As we await the ball to drop in Times Square to bring in the New Year in the eastern United States, countries around the world have already celebrated the start to 2019.
One of the first countries to welcome the New Year is Samoa. Some of the U.S. territories in the Pacific, including Midway Island, are among the last places where the clock will strike midnight.
The fireworks have already gone off in places like Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
Here are some photos from New Year’s celebrations across the globe.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com