For those of us in the U. S., New Year’s Eve culminates with the ball dropping in Times Square or with a firework show in New Orleans at midnight. Although we recognize the hour difference between Central time zone and New York City, we don’t often think about how vast the time differences all across the globe are. However, when we are celebrating the start of a New Year here, some places across the world are already half way into their first day of the new year. In fact, there are approximately 17 different time zones entering the future one hour at a time.

From the first country to ring in the New Year to the last, each one has unique traditions to usher in the new year. So, on Dec. 31, start celebrating the New Year way before midnight and maybe even borrow a few traditions from other countries. Whether you wear white clothes with colorful underwear, sleep with a mistletoe underneath your pillow, splash water on your friends, smash a pomegranate at midnight, or write a haiku about the first of the year, celebrate the New Year with traditions from around the world:

1. Samoa, Kiribati

Being the first to celebrate the New Year is actually one of the major tourist attractions of Samoa. However, that wasn't always the case. The South Pacific island was actually one of the last to celebrate the New Year due to its being the last to see the sunset, until 2011 when they wiped an entire day off the calendar in order to align the country with their Asian trading partners. Ever since then, Samoa has become the very first inhabited place on earth to welcome the New Year.

2. New Zealand

New Zealand does it right; the country's inhabitants are among the most spirited when it comes to celebrating the New Year. A majority of the thousands of different parties that happen in New Zealand every New Year are under the open sky and most include music and dance shows. Some choose to celebrate New Year's by going on an adventure, as a way to let go of the troubles of the past and move forward into the future. Common ones include heli-biking, heli-fishing, mountain biking and tower climbing. Many make the journey to Gisborne, as that is the first place you can see the sun come up on the first new day of the year.

3. Russia

Russia likes to do things their own way, so they celebrate New Year on Jan. 1, instead of on New Year's Eve. Their biggest celebration happens in Kremlin, where over 50,000 people gather to celebrate the New Year with the giant New Year 'Novogodnaya Yolka’ tree, an address from the president, and the chiming of the clock in Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower. Most families prepare a traditional meal of meat and potatoes, Borsch, shchi, Pirozhki, Blini, and, of course, plenty of Vodka.

4. Australia

As one of the first major cities to celebrate the New Year, Sydney, Australia stuns the entire world every year with their incredible firework display in Sydney Harbour. Over a million people attend, almost always including many famous celebrities. Although the fireworks are the main focus of the night, Sydney Harbour continues to participate in the Aboriginal tradition of a smoking ceremony, which cleanses the harbour of all negative spirits from the previous year with eucalyptus smoke. However, when midnight approaches, over a million voices from every person in attendance rise together to count down the final seconds of the year, ending with the grand finale of the fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

5. Japan

For Japan, New Year's is a time full of many traditions, ranging from cuisine to postcards to haiku. Japanese fare is extremely important, and some food is considered taboo to eat around New Year's, for example osechi. It is considered bad luck. Some food is specially prepared for the occasion, such as creating and then eating mochi, a type of rice cake. Boiled seaweed, fish cakes, sweetened black soybeans, and mashed sweet potato are also traditional New Year's meals. However, food isn't the only tradition common on New Year's. Many families send New Year's cards out to family and friends, much like our Christmas cards. Also, it is custom to give children money in decorated envelopes and to write poetry about firsts, such as first dreams, first day, and first light. The day culminates with the bell ringing, which happens at midnight, when Buddhist temples all over Japan ring the bell 108 times to get rid of the 108 human sins. In Tokyo, the Watched Bell Night is the major attraction as the giant bell rings 107 times on Dec. 31 to rid them of the previous year's sins and then once after midnight to start off the New Year right.

6. North Korea

Like Russia, North Korea celebrates New Year's on Jan.1, instead of Dec. 31, but they also continue the celebration into Jan. 2. On Jan. 1, they have traditional fireworks in Pyongyang, usually preceded by a speech from Kim Jong-un. Most North Koreans celebrate New Year's with a traditional meal and playing board games.

7. China

China celebrates the New Year not just for one, not for two, but for 15 days. Although the main celebration falls on New Year's Eve, there are different traditions associated with all fifteen days of the New Year. Most people get off work for the first five days of the New Year, and even when they go back to work, there are usually dancing dragons (signifying good luck and prosperity) in office buildings and work places. On the fifth day of the New Year, people set off firecrackers, as it was traditionally believed that the gods of prosperity came down on the fifth day. On the fifteenth and last day, there is the Festival of Lanterns, which are lit all throughout the streets.

