What are the customs of New Year's Day?

/bbs/printpage.asp?BoardID=104&ID=22196

New Year's Customs of Ethnic Minorities

Kirghiz - When the first month of the year appears, the Kyrgyz celebrate the "Noroz" festival, which is very similar to the Chinese New Year. During the festival, each family organizes the meal according to their own ability and treats each other to celebrate. On the night of the festival, when the herds of animals return from the pasture, every family felt house before the use of hyacinth grass to build a pile of fire, people first jumped from the top, and then the livestock jumped from the top, to signal the elimination of disasters and difficulties, and in the new year of the livestock and the two prosperous.

Buyi - at the end of the Lunar New Year on the lunar calendar, every family fumigates meat, enchants sausages, roasts wine, makes glutinous rice pudding, rice flowers, sews new clothes and handkerchiefs. On the twenty-third day of the Lunar New Year, the god of the stove is sent with malt candy and other fruits. They ask a gentleman to write couplets and put up door gods and New Year's paintings. On the evening of the 30th, the whole family sits around the fire, first offering sacrifices to the ancestors of heaven and earth, and then the whole family blesses each other, eats a reunion dinner, and observes the New Year's Eve all night long. At dawn on the first day of the New Year, the girls will be scrambling to the river to pick water, who is the first to pick back to the water, who is the most hardworking and happy people, but also as an omen of a good year. On the first day of the first day of the first day of the first day of the first month in the family tie colorful lanterns, night all lit, hanging in front of the door. After the first day, people began to visit the New Year. Young men and women meet to go to the "table" to express their love in song; or get together in the suona, Yueqin, Dongxiao, sister xiao, copper drums and other musical instruments accompanied by the sound of jumping "hit the flower bag". Some areas of the first month of the fifteenth after the New Year, the first month of the thirtieth also have a "small year".

Tujia - from the first two days before the first day of the first month, the first day called the big year, the second day for the small year. On New Year's Eve, each family burns a piece of firewood, and everyone sits around and listens to the old man's storytelling, keeping watch until dawn. During the festival, "red fish" is eaten to symbolize wealth and abundance, and a large pot of braised vegetables is eaten, which is called Hap Cai. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the "Hand Dance" is held, with as many as 10,000 participants. In addition, there are dragon lanterns, lion dance, lanterns, theater, martial arts and other activities.

The Zhuang - from the thirtieth to the second day of the first month, *** three days. All those who work outside are required to return home before the 30th. On the night of New Year's Eve, a fire should be lit on the family's fire pit, never extinguished, called "welcoming the new fire". On New Year's Eve, every family kills chickens and ducks, steams buckled meat, powders fine meat, and makes barbecued pork. There are eight dishes for dinner, including "white chopped chicken" and stewed whole chicken. All the families will keep the New Year's Eve until midnight, and go to bed after setting off firecrackers. The first day of the first month, the second day of the first month, where guests must eat zongzi, zongzi filling, by the peeled green beans, half-fat not thin meat mixed with the sauce made above. Men and women more than at this time on the song, or playing gyro, dancing, ball games, theater. On the night of the thirtieth of the year to cook the first day of the whole day of rice, to show that the next year to harvest. This rice is called "rice dumplings", some as long as feet, weighing five or six pounds. Favored during the festival to throw bags of flowers activities. Male and female youth each divided into a team, the two sides are about 50 meters away from each other, draw a line, throw each other, where the throw line or no next will be the loser.

The Dongxiang people - who like to play earth wars during the Spring Festival to show their love for the land that nurtures them. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, they hold the traditional activity of "hitting the earth". They use the earth as a "weapon", each other throw each other, this day, the old man will also be excited to run to the mountains and fields of the "battlefield" to show their skills.

The Dong people - early in the morning on the first day, from the pond to get a few big and fresh carp, fried, deep-fried, burned, stewed, on the table, plus a plate of fragrant pickled fish, the whole table dishes to fish. Dong family members say that eating fish in the Spring Festival is an omen of a new year of good fortune and prosperity (fish), a good harvest, and money and food. During the Spring Festival, a mountain-climbing competition is popular. Whoever climbs to the top first gets a gift from a girl or a boy. The girl presents her own embroidered Dong brocade, and the young man offers exquisite bamboo boxes and hats, an activity that often lasts as long as half a month.

