By Ihechi Enyinnaya
While the rest of the rest of the world are gearing up to welcome the ew year, three countries are already celebrating the New Year in style.
The Pacific Islands of Samoa, Tonga and Christmas Island/Kiribati, New Zealand and Australia have been the first countries in the world to welcome 2021.
Samoa celebrated the New Year in style with a stunning firework and light display in the country’s capital, Apia.
January 1 on the islands began at 10am GMT on December 31, but despite being only a one hour flight away from Samoa, the island of American Samoa is 25 hours behind and will be one of the last places to enter the New Year.
New Zealand and Australia followed as the clock ticks midnight when in the UK it is 11am.
The last place to welcome the New Year are the uninhabited Howland and Baker Islands, near the United States, at 12 pm GMT on January 1.
On the Government of Samoa’s Facebook page, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi wished its citizens well in a message of hope for the New Year.
The country also celebrated with a huge firework display in the capital city of Apia.
The South Pacific island kicks off 26 hours of countries across all time zones welcoming the New Year.