Samoa Skips Friday, Wakes Up Saturday

TGI ... S? There was no Friday, Dec. 30, in Samoa, as residents went to bed on Thursday and woke up Saturday. Or, some did. The rest celebrated as fireworks overtook the sky and sirens blared, marking the tiny South Pacific island's jump into the future as it crossed west over the international date line. The shift, which neighboring Tokelau also made, syncs Samoa's time with that of key Asia-Pacific trading partners, reports the AP. Samoa's 186,000 citizens will have one less day to prep for New Year's Eve—they'll now celebrate it first in the world, rather than last. Click for more on what prodded the change. (More Samoa stories.)