Gelao -- The third day of the third month of the lunar calendar is the Spring Festival for the Gelao people. Because they live in a place with low temperatures, grasses and trees do not begin to sprout until March, when spring begins. At this time of the upcoming spring plowing busy, we get together to celebrate the New Year, *** with prayers to the ancestors, the mountain gods blessing, all things as expected, a good harvest. And because the Qingming Festival often falls around the beginning of March, so that the two festivals are celebrated together, so the day is designated as Gelao New Year, or Spring Festival. During the festival, young people from villages and cottages hold activities such as playing chicken feather, shuttlecock, flower dragon and eggs, accompanied by songs and dances, to enjoy themselves.

Kazakhs - the Spring Festival favorite "girls chase" activities. This activity is interesting and touching, but also a chic way for young men and women to express their love.

Jingpo people - the Spring Festival held "target shooting" competition. On the morning of the first day of the year, people gather on the field, the girls hang their embroidered purse on the top of the bamboo pole, the shooter shoots the purse hanging thin line counting sharpshooter, the girls will award the sharpshooter a bowl of sweet rice wine. The girls are the organizers and referees of this activity, and whichever young man wins, the girls will send the water wine to his mouth as a prize. During the Lunar New Year, every family brews water wine and toasts their elders.

Korean people -- every family puts up spring couplets, cooks all kinds of sumptuous meals, eats "eight treasures rice," and on New Year's Eve, the whole family observes the New Year's Eve all night long, playing the Gayageum and blowing the dongxiao. At dawn on the first day of the year, people put on their festive costumes to pay homage to their elders. During the festival, men, women, and children sing and dance, press the springboard, and tug of war. On the night of the 15th day of the first month, a traditional celebration is held, in which a few elderly people are elected to climb the wooden "Moon Watching Frame" and sing and dance to the long drums, tubular pipes and suona. Spring Festival, people dressed in costume, a pair of excitedly play teeter-totter, each other with a fall, who did a beautiful movement in the air, bouncing high, who is ahead of the winner.

Aqua - According to the aquatic calendar of the aqua, the twelfth day of the first month for the "end of the festival", that is, "New Year's Day" means. On the night of the festival, a party is held in the village where young men and women sing and dance to the sound of gongs and drums and suona. There are many types of gongs and drums used in the festival, the largest of which is more than one meter in diameter and weighs one to two hundred kilograms. The surface of the drums is painted with floral patterns and the drums are carved with reliefs, making them both folk music and handicrafts.

The Dai -- the second and third days, some villages will be held in the "Elephant's Foot Drum Competition", the contestants are excited, drumming non-stop, who moves beautifully, the drum sound is good that won the award. During the Spring Festival, young men and girls throw chaff bags at each other to see who can throw accurately and who can catch. Play to a certain time, the girls will quietly snatch the young man wearing a belt knife, head cloth or tethered horse, ran home. If the young man is in love, he will follow. Parents see their daughters with a head cloth, holding a horse back, they will host a feast. In addition, April 13 every year is the Dai New Year, but also the Dai people's grandest festival - Water Splashing Festival, they see the splashing of water as a symbol to drive away evil spirits, good luck and good fortune, but also regard this day as the most beautiful, most auspicious day.

The Dulong - year, generally held in the second half of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar every year, the specific date of each family by their own fortune-telling decisions, the length of the festival also depends on the preparation of the food more or less depending on. Due to the Dulong people do not have words, in the past to invite guests over the New Year's Day, you have to use carved wood or knotted rope as "invitations". After a family decided which day to celebrate the festival, they calculated how many days there were left for the festival, and if they carved wood to remember the day, they would carve a few frames on a special wooden board, with each frame representing a day, and then cut it into two halves, half of which they would keep and half of which they would give to their guests. Then they cut it into two halves, keeping half for themselves and giving half to their guests. Afterwards, both sides would cut off one frame for each day, and when the last frame was left, they would know that the next day was going to be a festival. If you use the knot rope to remember the day, how many days until the festival, how many knots, and then will be invited to give the knot rope to friends and relatives, keep one for yourself, every day to unravel a knot, unraveled to the last "knot", we will know that it is New Year's Eve.

