Samoa changed its time zone in 2011 so it could celebrate New Year before most of Asia.
On December 29, 2011, Samoa moved westward across the International Date Line, skipping December 30. Before the change, the country was among the last places in the world to enter a calendar date; afterward, it became one of the first. The switch placed Samoa on the same calendar side as major trading partners such as New Zealand and Australia.
The change was driven mainly by economic and business considerations. Samoa had been conducting much of its working week while partner countries were on their weekends, creating delays in communication and transactions. Moving the date line relationship gave the country more overlapping business days with those markets.
Samoa is often discussed alongside nearby American Samoa, but they do not share the same date after this change. That distinction is important in New Year discussions: two islands in the same region can enter the new year a full day apart.