Khaberni - With the last hours of 2025 passing, countries around the world successively began welcoming the year 2026, in a recurring global scene where the East precedes the West due to time differences, with celebrations first kicking off in the Pacific region, before gradually extending to Asia and Europe, and then to the Americas.
As has been the tradition, the Australian city of Sydney was among the first major cities to announce the arrival of the new year, as fireworks lit up the sky over the famous harbor and Harbor Bridge, amid a large public attendance and global viewership, confirming its status as one of the most prominent symbols of New Year's celebrations globally.
As the clock hands moved westward, Tokyo entered the year 2026, where celebrations were characterized by cultural events and traditional rituals.
In Taiwan, the year 2026 was ushered in with light shows and fireworks around Taipei 101 tower, which is one of the city's most prominent landmarks, in massive celebrations.
In Beijing and major Chinese cities, the new year entered amid public celebration scenes, and notable activity in Southeast Asian cities such as Bangkok and Singapore, where central squares witnessed light shows and large crowds.
As midnight approached in the Indian subcontinent timezone, Indian cities welcomed the new year with atmospheres varying between folk celebrations and private gatherings.
As the hours advance towards the west, cities in the Gulf, Europe, and the Americas await the moment of entering the year 2026, as Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha prepare for midnight, while eyes turn to Paris, Berlin, Rome, and London as celebrants start gathering in public squares, with the atmosphere of anticipation later shifting to New York and other American cities, before Hawaii, American Samoa, and Samoa bid farewell to 2025 in the final stages of the new year globally.