The Hani people celebrate the New Year twice a year. The first is the October Festival and the second is the June Festival. The Hani calendar takes October as the first day of the year, which is the "big year". New Year's Day, people visit friends and relatives, marriage. During the "June Festival", people kill animals to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and carry out cultural and sports activities such as swinging, wrestling and singing songs. On New Year's Eve, women are busy making patties, and young men go to the mountains to cut bamboo and build swing sets. Both men and women, young and old, enjoy swinging in the Spring Festival.

Kado people (Hani tribe)--The Kado people in Xinping County, Yunnan Province, celebrate the New Year on the sixth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. Legend has it that in ancient times, brave Kado youths went out to fight in the war to resist foreign invasion, and left word on their way home that a new life would begin on whichever day they returned to their hometown. After the war, they did not return home until the sixth day of the new year because of the long journey. People in their hometown set this day as the beginning of a new year. At New Year's, they celebrate by killing pigs and slaughtering goats and dancing the big drum.

Pumi - the Pumi people in the highlands of northwestern Yunnan mostly take the sixth day of the Lunar New Year as the first day of the year, and on New Year's Eve, villages and cottages should set off firecrackers three times and blow the conch. Then the family reunion to eat glutinous rice.

The Lemo people (a term for the Bai people) - who mainly live in Bijiang County in Yunnan Province - have their own way of projecting the festivals, and the dates of the Spring Festival vary. For example, when the peach blossom buds, they call it March, and when the lacquer tree develops its leaves to about five inches, they call it May. As a result of this projection, there are thirteen months in a year, and the month of March is called the March Festival, which is equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han Chinese.

Kinuo - the Jinuo people in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, the sixth month of the lunar calendar as the New Year, the singers take turns to sing to each other, and if they lose, they leave a piece of cloth to wrap their heads, and then go to the next year. Every night during the New Year, the old men and women enjoy wine and food while jumping on the big drum, and young men and women take this time to talk about love and find their lovers.

The Han Chinese - on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people do not sweep the floor, do not splash water outside, do not go to the back door, do not scold the children, congratulate each other on an auspicious and wealthy New Year, all the best.

Manchu - when the New Year's Day is approaching, every family cleans the courtyard and puts up window grills, couplets and lucky charms. On the thirtieth day of the Lunar New Year, families erected six-meter-high lantern poles, from the first day of the year to the sixteenth, every day red lights hanging high. The New Year's Eve dumplings, pay attention to the pleats more good, son of time to cook dumplings, some wrapped in the inside of the copper coins, eaters have good luck. The Spring Festival to worship twice, once on the night of the New Year's Eve, for the resignation of the old year; the first day of the year to worship once again, to welcome the new year. Before the Spring Festival will also be held before the horse jumping camel jumping competitions. On the 15th day of the first month, there is a lantern festival. The family feast on the 30th day of the New Year is very sumptuous and grand. The staple food is glutinous rice flour or into the powder wrapped dumplings, roasted, bean buns, etc.; traditional New Year's Eve dishes are delicious blood sausage, boiled white meat and unique blanch white meat with pickles, and symbolize the auspiciousness of the fish dishes are more indispensable. Zi time to eat a meal to send the old and welcome the new fresh meat dumplings.

Oroqen - New Year's Eve, the family sat around, **** into dinner. Tasting mountain treasures, drinking wine, eat New Year's dinner. Young people salute and bow to the elders of the family and close relatives. At midnight, people hold birch bark boxes or iron boxes and circle the stables several times to pray for the prosperity of the six animals. On the first day of the year, people dressed in new clothes pay respect to each other. Young men and women get together to dance in a circle. There are hunting dance, "red fruit" dance, "black bear fighting" dance.

The Hezhen people--New Year's Eve, everyone is busy cooking, cutting windows, gluing lanterns. On the first day of the year, girls, women and children put on new clothes embroidered with cloud borders and go to friends and relatives to pay New Year's visits, and treat the guests with "fish feasts". The feast includes raw fish with a hot and sour taste, fried fish with a crispy flavor, and salmon roe. Folk poets present poems and tell stories. Women play the games of "touching the blind" and "throwing bones". Young people compete in skiing, skating, shooting at straw targets and pitching straw balls.

Mongolians - five nights to eat dumplings, firecrackers and the same as the Han. In addition, New Year's Eve to eat "hand meat", to show that the family reunion. Early morning of the first day of the evening to the elders of the "farewell wine", and then young men and women across the pike horse, riding string yurt, first to the elders kowtow to wish, and then drink and dance, and then string packet of men and women also take advantage of this opportunity to Ting line horse racing. New Year's Eve, the family sat around the fireplace in the package, in the toast to the elders "New Year's wine" after the roasted leg of lamb and boiled dumplings.

Naxi - the first month of spring people visit each other's relatives and friends, taking turns as a guest, young and middle-aged men to organize lanterns, and competitions with other villages. Cities and villages are organized lantern fair lantern fair program is performed in the national story: such as "Ah Nu Mei Jokes", "the birthday boy put deer", "social theater night pearl", "lion rolling embroidered ball", "phoenix dance" and so on.

Tibetan - New Year's Eve, held a grand "jumping god will", people wearing masks singing and dancing, to show that the old and welcome the new, to get rid of the evil blessings. During the Spring Festival, barley wine, ghee tea and pastries are used to entertain guests.

Yi - Spring Festival rally jumping "A fine jumping moon", some villages on the first day of the year to fetch water for cooking are undertaken by men, so that the women rest, in order to their labor for a year of condolences.

Miao - the Spring Festival called "Hakka year", every family kills pigs and goats, baked wine to beat the poi to celebrate the harvest in the hope that the next year of wind and rain, a good harvest. They also sing the "Spring Festival Song," with lyrics to the effect that they are thinking of spring, looking forward to spring, cherishing spring, and salvaging spring.

Bai people - Bai people from New Year's Eve began to worship each other, gifts. New Year's Eve Vigil. After midnight, young men and women compete to be the first to pick water to show their diligence. Early in the morning, the whole family drinks sugar water soaked with rice flowers to bless the sweet days. People visit places of interest in groups, or play dragon lanterns, dance lions and beat the whip.

Jing - the first day of the incense and candles to the well to burn worship, called "buy new water", Tibetan women on the first day of the day before dawn from the river back to the "auspicious water". Think the first day of the new water can bring the gospel and good luck, can keep a year of good luck.

The Qiang people -- every family to do a variety of fried flour calves, lambs, chickens and other offerings to ancestors and the gods of the sky, New Year's Day to drink smack wine, everyone sitting around the altar, by the longest one sings the "altar words", and then about two feet long wheat pipe from left to right, in turn smack drink.

Ewenki -- the first day of the first month, pay homage to each other, especially to their elders and relatives must go kowtow to pay homage on the first day. On the evening of the first day of the year, men and women gather in a larger house to have fun, usually by the elderly convene this entertainment party, by the women first began to dance or sing, and then everyone dances regardless of gender.

The Daur ethnic group--living on both sides of the Heilongjiang and Nenjiang rivers. New Year's Eve rice is yellow rice steamed cake, early in the morning on the first day of the first year, people who pay their respects to each other as soon as they enter the door to grab the rice cake, in order to pray for life to improve every year. On the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, women prepare breakfast and men burn incense and worship the gods, praying to the gods and God for a peaceful and fruitful year, and after worshipping the gods, they toast to the elders and kowtow to receive the old man's congratulations. After eating dumplings and putting on new clothes, close relatives of men and women gather together, led by the eldest old man, according to the seniority of various recreational activities.

Yao people - during the festival, people gather together to watch the interesting and chic "farming play". A person plays a cow, a person plays a plow farmer, a person plays a hoe farmer, the three dance and sing, to celebrate the agricultural harvest; young men and women gathered on the lawn around the village, blowing the reed-sheng, playing the moon zither, singing songs, looking for the man of their dreams. Every year in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the moon half of the festival is the Yao people's grandest festival - the Spring Festival, the moon half of the festival eve, families are busy, inside and outside the village is full of the sound of cattle horns and the sound of laughter.

Lahu--Every year, from the first to the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, it is the Lahu's "Janta" festival (Spring Festival in Lahu) in Yunnan. On New Year's Eve, every family will make glutinous rice poi, which symbolizes the sun, moon and stars, to sacrifice the sun, moon and stars, hoping for good weather and abundant harvests in the new year. From the first to the fourth days of the year, young men and women scramble to the spring to meet the new water, symbolizing purity and happiness, in order to be the first to get it. At the same time, with gifts to villages and villages, visit friends and relatives.

The alpine tribe--The alpine tribe in Taiwan has the custom of eating "Lunar New Year's Vegetables". This is also known as "mustard", and eating it is a sign of a long life. Some people add long vermicelli to the long life vegetables to symbolize longevity.

The Li ethnic group - in the Spring Festival, every family slaughters pigs and chickens, prepares delicious food and wine, and the whole family sits around to eat the "New Year's dinner", during which they sing the "New Year's greeting song". On the first or second day of the Lunar New Year, people hunt collectively, and the prey is given to the first shooter who hits the prey, and half of the rest is shared equally, and pregnant women can get two shares of the prey.

The Wa people - in addition to saying goodbye to each other for the first time in the New Year, they also give glutinous rice balls, sugar cane and plantain as a wish for harmony, sweetness and beauty of family life.

Tujia - At the family reunion dinner table, there must be lumps of meat and combined vegetables.

Uyghur - the annual feast food: rice, mutton, raisins, etc. made of "Pulo", flour, mutton, onions, etc. made of "Pitir Manda" (baozi), "Pitir Manda" (baozi), "Pitir Manda" (baozi), "Pitir Manda" (baozi), "Pitir Manda" (baozi). (buns) made of flour, mutton, onions, etc., "Gesi" (hand-held mutton) made of boned mutton, "Lanman" (stretched noodles) made of dough, and "Qu Quer" (spicy and sour) similar to Han Chinese wontons. and "Qu Quer", which is similar to the Chinese wontons, are also available. In addition, there are many kinds of traditional cakes and snacks, such as "Aisimsanza" (deep-fried noodle cake in a round plate), "Yaimaza" (deep-fried noodle cake in a lace), and "Bohusak" (deep-fried custard), "Shamu Posa" (deep-fried deep-fried noodle cake), "Kayikka" (colorful deep-fried food) and so on.

The Brown people - during the Spring Festival to carry out ball activities, lively and interesting. Participants form a circle, first by a person will be a small ball made of bamboo pieces up in the air, and then in order to catch the ball, and with the palms of their hands to the ball into the air, can not catch the ball of the person to be penalized for singing a song.

New Year's Taboos

The saying goes, "At the beginning of the new year, at the end of the old year," meaning that the most important days of the year are "New Year's Eve" and "Spring Festival," so it's important to be particular about what you say and do on New Year's Eve. The Chinese hope that the beginning of the year will be a good one and that everything will go well and there will be a good omen.

There are many taboos in the Spring Festival period, mainly to ensure peace and prosperity in the coming year, women are not allowed to go out on the day of the Spring Festival to pay homage to the New Year, which is called "Jiemen", daughters married out of the even more can not go home, if you go back to your mother's home in the New Year will eat poor mother's family. Children are not allowed to cry, not allowed to say unlucky words, but also can not fight with others, the offense will make the year is not smooth. You are not allowed to break the furniture in the New Year, because breaking it is an omen of bankruptcy, and you have to quickly say "peace in the year" or "blossom on the ground, wealth and honor". No matter what kind of sickness you have, you are not allowed to call a doctor, because if you do, you will be sick for the rest of the year. The first to the fourth may not move the knife (the main murder), needle (the main long needle eye), shear (the main verbal dispute), and can not sweep the floor, sweeping the floor will be all the wealth swept away. Chinese New Year day may not eat thin rice, otherwise the year, when traveling will certainly encounter rain.

