While in some countries Christmas is already celebrated, in this Pacific archipelago it is just beginning. Where is it located?
This December 24Like every year, millions of people around the world prepare to experience one of the most anticipated dates: Christmasa celebration marked by the traditionthe family unionthe faith and meetings with friends and loved ones. However, although the calendar marks the same date for everyone, Christmas does not arrive at the same time in every corner of the planet.
The reason is in the time zones and in the International Date Linewhich divide the world at different times of the day. Therefore, while in some countries Christmas carols are already heard, turkey dinners are shared and the skies are lit up with fireworks, in other places the wait it’s just beginning.
The chronological order indicates that the first territory to welcome Christmas is Kiribatian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to its geographical position and time zone UTC +14this country is the first every year to receive the December 25.
There, Christmas Eve arrives when in much of the world it is still December 24, making Kiribati the starting point of the global route of this festival.
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From the Pacific to the world: this is how Christmas progresses until it reaches Hawaii
But just as there is a first placethere is also one that marks the end of Christmas in the world. That site is Hawaii. While in Europe, Latin America and much of Asia the celebration is already advancing or even approaching its closure, in this Pacific archipelago Christmas is just beginning.
Hawaiiwhich is part of USAis located in the time zone UTC −10one of the most backward on the planet. This location makes the midnight of December 25 get there several hours later than in most countries, making it the last inhabited place in the world to officially receive Christmas.
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Although there are territories with a even further delayed time zonethese do not have a permanent population, so they are not usually included in this symbolic tour.
For this reason, Hawaii closes the global Christmas cyclemarking the last point where this important celebration begins.
Thus, while the entire world is connected through the same traditionChristmas advances east to westremembering that, although time and geography separate us, the christmas spirit It ends up reaching everyone, even those who receive it when the rest of the planet has already celebrated it.