8. Thailand

The New Year in Thailand is called the Rites of Songkran and isn't celebrated until April 13. However, their traditions may be worth bringing into our New Year. The most famous is the splashing of water, which symbolizes the cleansing and renewal of the New Year. Although it began as a sacred event with Jasmine-petal scented water, it is more common now for people to just splash water on each other as a lighthearted celebration. Another rite is when people tie strings across their friends and families wrists, while reciting good blessings for the New Year. Many people will have 20 to 30 strings tied around their arm by the end of the day.

9. Burma

In 2013, Burma publicly celebrated New Year's Eve for the first time. Although their New Year falls in April as it does in Thailand, many people celebrated New Year's Eve along with the rest of the world, but were forced to do it in private as public gatherings of celebration were banned under their military regime. So in 2013, the world watched as Burma celebrated New Year's Eve with light shows, music, and fireworks for the first time.

10. Nepal

Traditionally, Nepal ushers in the New Year in April, along with Burma and Thailand. On Dec. 31 though, some people, usually younger and less traditional, do celebrate the New Year with all of the usual Western traditions of fireworks and drinking. However, in April, the Nepalese have several unique ways of bringing in the New Year. Many people begin by going to the temple to worship and pray for blessings on the New Year, and later there is a 21 guns salute by the Nepalese army in Kathmandu. Perhaps the most interesting tradition is the flower in the Sailesh Gardens in Siraha that blooms only on New Years. Thousands of people come from all over Nepal to see the flower that blooms during the night of the New Year and then disappears the very next day.

11. India

For India, New Year's Eve is a party. Whether at the beaches in Goa or the hills of Manali, India celebrates with food, alcoholic beverages, music, fireworks, and dancing. The beaches are one of the more popular places to party, and Goa, Puducherry, and Gokarna are all popular tourist and local beach destinations for the New Year.

12. Greece

Traditionally, the New Year's Eve day celebrations begins when children or families go door to door and sing carols to wish good luck and bless the house. Families celebrate together by playing cards or other games until midnight. Before the clock strikes, the entire family goes outside and a pomegranate is given to the family member considered the luckiest. The person then smashes the pomegranate on the ground as the New Year begins at midnight; the more seeds that come out the better. As they re-enter the house, the lucky person goes first, using their right foot to step back into the house.

13. France

In France, New Year's Eve is a quieter celebration than in many other countries, as fireworks have been banned for a few years. Le Reveillon is the traditional New Year's Eve dinner that families partake of together. Many French people give money to those in service industries such as the mail person, concierge, garbage collectors, and fireman. At the stroke of midnight, everyone goes around kissing each other on each cheek.

14. Ireland

Among some of the most superstitious people in the world, the Irish have several traditions that bring in the New Year with good luck. To begin, many Irish clean their house from top to bottom to start the New Year in order to have a fresh start. Of great importance is who walks into the house first on New Years Day; if it is a tall, dark-haired man, the year is supposedly full of good luck, but if a red-haired girl walks in first, the year is bound to be full of grief and hardship. However, the best tradition is the mistletoe that the single Irish hang over their doorstep to welcome in a significant other in the coming year. Many women sleep with this mistletoe under their pillow so they can dream of their future spouse.

15. Brazil

The beaches call many Brazilians to the shores on New Year's Eve to participate in the lemanju ritual, where offerings are given to the Goddess of the Water, a mythical, gorgeous woman who rises out of the sea as the feminine principle of creation. Offerings consist of white flowers, jewelry, rice, perfume, mirrors, and floating candles into the ocean. All Brazilians wear white on New Year's to symbolize peace, but are able to add their own twist with colorful underwear, with blue symbolizing harmony, red for romance, and green for health.

16. Mexico

Mexico celebrates with everything ranging from fireworks to traditional Mayan rituals. At midnight, 12 grapes are eaten with each ring of the clock. Lentils are spread around the doorstep as a symbol of abundance. Fire is involved in many of the Mayan rituals as it is supposed to purify the previous year and enter in the new one with a fresh start.

17. Canada

Ice fishing and polar bear dives are popular traditions of the New Year. Some Canadians go ice fishing all throughout the night on New Year's Eve and spend the next day recovering and resting. Picnics are often prepared to consume while watching the firework displays that happen all across the country.