The traditional Thai New Year, namely Songkran Festival (Sanskrit transliteration), is also called Songkran Festival, and the time is from April 13 to June 16 on the Gregorian calendar every year. During the festival, people travel with huge Buddha statues in cars, followed by floats, on which stood the "Goddess Gan Song" in makeup, and groups of young men and women in colorful national costumes, drumming long drums, singing and dancing. On both sides of the road where the parade passed, good men and women walked along the street, filled with water soaked in scallops and permeated with spices in silver bowls, and sprinkled it on the Buddha statue and the "goddess Gan Song" to pray for a happy New Year and good weather. Then people splash water on each other, wishing their elders a long and healthy life, wishing friends and relatives and unmarried young men and women a happy New Year, and splashing water on each other to express their love. On the first day of the new year, Thais will put a basin of clear water on the windowsill and doorway, and every family will go to the riverside in the suburbs to take a New Year bath. In order to celebrate the New Year, Thais will hold a large-scale "Elephant Race Conference", which includes: tug-of-war between elephants, elephants jumping up to pick up things, elephants crossing people, elephant football matches, ancient elephant array performances and so on. It's wonderful and touching.
Japan
Japanese people pay special attention to the New Year, and every year 65438+February 29th-65438+1October 3rd is a national holiday. The Japanese call 65438+February 3 1 "Great Dark Day", that is, New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, the Japanese call it "New Year's Eve". At night, they pray for the gods to send away the troubled old year and usher in a beautiful new year. This is the so-called "first day". At midnight on New Year's Eve, temples in urban and rural areas rang bells 108 to exorcise evil spirits, while the Japanese sat quietly listening to the "Night Bell". When the bell stops, it means the arrival of a new year. People leave their seats and go to bed, hoping to have a good dream. On New Year's morning, families sit around and tell each other about their dreams on New Year's Eve to test good luck or bad luck. The Japanese call the first day of New Year's Day "Zhengri". 1-3 is "Three Congratulations Day". On Sunday, the younger generation will go to their parents' home to pay New Year's greetings, and then go to relatives and friends' home to pay New Year's greetings. The New Year is still a "eating" festival, and people all over the world pray for good luck by eating their own food. On "Zhengri" day, the Japanese will have a big breakfast, including sugar, soba noodles and Tu Su wine. After that, they went vegetarian for three days in a row to show their piety and pray for good luck in the coming year. At present, most urban people in Japan give up vegetarian food in the New Year and eat a hollow noodle at the "night show" to wish them health and longevity in the new year.
Egypt
Egypt is an ancient civilization. In 40 BC, Egyptians were able to observe the stars. They found that Sirius rose with the sun and the Nile rose immediately. Egypt regards the day when the Nile rises as the beginning of the new year, which is called the "Rising Water New Year". In Croute, people put a table at the door to welcome the New Year. Seven or eight dishes are served with cereals such as soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat, and there are many green plants, which symbolize abundance. The more you give to God, the more you will get in the new year. The New Year in Egypt is in autumn, because agricultural production in Egypt begins in autumn.
India
In India, the New Year lasts for five days from June 10 to1October 3 1 every year, and the fourth day is New Year's Day. On the first day of the new year, no one is allowed to be angry with others, let alone lose his temper. In some parts of India, on the morning of New Year's Day, every household kept crying, and everyone's face was covered with tears. They greet the New Year with tears, because time flies and life is short, which is a lament for life. In some areas, people welcome the New Year by fasting for one day and one night, from the early morning of New Year's Day to midnight. Because of this weird custom, New Year's Day in India is called "Crying New Year's Day" and "Fasting New Year's Day". In the first five days of the Lunar New Year, Indians will perform the Indian epic Ramayana (Ramayana, meaning Ramayana Parade) everywhere, playing the role of the hero in the epic "fighting" with the paper giant. The "hero" will light an arrow and the paper giant will catch fire in the cheers of the audience. Before New Year's Eve, all kinds of beautiful pictures will be posted in front of every household. On the morning of New Year's Day, people go out to pay New Year greetings to the elderly, relatives and friends with elaborate lanterns and red envelopes. After meeting and congratulating each other, sprinkle red powder on each other's foreheads to show good luck and look up at each other. Young people put red ink into a water gun and shoot it at relatives and friends, which is called "sprinkling red", indicating good luck. Indian youth like to meet and fight with their bare hands during the New Year, whether they are familiar with it or not. Watching and cheering is often the object of girls' pursuit. To celebrate the New Year, Boxler, an indigenous people in central India, erected a smooth and thick wooden pole on the playground, with a small bag full of gifts at the top of the pole. Girls hold bamboo poles and try their best to prevent boys from climbing the pole, while boys form a circle under the pole, trying to defend girls from attacking the pole climber until the pole climber takes the small bag.
