1 . New Year’s celebrations take many forms, but most cultures have one thing in common—have a good time after a long, hard year. For much of the globe this involves drinking with friends until the sun comes up, singing together. But others have rather more curious habits, often filled with superstition (迷信).

In Denmark, people stand on chairs and jump off together as the clock strikes midnight, really leaping into the new year. The Danes also throw plates at their friends’ homes during the night-the more pieces you find outside your door in the morning the more popular you are said to be.

In Finland, say tour guides, people pour melted (熔化的) lead into cold water to predict the year ahead from the shape the metal forms. If the shape represents a ship it is said to predict travel, if it’s a ball, good luck.

The Dutch build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and cat sugary donuts—one of many cultures to consume round New Year’s foods traditionally believed to represent good fortune.

Spaniards, in turn, cat a dozen grapes before the strike of midnight, each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour.

In the Philippines, people wear polka dots (带圆点的服装) for good luck, while in some countries of South America people put on brightly coloured underwear to attract fortune—red for love and yellow for financial success.

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. “This is a holiday that is about celebration and letting go,” explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni.

The Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese festivals. It is often     1     (call) “Lunar New Year”, because — as part of the lunisolar (阴阳的) Chinese calendar — the date is partially determined based on lunar phase (月亮或行星的相位). The festival traditionally     2     (begin) on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival     3     is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year’s Eve, a day when Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

According to    4     (tale) and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against     5     mythical (神话的) beast called Nian (年兽). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock (牲畜), crops, and even villagers,     6     (especial) children. To protect     7    , the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian     8     (eat) the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack people any more. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid     9    the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used fireworks     10     (frighten) away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

There are    1    wide range of festivals across the world. Festival are held to honor some famous    2    (figure) or significant events,     3     (satisfy) the ancestors, and to express people’s gratitude to the God for bringing them a year of plenty. For example, in India, October 2nd is a national festival to honour Mahandas Gandhi. There is no escaping the fact    4    Gandhi, the leader who helped gain India’s independence from Britain, enjoys great status.     5    (tradition), in China, the Spring Festival, which    6    (celebrate) in January or February, is the    7    (energy) and important festival because it is a festival that looks forward    8    the coming of spring. Why are all these festivals everywhere? Because during the festivals, people can get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other,     9    (forget) all the daily struggle    10    troubles them.

As we all know, festivals     1     (celebrate) all around the world and they have     2     wide range of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous     3     (figure), and important events. Of all the     4     (tradition) festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate     5     (show) that they are grateful for the year’s supply of food. Customs play a significant role in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. With the     6     (develop) of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade     7     and others may be established. Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses     8     (take) advantage of the celebrations. Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. And if you study festivals     9     (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot     10     common after all.