As the clock strikes 12 on Monday, millions will pop champagne corks and light fireworks while others
indulge in quirkier New Year's rituals like melting lead, leaping off chairs or gobbling grapes.
當時鐘在周一午夜十二點敲響時，數百萬人將開香檳放煙火慶祝新年，其他許多人則將舉行一些更為奇特的慶祝儀式，諸如熔鉛、跳椅子或吃葡萄。
One of the world's oldest shared traditions, New Year's celebrations take many forms, but most cultures have one thing in common -- letting one's hair down after a long, hard year.
作為舉世同慶的最古老的傳統之一，新年的慶祝活動有多種形式，但大多數文化對新年的慶祝都有個共同之處——就是在度過漫長、辛勞的一年之后好好放松一下。
For much of the globe this involves sipping bubbly with friends until the sun comes up, seeing out the old year with bonfires and flares and off-key renditions of Auld Lang Syne.
對于世界上許多人而言，慶祝新年就是和朋友一起徹夜不眠，喝著香檳酒，在篝火前哼著跑調的《友誼天長地久》，欣賞著辭舊迎新的煙花，直到新年的太陽升起。
But others have rather more
curious habits, often steeped in superstition.
但其他人則有著更為奇特的風俗習慣，這些風俗通常都和迷信密切相關。
In Finland, say tour guides, people pour molten lead into cold water to
divine the year ahead from the shape the metal sets in. If the blob represents a ship it is said to foretell travel, if it's a ball, good luck.
據導游說，在芬蘭，人們會把熔化的液體鉛倒進冷水里，通過鉛在水中形成的形狀來占卜新的一年的命運。如果鉛團的形狀像船，這意味著新的一年將要去旅行，如果是一個球，就預示著好運。
In Denmark, people stand on chairs and jump off in unison as the clock strikes midnight, literally leaping into the new year.
在丹麥，人們站在椅子上，在午夜鐘聲敲響時一起跳下椅子，這象征著人們跨入了新的一年。
The Danes also throw plates at their friends' homes during the night -- the more shards you find outside your door in the morning the more
popular you are said to be.
丹麥人還會在除夕夜向朋友的家扔盤子，第二天清早你在門外發現的陶瓷碎片越多，就說明你越受歡迎。
The Dutch build
massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and eat sugary donuts -- one of many cultures to
consume round New Year's foods traditionally believed to represent good
fortune.
荷蘭人會用圣誕樹點起巨大的篝火堆，在篝火前吃甜甜圈——許多文化都有這種在新年吃圓形食物的傳統，人們相信圓形食物代表著好運。
Spaniards, in turn,
gobble a dozen grapes before the
stroke of midnight, each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour.
西班牙人則會在午夜鐘聲敲響前吃下十二顆葡萄，每一顆葡萄都代表新一年中的一個月，葡萄如果是甜的，那么它代表的那個月份的生活就是甜的，葡萄是酸的，那么就意味著相應的月份會過得比較糟糕。
In the Philippines, revellers wear polka dots for good luck, while in some countries of South America people don brightly coloured underwear to attract
fortune -- red for love and yellow for financial success.
在菲律賓，狂歡者會穿上圓點圖案的衣服，因為這象征著好運，而在南美的一些國家，人們會穿上顏色鮮亮的內衣以招來好運——紅色代表愛情，黃色代表經濟上的成功。
Despite regional and cultural differences, for most the New Year's festivities are a chance to let off steam before the annual cycle starts all over again.
盡管存在著地區和文化的差異，對大多數人而言，新年的慶祝活動是一個讓人們可以在新的一輪循環開始之前放松減壓、發泄情緒的機會。
"This is a holiday that is about
relaxation and letting go," explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni.
喬治華盛頓大學的社會學家阿米泰?艾丘尼說：“這是一個讓人放松和釋放自己的節日。”
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