New Years Day
January 1
10...9...8... The lighted ball in New Yorks Times Squarestarts picking up speed. 7...6...5... Its almost time. 4...3...2... Everyone holds their breath for the last few seconds. Were about to jump that seemingly large but invisible gap that separates the years. 1...0... Happy New Year!
We made it. The old year, for better or worse, is gone for good. The new year has begun with fresh promise. Heres our chance to start again, to do it right this time, to have another shot at success...at glory...at just accomplishing what we resolve to. Its time to shed that baggage from the year long gone and celebrate what can be in the 365 untouched days to come. Happy New Year!
We can trace the origins of a new years celebration back to the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, at least 4,000 years ago. In Egypt, the Nile river signaled a new beginning for the farmers of the Nile as it flooded their land and enriched it with the siltneeded to grow crops for the next year. This happened near the end of September.
The Babylonians held their festival in the spring, on March 23, to kick off the next cycle of planting and harvest. Symbolically, the king was stripped of his robes and sent away for a few days while the people whooped it up. He then returned in all his fineryfor a grand parade, and the normal activities of life would return for the new year.
So how did we get to January 1 as the start of the year? That date was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The Roman Senate had actually tried to make January 1 New Years Day in 153 BC, but it wasnt until Caesar stretched out 47 BC for 445 days that the date were familiar with was synchronizedwith the sun. Weve been on the Julian calendar ever since.
There must be something inside of us that needs to unload the accumulated results of fate and our own decisions and start anew. The Romans knew this. The month of January was named for their god, Janus, who is pictured with two heads. One looks forward, the other back, symbolizing a break between the old and new. The Greeks paraded a baby in a basket to represent the spirit of fertility. Christians adopted this symbol as the birth of the baby Jesus and continued what started as a pagan ritual. Today our New Years symbols are a newborn baby starting the next year and an old man winding up the last year.
Around the world, different cultures have their own traditions for welcoming the new year. The Japanese hang a rope of straw across the front of their houses to keep out evil spirits and bring happiness and good luck. They also have a good laugh as the year begins to get things started on a lucky note.
In West Bengal, in northern India, the people like to wear pink, red, purple and white flowers. Women favor yellow, the color of spring. Hindusalso leave shrines next to their beds so they can see beautiful objects when they wake up to the new year.
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadians enjoy the traditional polar bear swim. People of all ages don their swim suits and take the plunge, an event that is sure to get you started in the new year with eyes wide open.
A fairly new tradition that is starting to spread worldwide is a community celebration of the visual and performing arts on New Years Eve. Started in Boston in 1976, an organization called First Night promotes alcohol-free festivals in 186 American cities, 16 in Canada, plus Hastings, New Zealand and Greenwich, England. Typical experiences include ice sculptures, dancing, storytelling, theater, poetry, films and, at the stroke of midnight, an elaborate fireworks display.
Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy and prosperous New Year!
雅思听力速度太快反应不过来怎么办?
影响雅思听力审题的四个不良习惯
雅思听力考试的4大难点解读
预测雅思听力题目的技巧分享
雅思听力地图题常用词汇整理
雅思听力信号词的六大分类介绍
雅思听力的5步备考策略
雅思听力备考时常见的9个问题
描述雅思口语话题常用的长句介绍
雅思听力考试的常见替换技巧介绍
类雅思听力题型技巧全介绍
详解雅思听力备考的四个阶段
雅思听力提分的十六字秘诀
预测雅思听力题目需要做到的两个要点
四大雅思听力题型的解题技巧
雅思听力填空题型的六个做题技巧介绍
巧用雅思听力定语的技巧分享
培养雅思听力抗干扰能力的技巧介绍
雅思听力完成句子题的5大答题要领
应对雅思听力难题的7个方法
雅思听力电话号码的记忆技巧
雅思听力真假题(True/False)的练习方法
提高雅思听力成绩的方法指导
雅思听力的五个衔接技巧
雅思听力选择题的题型特点分析
雅思听力电话号码的记忆方法
雅思听力考试的5大特点介绍
盘点雅思听力中的三类信号词
雅思听力冲刺阶段的备考技巧分享
雅思听力考试常用的替换规律
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |