How the New Year countdown works
- The big number shows the days left until New Year; the boxes below count down the hours, minutes and seconds live.
- Tap Share, Download card or Story size to post the countdown, or Copy link to send it.
- Open Change the event to count down to something else, such as a party or trip.
Counting down to the New Year
The countdown runs to midnight on 1 January in the time zone of the device it is shown on, so friends in different countries each see their own midnight. On New Year's Eve the seconds tick down to 00:00:00 and the page celebrates. Put it on a TV or laptop for a party: zoom in with your browser for a bigger display.
Kiribati's Line Islands (UTC+14) are the first inhabited places to welcome the new year, and Baker Island and Howland Island (UTC−12, uninhabited) the last, 26 hours later. Sydney's harbour fireworks are among the first big celebrations, about 11 hours before London and 16 hours before New York. If you are celebrating with someone abroad, convert their midnight with the time zone converter. Lunar New Year, Diwali (in some calendars) and Nowruz fall on different dates; see the related countdowns.
FAQ
What time zone does the countdown use?
Your device’s local time zone, so it hits zero at your local midnight.
Which country celebrates New Year first?
Kiribati (the Line Islands, UTC+14), followed by Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand.
Can I show it full screen?
Use your browser’s full-screen mode (F11 on Windows, Ctrl+Cmd+F on Mac) and zoom in.