Some of the taboos from the first day to the first ten: the first day: chicken day - the old days in the New Year's Day stickers chicken to ward off evil spirits and pray for good luck (chicken resonance auspicious "ji").

The second day: the dog day - go out to pay homage to the New Year or ancestors.

The third day of the month: the day of the sheep - "red mouth", prone to quarrels, not suitable for New Year's Eve, "field birthday", "grain birthday", sacrifices to the field.

The fourth day of the month: Pig Day - to sacrifice to the God of Wealth. If the boss wants to "fire" someone, he should not invite him to worship the God.

Christmas 5: Ox Day - "break the fifth", can break many taboos, "send the poor five": the garbage from the first to the fourth can not be dumped, lest pouring "wealth", the garbage on the fifth is regarded as "poor soil", dumping it will "send the poor out".

On the birthday of the God of Wealth, it is customary to receive the God of Wealth.

The sixth day of the month: Horse Day - the day of "sending off the God of Wealth". The paper horses sent to the God of Wealth on New Year's Eve are burned, and stores begin to resume business.

The seventh day of the month: Man Day - the birthday of man, and the custom of gathering to eat and drink, as well as setting off firecrackers and fireworks and starting fireworks, is the "Birthday of the Fire".

The eighth day of the month: Gokuji - the day when the stars come down to the world, and therefore star offerings are made, and temples often set up altars on this day to offer the stars and receive alms.

The ninth day of the first month: the birthday of the Heavenly Master - the birth of the Jade Emperor, a grand festival is held.

The tenth: the stone birthday - all the mill, pestle, mill and other stone utensils are taboo to move, called "ten (stone) do not move", and even burn incense to worship stone utensils.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

/showinfo.php?id= 119624

New Year's Day Customs in Various Countries

A new year always brings good wishes to people. On this day of old and new, people from all over the world welcome the New Year in their own unique and distinctive ways.

Britain: The day before New Year's Day, every family must have wine in the bottle and meat in the cupboard. The British believe that if there is no meat and wine left over, they will be poor in the coming year. In addition, the British are also popular New Year's "well water" custom, people are fighting to be the first to go to the water, that the first water for the happy people, hit the water is auspicious water. British late at night on New Year's Eve, often with cakes and wine out to visit, they do not knock on the door, they walked straight into the home of friends and relatives. According to English custom, after the thousandth night of New Year's Eve, the person who steps into the house with the first foot heralds the luck of the new year. If the first guest is a dark-haired man, or a happy, happy and wealthy person, the host will be lucky all year round. If the first guest is a woman with light yellow hair, or a sad, poor, unfortunate person, the host will have bad luck in the new year, and will encounter difficulties and disasters. New Year's Eve in the home of friends and family guests, before talking to the fireplace before the fire, to rattle the fire, wish the host "open the door to good luck. In some areas of the British Midlands, New Year's morning out, regardless of acquaintances or strangers, will send each other copper, they believe that this, not only the other side of a year of fortune, but also will bring their own luck.

India: India's New Year's Day is known as "crying New Year's Day", "fasting New Year's Day". On the first day of the New Year, no one is allowed to be angry with anyone, let alone lose their temper. In some places, not only do not celebrate the New Year, but also hugged each other and cried. They believe that once New Year's Day begins, the years will pass easily - life is short - and they express their lamentation by crying. In some areas, people welcome the new year by fasting for a day and a night, from the early hours of New Year's Day until midnight.

MONGOLIA: With the arrival of the new year, elderly Mongolians dress up as shepherds, wearing plush leather jackets, a leather cap and a whip in their hands, which they keep snapping in the air as a blessing to ward off evil spirits.

