What New Year’s Day marks
New Year’s Day is January 1, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory XIII introduced that calendar in 1582, and it is now the civil calendar in Canada and most of the world. Britain and its colonies adopted it in 1752; until then the legal year in England began on March 25, not on January 1.
In Canada it is a statutory holiday in every province and territory, so most schools, banks and offices are closed. Many people spend the day resting, visiting family or going for a walk. Others treat it as a starting line for resolutions, which is a good reason to keep a countdown running to the next one.
How the date is set
There is nothing to calculate: New Year’s Day is January 1 every year. Only the weekday changes, and that decides whether the holiday makes a long weekend. This page counts to the first moment of January 1 on your device’s clock, so the countdown ends at midnight wherever you happen to be.
The new year arrives in steps
Midnight does not reach everyone at once. The Line Islands of Kiribati, at UTC+14, see the new year first, and Baker Island, at UTC−12, is among the last, more than a day later. Canada has six standard time zones. The new year reaches Newfoundland first, half an hour before the Atlantic provinces, and the Pacific coast last, about four and a half hours after Newfoundland.
To count down to midnight in another city — to ring in the new year with someone overseas, say — use the countdown to any date, enter January 1 at 00:00 and choose that city’s time zone.
Planning the night
Hosting a party? The countdown timer works for the evening’s schedule, and the full-screen online clock is handy as midnight approaches. You can also put a countdown on your own site. The New Year’s Eve countdown ends a day earlier, and Christmas comes six days before that.
More countdowns
Need a different date? Use the countdown to any date or count up with time since a date.
Questions
What date is New Year’s Day this year?
New Year’s Day is always January 1. The countdown above always shows the next one, so it is right for the current year without you looking anything up. Only the weekday changes from year to year, which decides whether the holiday makes a long weekend.
Is New Year’s Day a statutory holiday in Alberta?
Yes. It is one of Alberta’s general holidays, and it is observed across Canada. How the holiday applies to you can depend on your job and employer, so check the rules that apply to your workplace.
Which place sees the new year first?
The Line Islands of Kiribati, at UTC+14, reach midnight first. In Canada, Newfoundland reaches it first, half an hour before the Atlantic provinces. To count to midnight in a specific city, use the countdown to any date and choose that city’s time zone.
What does the countdown show on January 1 itself?
On January 1 the page says it is today and tells you how far away the next one is. When the day is over, it switches to the following January 1 and starts counting down again, with no need to reload the page.