The Trip played globetrotter and decided to give you a heads-up of the best places to be in when the clock strikes 12 and 2011 becomes part of our daily lives for the next 365 days

3 of the world's best spots to ring in 2011

The Trip played globetrotter and decided to give you a heads-up of the best places to be in when the clock strikes 12 and 2011 becomes part of our daily lives for the next 365 days

Kiritimati or Christmas Island
This island on the Pacific Ocean Atoll, in the northern Line Islands and part of the Republic of Kiribati. Kiritimati is the first inhabited place on earth to experience the New Year each year. Despite being 2,460 km east of the 180 Meridian, a 1995 realignment of the International Dateline by the Republic of Kiribati "moved" Kiritimati to west of the dateline.

People celebrate the New Year on Agbar Tower in Barcelona designed by
Jan Nouvelle. PIC/AFP

Barcelona, Spain
You've been forewarned -- don't miss your siesta, as Barcelona's all-night New Year's fiesta requires stamina and lungpower! The Spanish version of a ufffdo nuevo kicks off with family and friends indulging in sumptuous feasts and wine at a homes or restaurants. At the stroke of midnight, there is a frantic race to stuff your face with 12 good-luck grapes -- one for each stroke of midnight.

Concentrate on the task at hand and if you succeed in this favourite Spanish tradition, you're ensured a year of prosperity and good luck! Once the last one is downed, crowds spill out into the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas, drawn in pulsating music and revelry emanating from numerous bars and nightclubs.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh has to its honour one of the most unique and longstanding New Year's traditions, even having their own name for their celebration -- Hogmanay. A fireworks display and torchlight procession through Edinburgh are part of Scottish traditions that are still celebrated today, taking after pagan celebrations hundreds of years earlier.

Many Scots still practice "first footing," a tradition where the first person to enter your house in the New Year should be male and dark (it began as a Viking tradition when a blonde visitor usually meant trouble). The guest is also expected to bring a few presents, typically whiskey and shortbread.

The Hogmanay celebrations last three to four nights, with the torch procession kicking off the celebrations on December 30. Anyone can take part in any of these celebrations, with the torch procession beginning on High Street in the Old Town and ending at the Edinburgh meeting ground of Calton Hill. A massive fireworks display above the Edinburgh Castle rings in the New Year at midnight.