The BBC has welcomed the start of 2026 with a New Year message highlighting celebrations in Tonga and New Zealand, placing the two Pacific nations among the first in the world to usher in the new year.
In its New Year coverage, the BBC carried the greeting, “‘May 2026 be filled with peace, hope, and blessing’:Tongans and New Zealanders welcome new year,” as Tonga entered the new year ahead of most countries due to its position near the International Date Line.
Across the Kingdom, the New Year was marked primarily through church services and family gatherings, reflecting Tonga’s deeply rooted Christian traditions.
Many congregations held late-night services to give thanks for the year that had passed and to seek God’s guidance and protection for the year ahead.
Fireworks also featured in Tonga’s celebrations to welcome the new year.
Families gathered in homes and villages throughout Tongatapu, Vavaʻu, Haʻapai, and ʻEua, welcoming 2026 in quiet observance rather than large public celebrations.
Messages shared among communities focused on peace, good health, and unity, particularly following recent years of social and economic challenges.
While celebrations in New Zealand were more visibly public, the broadcaster noted the contrast with Tonga’s faith-centred observances.
As one of the first nations to enter the new year, Tonga’s New Year moment was broadcast to international audiences, offering a glimpse of the Kingdom’s cultural and spiritual values at the very start of 2026.
