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New Year
新年
Every country in the world celebrates the New Year
世界上每個國家都歡度新年，
but not everyone does it the same way.
但是形式各不相同。
The countries of the America and Europe welcome the New Year on January first.
歐美國家是在每年的 1月1日喜迎新年，
This practice began with the Romans. Julius Caesar,a Roman ruler,
這一習俗始于羅馬人.羅馬統治者儒略凱撒
changed the date of the New Year
將新年的日期
from the first day of March to the first day of January.
由原來的3月1日改為 1月1日。
In the Middle East, the New Year is when spring begins.
在中東地區,新年是在春天到來之際。
People in China celebrate it on Spring Festival,
中國人是在春節歡度新年，
which is the first day of their calendar based on the moon.
即陰歷年的第一天。
The Spring Festival usually comes between January 21 and February 19.
春節通常是在1月21日和2月19日之間來臨。
Rosh Hashana,which is the Jewish New Year,comes at the end of summer.
歲首節,即猶太人的新年,是在每年夏季末。
The Hindus in India celebrate the first day of each season,
印度人慶祝每一個季度的第一天，
so they have four New Years.
因此他們又四個新年。
In all of these cultures, there is a practice of making noise.
在這些不同文化背景中都有一個制造聲響的習俗。
People made noise in ancient times
人們在古時發出聲響
to drive away the evil spirits from the home.
目的是將惡魔趕出家門
Many people did it and still do it with fireworks.
許多人過去用,現在仍然用放鞭炮的方式來驅趕惡魔。
In Japan,
在日本，
people go from house to house making noise with drums and bamboo sticks.
人們走街串巷,用擊鼓即敲竹的方式制造聲響
Young people in Denmark
丹麥的年輕人，
throw broken pieces of jars or pots against the sides of friends' houses.
則用朝朋友家投擲甕壇瓦罐碎片的方式發出各種聲響。
In the United States many people stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve
在美國,許多人熬到午夜，
to watch the clock pass from one year to the next.
等待新年鐘聲的到來。
Friends often gather together at a party on New Year's Eve,
朋友們經常在除夕夜聚集在一起，
and when the New Year comes,
當新年到來時，
all ring bells,blow horns and whistles, sing and kiss each other.
人們敲鐘鳴號，吹口哨，唱歌，接吻擁抱。
