Some cultures have unusual New Year traditions. Italians throw old things out of their windows at midnight, symbolizing the departure of the old. Mexicans fire guns into the air to ward off misfortune. Danes jump off chairs exactly as the clock strikes midnight, so they can“jump”into the New Year. Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace on New Year’s Day. They hope Saint Basil3, a popular Greek saint known for his kindness, will come and fill the shoes with gifts. In Vancouver, Canada, some people celebrate the New Year by jumping into the ocean . The water there is freezing cold! Therefore the event has been aptly named the Polar Bear Swim4. As you might expect, most people come to watch the swimmers rather than swim themselves

London, England, hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that draws nearly a million spectators. The largest parade in Europe , it features bands, floats and enormous balloons. These balloons are so huge that they tower over5 nearby buildings!

有些民族以他们独特的方式庆贺新年。在除夕午夜时分, 意大利人将旧的东西丢出窗外 , 以此来象征除旧布新。墨西哥人则朝空中鸣枪, 以驱走厄运。当午夜的钟声敲响时, 丹 麦人会从椅子上跳起来, 意在“ 跃入”新年。在元旦时, 希腊的孩子们将鞋子留在壁炉旁。 他们期待圣· 巴西勒——— 一个和蔼仁慈、颇受欢迎的圣人——— 会现身, 在他们的鞋子里塞 满礼物。在加拿大的温哥华, 有人跳入冰冷彻骨的海水中, 以此来庆贺新年。因此, 这项活 动也有个很贴切的名字———“ 北极熊冬泳”。当然, 大部分人是来观看游泳的, 不会亲自下 水。

英国伦敦则举办一年一度的元旦游行, 这吸引将近一百万的观众参加。欧洲最大的游 行都有乐队、花车和巨型气球。这些大气球比附近的建筑物还要高呢!