What happens only once a year yet 24 times in a day? The New Year. No matter the language, the cultural background, or the geographic location, almost everyone rings in the New Year at midnight on December 31. So celebrate it time zone by time zone with some place-specific drinks and snacks. (And the requisite common-sense warning: Though we like a good cocktail as much as the next person, we do not actually advise that you drink all this alcohol in a 24-hour stretch.) Happy New Year!

Water

Start off slowly with a glass of water and a geography lesson: Kiribati is just to the west of the International Date Line.

Note for hair-splitters: There are actually more than 24 time zones, and at the two extremes of the Earth there is a 26-hour time difference. To simplify, we’ve left out the half-hour time zone increments and kept it to 26 hours. Plus, some people (primarily followers of the Orthodox Church) observe the Julian calendar, on which the New Year falls a week or two later.

Snacks for Your Travels

There’s a lot of booze here and not much sustenance. Consider supplementing with some of these treats.

• Chile-Lime Peanuts
• Honeyed Cashews with Kosher Salt
• Fried Chickpeas with Sage
• Spicy Cereal and Nut Mix
• Gourmet Trail Mix
• Soft Pretzel Rolls
• CHOW Bagel
• Sautéed Jalapeño and Aged Jack Grilled Cheese
• Parmigiano–Black Pepper Popcorn
• Black Sesame and Mustard Popcorn
• Spicy Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn
• Frenchified Popcorn

Drinks Around the World(cont.)

• Hour 0 - Kiribati

  Water

  Start off slowly with a glass of water and a geography lesson: Kiribati is just to the west of the International Date Line.
• Hour 1 - Tonga

  Kava Shake

  This kava drink is part hot cocoa, part coconut, part milk shake, and part psychotropic.
• Hour 2 - Antarctica

  Grog

  You’re at the South Pole! You’re an intrepid explorer, perhaps an Antarctic pirate! Drink some grog! Argh, matey!
• Hour 3 - Russia

  Vodka Shot

  Raise a chilled vodka shot to the Russians, who specialize in celebrating New Year’s—so much so that many of them do it twice (marking both the Julian and Georgian calendars).
• Hour 4 - Australia

  Beer

  You’ve celebrated Antarctic-style and Russian-style. Right now it’s summer Down Under—pop open a cold beer.
• Hour 5 - Japan

  Kinako Mochi

  Mochi is usually associated with dessert, but the Japanese make room for it at breakfast too, and it’s a New Year’s staple.
• Hour 6 - China

  Beer

  Crack one open and thank your host. That’s “xie xie” (“shay shay”) in Mandarin.
• Hour 7 - Vietnam

  Spiked Frozen Coffee Shots

  We riffed on the traditional Vietnamese or Thai sweetened coffee for these icy pops.
• Hour 8 - India

  East India Cocktail

  It’s not actually the Indian New Year for another half hour, but you won’t want to wait to start sipping this classic cocktail, a nod to the days of the Raj.
• Hour 9 - Uzbekistan

  Teatini

  The Uzbeks drink lots of tea and lots of vodka; we combined the two into a tea-flavored martini that the Uzbeks are unlikely to ever drink.
• Hour 10 - Oman

  Coffee

  You’ll need the caffeine to get through the next 14 hours. Yes, 14 hours.
• Hour 11 - Somalia

  Spiced Somalian Tea

  You clearly need another hour of sobering up. This delicately spiced tea will energize you while you take a breather from all that alcohol.
• Hour 12 - Turkey

  Raki

  Close your eyes and imagine yourself at a café in Istanbul sipping this anise-flavored brandy. If your head starts spinning, open your eyes immediately.
• Hour 13 - Belgium

  Beer

  Lambic, gueuze, Trappist, or saison? This country is known for its diversity of beers.
• Hour 14 - United Kingdom

  Welsh Rarebit Bites

  Beer-laced cheese spread on toasts? Yes, please.
• Hour 15 - Greenland

  Frozen Lambic Ice

  Make this frozen drink quickly, before global warming does away with all the ice. (By now you’re probably just drunk enough that this makes sense.)
• Hour 16 - Atlantic Ocean

  Water

  You’ve made it to the middle of nowhere. Now drink lots of water for the next hour.
• Hour 17 - Brazil

  Guava Batida

  Best known as the main ingredient in a Caipirinha, cachaça is equally delicious in this spiked, fruity, blended drink.
• Hour 18 - Chile

  Inca Trail

  It’s New Year’s in Chile now—that’s your cue to drink a pisco cocktail.
• Hour 19 - Ecuador

  Canelazo

  Warm shots of strong alcohol, spice, and citrus will give you the kick you need right about now.
• Hour 20 - Guatemala

  Passionista

  Guatemala makes aged rums on a par with Cuba. Try one out in this stiff tropical libation.
• Hour 21 - Mexico

  Paloma

  The Mexican equivalent of the gin and tonic, the Paloma has only two ingredients, plus a lime—which is about as complicated a drink as you can handle at this point.
• Hour 22 - Canada

  Bloody Caesar

  Don’t forget our compatriots to the north. Their take on the Bloody Mary is made with Clamato juice and a hint of horseradish.
• Hour 23 - Alaska

  Duck Fart

  After 23 hours of drinking, fart jokes are actually funny. A pousse-café—a fancy name for a layered drink—of Baileys Irish Cream, Crown Royal whiskey, and Kahlúa, this cocktail may be an acquired taste.
• Hour 24 - Hawaii

  Cheehu Cocktail

  Cheehu is Hawaiian Pidgin for “Whoo-hoo!” This drink combines lychees, rum, and guava juice. No paper umbrella necessary.
• Hour 25 - Samoa

  Big Spender

  Congratulations, you’ve made it around the world. Celebrate the New Year one final time with some bubbly dressed up with blood orange juice and tequila.
• Now go rest, drink lots of fluids, and don’t think about resolutions until your hangover is gone.