10 New Year Facts
Did you know that people toast the New Year at 38 different times during the span of 26 hours around the world? Here are ten fun facts while you wait for 2021.
Count down to 2021 with timeanddate.com.
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10. New Decade — Or Just a New Year?
Was 2020 the beginning of a new decade, or does it start in 2021? This question pops up every 10 years, and the answer is that it all comes down to how we talk about time spans.
9. Get There First
Unless you are drifting around in your superyacht around the International Date Line, the Kiritimati atoll in Kiribati is the first bit of dry land to enter the New Year.
8. Toast at the Right Time
Our New Year Countdown tells you exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds there are left of 2020, so you can raise your glass at precisely the right time.
7. Celebrate 38 Times
There are 38 time zones, so New Year's Eve is celebrated at 38 different times. Follow the progress with our New Year World Map or the Multi Time Zone Countdown.
6. And Then Do It Again
If you live close to a time zone border, you can celebrate twice, first on the one with the earliest time, then cross the border and celebrate again. And if you cross the International Date Line to the east, you can party for another 24 hours. Have a look at the New Year Schedule to see when other locations will be entering 2021.
5. Celebrate a Millisecond Earlier
The Earth has been spinning unusually fast in 2020, so days have become shorter lately. As a result, this year is predicted to end about a millisecond early. Great news if you just can't wait to finally put 2020 behind you!
4. Stargaze Instead
No fireworks? The Quadrantid meteor shower is active around New Year's Eve, so you can also celebrate the new year with a natural fireworks display.
3. Make That Call
About 25 percent of the world's population will enter 2021 at the same time when the clock reaches midnight in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Western Australia. Use our International Dialing Codes Converter to call them.
2. Set Your Resolutions
Quit smoking? Exercise more? Use our Easy-Print PDF Calendar to add dates, events, and anniversaries. Our Date to Date Calculator helps you keep track of exactly how many days you have kept your resolution.
1. Get There Last
26 hours after the first bottle of bubbly pops, Baker Island toasts the New Year. Kiritimati, Kiribati is already into the second day of the year before Baker Island leaves 2020.