Brazil: Brazilians on New Year's Day, held high torches, swarming mountain climbing. People scramble to find the golden birch fruit that symbolizes happiness. Only those who defy the odds can find this rare fruit. They call it the "search for happiness". In Brazil, there is a unique custom in the countryside -- that is, to pull each other's ears, people meet on New Year's Day, must pull each other's ears, to express blessings.

Pakistan: on New Year's Day, Pakistani people run out of the door with red powder in each hand, see friends and relatives, said the new happy, they will be coated with red powder on each other's foreheads, in order to celebrate the New Year's good luck.

Afghanistan: residents in the northern region of Afghanistan, every New Year's Day will be held in a fierce goat race to celebrate. Two teams of riders compete for the prey, and the race is both intense and festive.

Argentina: Argentines believe that water is the most sacred. On New Year's Day every year, families of young and old in groups to the river to wash the "New Year's bath" to wash away all the dirt on the body.

Mexico: Mexico, some areas of the people in the New Year is prohibited to laugh, they are a year *** divided into 18 months, 20 days a month, the last 5 days of the year are not allowed to laugh.

Bulgaria: New Year's Day meal, who sneezes who is allowed to bring happiness to the whole family, the head of the family will be the first sheep, cows or foals promised to him, in order to wish him to bring happiness to the whole family.

Paraguay: The Paraguayans have designated the last five days of the year as "Cold Food Days". During these five days, the heads of state, down to the ordinary people, can not move fireworks, only eat cold food, until New Year's Day, can not make a fire to cook, to celebrate the festivities.

Scotland: Scottish people on New Year's Eve, households will put some money in front of the door, unguarded, thieves and beggars in the evening, saw also not move a bit. Because of local customs, the eve of the New Year, the first money outside the door, the next day, the New Year's Eve, early in the morning when you open the door, you will see the door with money, to take its "wealth at first sight," the meaning of.

Spain: Spaniards in the new year and the eve of all family members are gathered together to celebrate with music and games. When midnight comes, the clock at twelve o'clock just started to ring the first ring, everyone will compete to eat grapes. If a person can eat 12 grapes according to the bell, he or she symbolizes that everything will go well in every month of the New Year. On New Year's Day, it is most taboo for children to curse, fight and cry, as these phenomena are considered bad omens. Therefore, on New Year's Day, adults always try to meet all the requirements of children. At the same time, this day people must carry a gold or copper coin to show good luck.

Belgium: In Belgium, on the morning of New Year's Day, the first thing to do in the countryside is to pay tribute to the animals. People go to cows, horses, sheep, dogs, cats and other animals, and fancifully to these living beings through: "Happy New Year!"

Turkey: In Turkey, on New Year's Eve, everyone takes a bath and puts on new clothes, which they believe will remove the bad luck of the past year and welcome the new year and good luck in the coming year.

Argentina: New Year's Day, families have to go to the river for the "New Year's Bath". Before entering the water, the first collection of flowers scattered on the surface of the river, and then, everyone jumped into the water to enjoy the bath, while using the petals to rub the body, in this country, the water is regarded as "holy" things.

Cuba: the night before New Year's Day, each person to prepare a bowl of water, hear the New Year's bell ringing, everyone quickly splash the water to the street, meaning "in addition to the New Year"

Colombia: the eve of the New Year's Day, the streets are made of very large puppets -- "the old year". "old year", and announced the "last words of the old year", "last words" of the content of the funny and interesting, to win people happy, at midnight will be "puppets "

Japan's last words of the old year were announced, and the content of the last words was funny and interesting to make people happy, and the puppet was blown up at midnight, and people sang and danced and celebrated with each other in the sound of the explosion that crushed the old year puppet.

Japan: Japanese people in the early morning of New Year's Day, the family went out to meet the rising sun, and then go to the shrine to worship, or to each other to friends and relatives to say hello. They call New Year's Day "Shoichi". On this day, they have a rich breakfast of sugar carrots, buckwheat noodles, and soba noodles, and drink Tusu wine. After that, they eat vegetarian food for three days to show piety and pray for good luck in the coming year.

