Counting Down to 2026
Did you know that people toast the New Year at 38 different times during 26 hours around the globe? Here are ten fun facts while you wait for 2026.
10 things you might not know about New Year’s. Count down to 2026 with timeanddate.
©iStockphoto.com/Ark_Tui
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10. Get There First
Unless you are drifting around in your superyacht around the International Date Line, the people that live on the Kiritimati atoll in Kiribati are the first to bring in the New Year.
9. Toast at the Right Time
Our New Year Countdown tells you exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds there are left of 2026, so you can raise your glass at precisely the right time.
8. Celebrate 38 Times
There are 38 time zones at this time of year, so New Year’s Eve is celebrated at 38 different times. Follow the progress with our New Year World Map or the Multi Time Zone Countdown.
7. And Then Do It Again
If you live close to a time zone border, you can celebrate twice by crossing the border from east to west after midnight. And if you live near the International Date Line, you can relive New Year’s Eve in its entirety by crossing the line from west to east after midnight. Look at our New Year Schedule to see when other locations will be entering 2026.
6. Halfway There
When India enters 2026, half of the world’s population is already into the New Year. This is because a lot of people live in Asia.
5. Celebrate a Fraction of a Second Earlier
Once again, our planet notched up some unusually short days during 2025. Overall, Earth is expected to complete its 365 daily spins for this year quite a few milliseconds ahead of schedule.
4. Stargaze Instead
No fireworks? The Quadrantid meteor shower is active around New Year’s Eve, so you can also celebrate the new year with a natural fireworks display.
3. Celebrate with the World
About 25% of the world’s population will enter 2026 at the same time when the clock reaches midnight in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Western Australia.
2. Set Your Resolutions
Quit smoking? Exercise more? Use our Easy-Print PDF Calendar to add dates, events, and anniversaries. Our Date to Date Calculator helps you keep track of exactly how many days you have kept your resolution.
1. Get There Last
26 hours after the first bottle of bubbly popped, Baker Island toasts the New Year. Kiritimati, Kiribati is already into the second day of the year before Baker Island leaves 2023.