Kiritimati is often described as the first inhabited place to celebrate the New Year each year.
Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is part of the Pacific nation of Kiribati. It lies in the Line Islands, which use UTC+14, the world's most advanced civil time zone. As a result, midnight arrives there before it reaches most other inhabited locations.
The island was moved to the UTC+14 side of the International Date Line in 1995, when Kiribati adjusted its time zones so that all of its islands would share the same calendar date. Before that change, the country was divided by the date line, creating practical difficulties for government and communication.
“First” claims depend on what is being counted. Kiritimati is a permanently inhabited island and a common answer in travel and time-zone references, while some uninhabited islands or small settlements may be mentioned in other rankings. The broader point is its position at the edge of the global calendar.