Kiribati's Line Islands, located in the UTC+14 time zone, are the first places in the world to welcome the New Year, entering it while much of the rest of the globe is still in the previous day. This early celebration is due to Earth's time zones, which cause the New Year to progress westward over 26 hours. Uninhabited US Pacific islands in the UTC-12 zone are among the last to celebrate, highlighting the staggered nature of global New Year's observances.