HASH POWER 7113
APIA, Samoa – Cheers erupted in the streets of Samoa on Sunday as New Year's Eve revelers on the South Pacific island nation greeted the start of 2012 with extra excitement: For once, they were the first in the world to welcome the new year, rather than the last.
The celebrations had really begun a full 24 hours earlier, when Samoa and neighboring Tokelau hopped across the international date line, skipping Friday and moving instantly from Thursday to Saturday. The time-jump revelry that began as 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 31 spilled into the night, with Samoans and tourists crowding around beaches and pools to toast the start of the new year.
The celebrations had really begun a full 24 hours earlier, when Samoa and neighboring Tokelau hopped across the international date line, skipping Friday and moving instantly from Thursday to Saturday. The time-jump revelry that began as 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 31 spilled into the night, with Samoans and tourists crowding around beaches and pools to toast the start of the new year.