Thailand: Thailand's traditional New Year, that is, "Songkran" ("Songkran" is the translation of the Sanskrit language), also known as the "Water Festival", the festival, people sprinkle each other with water. During the festival, people sprinkle water on each other and wish their elders a long and healthy life and their friends and relatives a lucky New Year with smiles on their faces. Unmarried young men and women use water to express their love for each other. Thai people on the first day of the new year in the window sill, the door put a pot of water, pray for the new year, the wind and rain.

Germany: Germans in the New Year's Day, every family should be set up a fir tree and horizontal tree, the leaves of the tree tied full of silk flowers, said the flowers like brocade, spring full of people. They are in the midnight of New Year's Eve New Year's Day before the moment, climbed to the chair, the bell rang, they jumped out of the chair, and will be a heavy weight thrown behind the chair back, to show that throw off the scourge of the New Year, jump into the New Year. In the German countryside also circulated a New Year's custom - "climb a tree race", to show that step by step.

Egypt: Egyptians take the day of the Nile River as the beginning of the new year, called "New Year's Day". In some parts of Egypt, on New Year's Day, grains of crops such as soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat, as well as small shoots of green plants, are offered to symbolize abundance. The more you offer to the gods, the more harvests you'll have on New Year's Day.

North Korea: Like China, North Korea also has the custom of putting up window flowers and peach symbols on New Year's Day to pray for heaven's blessing, drive away ghosts and monsters and bestow happiness. At dawn on New Year's Day, people stuffed some banknotes into pre-tied scarecrows and threw them to the crossroads, indicating that they sent away the evil and greeted the lucky and fortunate stars. At dusk, people burn the hair of the whole family that has fallen off during the year, wishing the family peace in all seasons. During the new year, the north Korean people in addition to enjoy the wine and food, but also must do a kind of glutinous rice with pine nuts, chestnut powder, date paste and honey, steamed into our country's eight treasures similar to the sweet rice to eat, in order to herald the family's prosperous days as sweet as honey.

Singapore: Lunar New Year's Eve, the children have the habit of observing the New Year's Eve until midnight to be parents to worship the gods and ancestors after the end of the activities can go to bed, the next day early in the morning is to get up early, happy from the elders to take the "red packet" (the New Year's Eve money) to see the dragon dance, lion dance team along the street, men and women dressed in festive costumes, bring gifts to visit relatives and friends. Men, women and children dressed in festive costumes, bring gifts to visit friends and relatives, everyone's face is filled with a festive atmosphere. On New Year's Day, people love to eat sweet rice cakes made of fried glutinous rice and brown sugar.

Italy: New Year's Eve in Italy is a night of revelry, when the night begins to fall, thousands of people flock to the streets, lighting firecrackers and fireworks, and even firing live ammunition. Men and women dance until midnight. Families pack up their old belongings and smash anything that can be broken in the house. Old pots, bottles and jars are thrown out the door to show that they are rid of bad luck and worries, which is their traditional way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new one.

Iran: The Islamic calendar is practiced in Iran, and its seasons and months are not fixed. In Iran, to celebrate the New Year is to celebrate the arrival of spring, often in late March of the calendar, New Year's Day to be celebrated for a week. People flock to the streets to build "bonfires" - "night fire", and then the whole family in turn from the night fire jumping around, indicating that the burning away of "bad luck "and usher in the light to drive away evil spirits and diseases, and happiness lasts forever. New Year's Eve to eat "seven dishes", the name of each dish should start with the letter "S", for good luck. From the first to the third day of the New Year, people visit friends and relatives to wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the New Year, the whole family goes on a trek to avoid evil.

France: Celebrate the New Year with wine, people start to drink from New Year's Eve until January 3 to end. The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day is a sign of the new year. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, they go out on the street to look at the wind to divine: blowing the south wind, the omen of wind and rain, the year will be safe and hot; blowing the west wind, there is a fishing and milking the harvest; blowing the east wind, the fruit will be high yield; blowing the north wind, it is a bad year.

Switzerland: the Swiss have the habit of working out on New Year's Day, and some of them go hiking in groups and stand