graveyard after late-night mass and thousands sit surrounded by candles while classical music plays.

Cold swimming, UK: More than 1,500 people braved the icy water last year in Saundersfoot, Wales, to raise money in a charity swim - and some might even say the cold is perfect for curing a New Year’s Eve hangover. The "Loony Dook" - a traditional New Year`s Day swim - also takes place in the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

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