Kiribati traditionally hosts one of the world's earliest New Year's celebrations because of its position near the International Date Line.
Kiribati is an island country spread across the central Pacific Ocean. Its Line Islands, including Kiritimati, use UTC+14, the world's furthest-forward standard time zone. As a result, midnight arrives there before it reaches most other inhabited places.
Kiribati's position in the global calendar changed significantly in 1995, when the country shifted the date line around its eastern islands so that all of its territory would share the same calendar day. Before that change, the widely separated islands could be on different sides of the date line.
Newspapers and broadcasters often describe Kiribati as the first country to enter a new year, but the wording can be simplified. The country spans several time zones, and celebrations depend on the local island. Kiritimati is the particular Kiribati location most often associated with the earliest midnight.