How people celebrate New Year in different countries

New Year is a holiday celebrated in the last day of the previous year and in the first day of the following one. New Year holidays is the time for the beautiful and kind fairy tale. The New Year celebration consists with happiness, hope, love and comfort. This night is for relatives' meetings to spend together in a cosy place.

New Year Day is one of the main holidays of the year. There are different traditions, festive events and of course tasty food. Usually you can see a Christmas Tree at home. It's a fur tree putting before Christmas time and decorating with balls, toys, lights, nuts, etc.

Now you'll read and see how people celebrate new year all around the world

Finland If you visit Finland during Christmas holidays you can see a lot of Christmas lights. All the windows, doors and trees shine with colourful lights.

In the town of Pietarsaari (Пиетарсаар) people In the town of make a huge decoration in Christmas Street every New year. The decoration consists of 3 figures: a cross (faith), a balance wheel (hope) and a heart (love). It is lighted with elecric bulbs.

Russia There are some New Year traditions: a Christmas Tree, a festive table and all the family around it. First Russian people say “goodbye” to the “old” year and talk with relatives and friends about it: what was good during that year.

What other New Year traditions do you know? (pictures can help you)

Great Britain In Great Britain people decorate their houses not only with a Christmas Tree but with the plant mistletoe (омела). The mistletoe hangs up on the lamps. There is a custom that you can kiss a person who is standing under the mistletoe.

Ireland In Ireland there is a tradition to open the doors of their houses on the New Year Eve to everyone coming. If you want to be the guest you're welcome. At 11. 30 pm all the Irish come out to meet on the central square. Usually the square is decorated with holiday lights. But the next day (the 1 st of January) everyone should spend at home.

Italy There is a custom in Italy to throw away old furniture out from the windows. Be careful when you walk under them. On the Christmas Eve people work only before lunch, then they go home to decorate Сhristmas Trees and prepare gifts. All the gifts are presented by the eldest woman in the family. She is called a benfine (бенфина).

Japan At night on the New Year in Japan you can hear the bell sound. It rings 108 times. Every stroke means different vices. There are greed (жадность), stupidity (глупость), anger (гнев), thoughtlessness (легкомыслие), indecision (нерешительность), envy (зависть).

France Per Noel (Santa Claus) comes into the houses and leaves the presents in the kid’s shoes. Adults cook a festive cake with a bean inside. The person who takes it out becomes the Bean King and can make orders to everyone at that night. Under the Christmas Tree you can find wooden or clay figures — santons(сантоны).

Sweden In Sweden children elect the Queen of Light Lucia by name before New Year. She is dressed into a white dress and put the crown with the lit candles on the head. Lucia brings presents to kids and treat to pets: cream for cats, bones for dogs, carrots for donkeys and horses.

Bulgaria In Bulgaria there is a funny New Year tradition. When people sit around the festive table, the light turns off for three minutes. These minutes are called as «New Year's minutes for kisses» .

Mexico The New Year comes to Mexico with dancing, fireworks and festive bells ringing. At midnight children are presented with tasty gingerbread men.

China In China people light a lot of lanterns (фонариков) to show the right way during the year. They also use many Christmas crackers (хлопушек)and fireworks to frighten the evils.

India In India people decorate themselves with pink, red, yellow and white colours. They have special rules how to present gifts. More than that they pour coloured water to each other to wash their sins (грехи) away.

Romania In Romania women bake New Year's pies with little «surprises» inside - coins, rings, or pods (стручки) of pepper. What does it mean?

Australia In Australia New Year begins in summer time. But people aren't sad. They use coloured fireworks at night. If you go to swim on the 1 st of January, be ready to meet Santa on the beach in Sydney.