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Auld
Lang Syne
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In
almost every English-speaking country in the world, the song "Auld
Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight to bring in
the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the
1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death.
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| New
Year's Day |
 New
Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year. New Year ceremonies
are designed to get rid of the past and to welcome the future.
January is named after the Etruscan word janua which means door.
People in almost every country celebrate this day as a holiday.
The celebrations are both festive and serious.
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| Early
Customs |
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Many ancient peoples started the year at harvest time. They performed
rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the new
year. For example, some people put out the fires they were using
and started new ones. |
| Making
New Year's Resolutions |
Many
people make New Year's Resolutions to break bad habits or to start
good ones. Some think about how they have lived during the past
year and look forward to the next 12 months. Do you make New Year's
resolutions? What is a resolution? A resolution is a promise.
It is a promise that you make to yourself! It is a tradition for
people to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year. There
are different kinds of resolutions (see right column).
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Resolutions
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One
sort of resolution has to do only with oneself. You might decide
to lose weight, or to exercise more. Other resolutions might
involve family or friends. You could resolve to be more patient
with your little brother, to be more helpful to your mom, or
not to get into fights with your friends. Some resolutions are
about school and the outside world, such as getting to class
on time, or trying for better grades.
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