Happy New Year!

New Year is the first day of a new year.

The old year ends at midnight.

When the old year ends a new year begins.

There are fireworks when a new year starts.

Houses are cleaned to begin a new year.

People hope for good luck in the new year.

Many big cities have fireworks for the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, at midnight when the new year begins, the sky lights up with a beautiful fireworks show. The fireworks in Sydney and London are very famous.

In most countries, a year ends on 31st December and a new year begins on 1st January, but in some countries the day when a new year begins is decided by the full moon so it is a different day each year.

At midnight the fireworks welcome the New Year - photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

Chinese New Year is celebrated in January or February most years. It is called the Lantern Festival. Red lanterns are lit for the festival, which lasts for 15 days. The most important times are New Year’s Day and the night before, which is New Year's Eve. There are different things to do on each of the days, such as cleaning the house, thanking the gods for a good year and praying for a good one next year, saying prayers for family members who have died. The 10^th, 11^th and 12^th days are for feasting with friends and family, so on the 13^th day very simple food is eaten. On New Year's Eve, there are parties and feasting. Next morning, people give each other red envelopes with money inside.

Photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

In Vietnam, New Year is called Tet, and it is often on the same day as Chinese New Year. All the houses are cleaned and decorated, and all bills are paid. Every day prayers are said. The first person to come into your house in the new year brings good luck. On the first day of Tet people visit close friends, teachers and parents. On the second day they visit other relatives and friends who are not so close. On the third day they visit the family of their teacher and more distant relatives.

In Greece, 1st January is also Saint Basil’s day. He is a very important saint so there is a big celebration on this day. It is the main day for giving gifts because that is what Saint Basil did. There is special food on this day, but the most special is the Saint Basil cake which has a gold or silver coin hidden inside for a lucky person to find.

Saint Basil cake

In Scotland, new year is called Hogmanay (say hog-man-ay) and is a bigger celebration than Christmas. Houses are cleaned ready for the new year, and special foods are made. The first person to come into your house in the new year brings good luck for the year. On New Year’s Eve, people link arms and sing a special song.

In Thailand, the new year is called Songkran and lasts for 3 days in April. People throw water over each other, as a way of wishing for good rain in the next year. All the statues in the temples are washed. It brings you good luck if you set a bird free from its cage, or a return a fish to the river .

If you use any part of this in your own work, acknowledge the source in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham, S. & Thomas, R. Happy New Year! [online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2010)

photographs © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

Updated May 2010 ©kidcyber