10 Facts about New Year
Did you know that people toast the New Year at 38 different times during 26 hours around the globe? Here are ten fun facts while you wait for 2022.
Count down to 2022 with timeanddate.com.
©iStockphoto.com/Ark_Tui
10. New Decade — Or Just a New Year?
Was 2020 the beginning of a new decade, or did 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 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 2021, 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 2022.
5. Celebrate a Millisecond Earlier
The Earth has been spinning unusually fast, and days have become shorter lately. 2021 is predicted to be the shortest year in decades!
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. Celebrate with the World
About 25 percent of the world's population will enter 2022 at the same time when the clock reaches midnight in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Western Australia.
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 2021.