New Year’s celebrations are a little bit different all around the world. They are celebrated with different c    1     and special foods.

In the United States, celebrations usually begin on December 31, or New Year’s E    2    , and continue into January 1, the first day of the new year. Black-eyed peas, ham (火腿), and cabbage (卷心菜) are traditional dishes to serve on New Year’s Day. They are s    3     of good luck. The Dutch often eat doughnuts (油炸圈饼) to welcome the New Year. Because doughnuts are shaped like a circle, they are thought to r    4     the completion of a cycle — the beginning of a new year and the ending of the previous year. In Japan, people eat long noodles for celebration. Eating these noodles without breaking them symbolizes long life. In Spain, there is the t    5     of eating 12 grapes at midnight. This marks successful grape harvests of the past and the hope for more in the future.

One of the most colorful New Year’s celebrations takes place in China. The Chinese New Year is determined by the l    6     calendar. The festival lasts about two weeks. During this time, towns are d    7     with colorful     8     (灯笼) and flowers. People     9    (彻底地) clean their homes to symbolize getting rid of (去除) the misfortunes of the previous year, and dumplings are eaten as a traditional food.

Nowadays, more and more countries around the world are holding celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival. What’s more, not only are these     1     (出席) and enjoyed by Chinese citizens living abroad, but by many other     2     (国籍), too. It seems that Chinese Spring Festival is becoming a global celebration of joy and love. What do you think of this p    3    ? Write to us to share your opinion.