New Year in Different Cultures
There are different ways to celebrate New Year in different cultures.
In some parts of the world the traditions and way of celebration is similar, while in many parts it differ widely from one another.
Let us check out some interesting customs that people follow during New Year celebration.
Australian New Year Culture
Like most parts of the world, New Year in Australia is celebrated on the January 1.
The day is observed as a public holiday in all over the country. Going for picnics is a common way of celebrating the New Year’s Day.
Since New Year falls in summer in Australia many people, also plan for a vacation to beaches or hills. The celebration generally begins an evening before on December 31, which is more commonly known as the New Year’s Eve.
To ring the New Year people gather on the streets and start making loud noise with car horns, whistles, trumpets and church bells.
New Year Culture in US
It is the festive time in United States during the New Year.
Nightlong parties, fireworks, live musical performances and grand feast at every nook and corner of the country defines the festive mood of the people. A common tradition of the Americans is to kiss each other when the clock strikes 12 in the midnight of December 31.
With love and free spirit, the New Year is welcomed in United States.
New Year Culture in Great Britain
A very popular custom of New Year in Great Britain is first footing.
The common belief is that the first male guest to enter any house after the midnight brings in joy and good luck to the household.
Generally, the man carries bread, money and coal in forms of gift to symbolize the well-being of the family in the forthcoming year.
If a woman, or a man with red hair or who is blond enters the house first after midnight, it is regarded as a bad luck.
Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus remains absolutely crowded in London on the New Year Eve.
People start gathering from the evening to witness live band performances followed by fireworks and chimes of London's big Ben at the advent of midnight.
New Year Culture in South Africa
It is the time for ringing church bells and firing gunshots when it comes to celebrating New Year in South Africa.
People dressed in bright colored clothes go out on the streets as they take part in processions and carnivals.
Live music and dance shows mark these celebrations. People often gather at community halls for a grand feast.
It is almost compulsory for the South Africans to visit the church and pray for their well-being before ringing in the New Year.
Many such similar customs are followed in other parts of the world like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Scotland, and Russia and so on. In France, the New Year’s Day is more popularly known as Jour des Etrennes.
History of Halloween
Halloween is a great day for parties. Children dress up as witches, ghosts or vampires, and they go from house to house playing TRICK OR TREAT. But what’s the origin of this custom?
Halloween means Hallows’ Evening. It is the evening before All Hallows’ Day (now called All Saints Day), a Christian holiday, celebrated on the 1st of November. But that day was important already in ancient times. On the 1st of November, Celtic peoples celebrated the festival of Shamhuinn, which marked the beginning of winter and the Celtic New Year.
“How come a Christian and a pagan holiday are celebrated on the same day?” you might ask, “Is it just a coincident?” – No, it isn’t. When Christianity spread, the Church tried to disturb the pagan customs as little as possible, and so they merged their festivals with pagan ones.
It was widely believed that on Hallows’ Evening the dead would rise from their graves to roam the earth.
Afraid of evil spirits, people therefore either wore ugly masks to frighten those spirits away, or they stayed at home saying prayers.
Some would also go from house to house, begging for ‘soul cakes’, square pieces of bread with currants. In return they promised to pray for dead members of the donors’ families.
Going from house to house, begging for sweets – doesn’t that sound familiar? Indeed, that’s the origin of TRICK OR TREAT.
Be aware, however, as the custom has changed! Nobody is going to pray for you nowadays.
Instead, if you don’t have a TREAT for the children in front of your door (some sweets for example), they will most likely play a TRICK on you – that’s what TRICK OR TREAT is all about.
Ordinal Numbers
Table of Ordinal Numbers
| 1 | st | first | 11 | th | eleventh | 21 | st | twenty-first | 31 | st | thirty-first | ||
| 2 | nd | second | 12 | th | twelfth | 22 | nd | twenty-second | 40 | th | fortieth | ||
| 3 | rd | third | 13 | th | thirteenth | 23 | rd | twenty-third | 50 | th | fiftieth | ||
| 4 | th | fourth | 14 | th | fourteenth | 24 | th | twenty-fourth | 60 | th | sixtieth | ||
| 5 | th | fifth | 15 | th | fifteenth | 25 | th | twenty-fifth | 70 | th | seventieth | ||
| 6 | th | sixth | 16 | th | sixteenth | 26 | th | twenty-sixth | 80 | th | eightieth | ||
| 7 | th | seventh | 17 | th | seventeenth | 27 | th | twenty-seventh | 90 | th | ninetieth | ||
| 8 | th | eighth | 18 | th | eighteenth | 28 | th | twenty-eighth | 100 | th | one hundredth | ||
| 9 | th | ninth | 19 | th | nineteenth | 29 | th | twenty-ninth | 1,000 | th | one thousandth | ||
| 10 | th | tenth | 20 | th | twentieth | 30 | th | thirtieth | 1,000,000 | th | one millionth | ||
Form
Spelling of Ordinal Numbers
Just add th to the cardinal number:
- four - fourth
- eleven - eleventh
Exceptions:
- one - first
- two - second
- three - third
- five - fifth
- eight - eighth
- nine - ninth
- twelve - twelfth
In compound ordinal numbers, note that only the last figure is written as an ordinal number:
- 421st = four hundred and twenty-first
- 5,111th = five thousand, one hundred and eleventh
Figures
When expressed as figures, the last two letters of the written word are added to the ordinal number:
- first = 1st
- second = 2nd
- third = 3rd
- fourth = 4th
- twenty-sixth = 26th
- hundred and first = 101st
Titles
In names for kings and queens, ordinal numbers are written in Roman numbers. In spoken English, the definite article is used before the ordinal number:
- Charles II - Charles the Second
- Edward VI - Edward the Sixth
- Henry VIII - Henry the Eighth
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