Happy New Year: This country will celebrate it first while these islands are the last to welcome 2018

As December inches towards the end, the world over is preparing to celebrate the end of 2017 and welcome 2018 with a bang.

However, different countries welcome the New Year at different times. So where does the clock strike 12 first and which country is the last to change their calendars? Here's a look.

Which country will welcome 2018 first?

While Australians are the first people to start off the global celebrations of the New Year, The Sun points out that three hours before the Sydney fireworks kick-off, a small island in the Pacific called Tonga welcomes the New Year first. It happens at 3:30 pm IST, 10 am in the UK and 5 am ET on December 31.

Which country rings in the New Year last?

A few small remote Islands near the US help the New Year to reach a full circle. The last places to greet the New Year are Baker Island and Howland Island – if people live there. The second last place to celebrate the New Year is American Samoa. Interesting to note that Samoa will ring in 2018 after about 25 hours Tonga welcomes the New Year.

So while Samoa will turn their calendars to January 1, Tonga will already be into January 2. The time difference makes it possible to countdown to 2018 twice, provided you catch a quick flight between the two countries.

What time does New Year arrive around the world? Using IST, GMT and ET, this is when the world will welcome in 2018: