Samoa moved across the International Date Line in 2011, skipping December 30 to align its calendar with Australia and New Zealand.
At the end of December 29, 2011, Samoa advanced its clocks by 24 hours. The next calendar date was December 31, so December 30 did not occur in Samoa that year. The change moved the country from the eastern side of the International Date Line to the western side, effectively changing its relationship with the working week.
Samoan authorities said the shift would make business connections with Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia more practical. Before the change, Samoa shared fewer weekdays with those important economic partners. The decision also reversed a dating arrangement that had existed since 1892, when Samoa had moved to the other side of the line.
American Samoa, a separate territory, did not make the same change and remained on the earlier side of the date line. This is why the two Samoas can be a full day apart despite their geographical proximity.