The plan to jump across the international dateline will take Samoa from being one of the last places to see the sun each day to being among the first.
The dateline — which runs through the middle of the Pacific — currently runs to the west of the island nation, meaning that it is 11 hours behind GMT and is one of the last places on Earth to see out the day.
Carols, prayers and a speech from Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in the last hour of Thursday, Dec. 29, will lead Samoa up to midnight and then straight into Saturday Dec. 31.
“In doing business with New Zealand and Australia, we’re losing out on two working days a week,” the premier said, explaining the change.
