The New Year(1.庆祝活动) Around the WorldNew Year’s Day is one of the few universal(2.公共假日)in the world, when most people do not need to (3.上班). While some of us celebrate it only(4.一天一夜), for others it may be a long festival lasting for about one week. In the last 30 years businessmen have(5.借机)to promote more goods and to hold lots of (6.年底促销活动).(7.大多数人)would then take their time to go shopping (8.兴高采烈地).
The (1.习俗) for people in the world to celebrate the coming of the New Year also(2.因区域和文化不同而各异), (3.从…到…) watching fireworks to eating special foods. Some customs are very surprising or even(4.有趣), such as the Thai custom of(5.泼水)to each other, or the Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes as the clock (6.半夜12点敲响).
Many of these New Year’s customs are intended to bring good luck during the new year ahead. For example, several days before the New Year’s Day, Chinese people will begin to decorate the streets by(1.挂许多红灯笼和中国结). Families will(2. 大扫除)to their houses.All sorts of delicious foods will be prepared on the Eve for(3.)全家团聚to (4.迎接)the coming new year.
In the country of Colombia, burning “Mr. Old Year” is a New Year’s(1.习俗). It requires the(2.全家参与). It is a lot of fun; they create a big stuffed male doll that(3.代表旧年). Then they (4.塞入)the doll with a large choice of different materials. Sometimes they put some little(5.烟火)in it to make it more exciting at the time they burn it.