Samoa moved across the International Date Line in 2011 to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the same date as Australia.
At the end of 29 December 2011, Samoa skipped 30 December and moved directly to 31 December. The change shifted the country from the western side of the date line to the eastern side’s neighboring calendar position, effectively moving its civil time forward by one day. Samoa made the change to align its working week and business connections more closely with Australia, New Zealand, and other Asia-Pacific partners.
The switch meant that Samoa experienced a 23-hour day in the transition, because the omitted calendar date never occurred there. It also changed the timing of holidays, including New Year’s Eve.
This event is often simplified as Samoa “changing time zones,” but the key change was its position relative to the International Date Line and its legal calendar date. Tokelau made a related change at the same time.