One Country Kicks Off Christmas, Another Celebrates a Full Day Later

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Christmas is celebrated around the world, but the timing varies depending on the location. The first country to celebrate Christmas is Kiribati, a Pacific island nation. Located just west of the International Date Line, Kiribati is one of the first places to welcome Christmas Day at 12:00 AM local time. In fact, Kiribati's Line Islands are among the first to enter the new day, starting Christmas celebrations several hours before many other parts of the world.

As the last country to celebrate Christmas, American Samoa holds the title. Situated just to the east of the International Date Line, American Samoa celebrates Christmas 24 hours after Kiribati. This time difference means that while Kiribati has already celebrated, American Samoa still has an entire day before Christmas arrives, making it the final place on Earth to mark the occasion.

As for Bahrain, the country will celebrate Christmas on December 25th, at midnight local time. Bahrain is in the Gulf Standard Time zone (UTC+3), meaning it will celebrate Christmas 11 hours after Kiribati and 13 hours before American Samoa. The global spread of time zones results in the beautiful, synchronized yet staggered celebration of Christmas across different regions, making it a global event enjoyed at different times, depending on where you are in the world.