The timing of these celebrations varies across Africa, measured against London’s time zone. The United Kingdom follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Western European Time, during the winter months of December to February. From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, the UK observes British Summer Time (BST), which is UTC+1.
This temporal distinction highlights the diversity in New Year celebrations across African countries, each marking the moment at its unique hour.
Tuesday 20:00 – Mauritius and Seychelles; two countries in East Africa.
Tuesday 21:00 – Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda, Eritrea, Djibouti, Comoros and Some regions of South Africa
Tuesday 22:00 – Some other parts of South Africa, Egypt, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Libya, Much of democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Burundi, Namibia, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini
Tuesday 23:00 – Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Angola, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Gabon, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Regions of DR Congo, Congo, Western Sahara
Wednesday 00:00 – Ivory Coast, Burkina-Faso, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Guinea, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe
Wednesday 01:00 – Cabo Verde
The tradition of celebrating the New Year traces its origins to January 1, 153 BCE, in ancient Rome. Initially, Romans welcomed the New Year on March 1, but this shifted when Julius Caesar introduced a solar-based calendar in 46 BCE, establishing January 1 as the official start of the year. This practice spread throughout the Roman Empire and was later cemented globally with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582.
As the world prepares to bid farewell to 2024 and embrace the dawn of 2025, the sequential festivities across time zones highlight humanity’s profound interconnectedness. These celebrations are steep in cultures and traditions, embodying a shared sense of hope and anticipation for the opportunities the New Year promises.
