Samoa becomes first country to celebrate new year

Samoa has become the first country to celebrate 2018 as midnight struck on the islands.

The most interesting thing about the New Year in Samoa is the fact that one can take an hour's flight to American Samoa, which is on the other side of the dateline, and celebrate the New Year twice, twelve hours later as it is one of the last places to hit midnight.

Often, Samoans and visitors to the country celebrate with fireworks and traditional juggling and dancing.

People visit from all over the globe in order to be the first to see the New Year.

In 2011, officials in Samoa decided to move from the eastern side of the international date line to the western side, making it the first country to celebrate the New Year instead of the last.

This put the Pacific island nation on the same weekday as its neighbours to the west, including Australia and New Zealand, and was aimed at making trade with the countries easier and boosting the economy.