North Korea; South Korea
North Korea, like China, has the customs of stick grilles and Fu Tao in the New Year. Koreans put up couplets and New Year pictures in every household during the New Year. Some people stick portraits of birthday girls or fairies on their doors, praying for God's blessing, driving away ghosts and giving people happiness. At the dawn of New Year's Day, people put some money into the scarecrow tied in advance on New Year's Eve and throw it at the crossroads to ward off evil spirits and welcome lucky stars. At dusk, people burn the hair that the whole family has lost for a year and wish their families peace in the four seasons. During the Spring Festival, women in North Korea wear new clothes. On New Year's Day, girls wear a kind of hemp hat called "blessing towel" and colorful and patterned clothes to have a swing competition. They aimed at a tree flower to see who could kick it or bite it first. Others hang bronze bells on high places. Whoever touches the bell first will win. During the New Year, Koreans must cook glutinous rice with pine nuts, chestnut powder, jujube paste and honey, which is similar to China's eight-treasure rice to show that the family is prosperous and sweet as honey.
Mongolia
When the New Year comes, Mongolian old people will dress up as shepherds, wearing plush fur coats, fur hats and whips in their hands, constantly beating whips in the air to show their good wishes for exorcism.
Singapore
Singapore got up early on New Year's Day and happily received the "red envelope" (lucky money) from its elders. In the New Year, a community lion and dragon dance team performs along the street. Men, women and children are dressed in costumes and visit relatives and friends with gifts. During the Spring Festival, people like to eat sweet rice cakes made of fried glutinous rice and brown sugar.
Britain, England
In Britain, New Year's Day on the Gregorian calendar is not as grand as Christmas, but on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, people will carry out various celebrations according to local customs to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. On New Year's Eve, English people often go out to visit with cakes and wine. They went straight to their relatives and friends' houses without knocking. According to British custom, after the 1001 night of New Year's Eve, the first person who steps into the house indicates the luck of the new year. If the first guest is a man with dark hair, or a happy, happy and rich person, the host will be very lucky all the year round. If the first guest is a woman with light yellow hair, or a sad, poor and unfortunate person, then the host will be unlucky and will encounter difficulties and disasters in the new year. People who visit relatives and friends' homes on New Year's Eve should first stir the fire in the fireplace and wish the host "open the door" before speaking. Most New Year celebrations in Britain are held on the bonfire night on New Year's Eve, and the "welcome banquet" is one of them. This kind of banquet is divided into "family banquet" and "group banquet", which usually starts at 8 pm on New Year's Eve and ends in the early morning of New Year's Day. There are all kinds of wine, food and snacks at the banquet for people to drink all night. At midnight, people turn on the radio and listen to the New Year bell of the church clock. When the bell rang, people were jubilant, raised their glasses and cheered, and sang "Sunlight in the Past". The "New Year's Eve Dance" is another celebration. Local hotels and dances, night arrival. People dressed in festive costumes came to these brightly decorated dance halls from all directions, dancing to the beautiful music, and thousands of people gathered in various squares, singing and dancing around the fountain and the statue of Cupid in the center of the square, and reveling endlessly. The TV station also broadcast live on the square, so that people who "keep the age" can share the joy.
Germany
There is a week before and after the German New Year celebration. During this period, every household should put a fir tree and a horizontal tree, and the leaves are covered with silk flower, indicating that the flowers are in full bloom and the spring is full. Just before midnight New Year's Eve, the Germans climbed into the chair. As soon as the bell rang, they jumped up from their chairs and threw a heavy object behind the back of the chair to show that they had abandoned the disaster and entered the new year. The children formed a band, put on new clothes and lined up to play in the street with harmonicas and accordions. The adults held colorful flags and shouted and sang behind them to celebrate the New Year. German women will improvise comedy sketches with the theme of family in the New Year. In rural Germany, there is a custom to celebrate the New Year-"Tree Climbing Competition". Boys climb along bare trees, and the first place is called "New Year Hero" to show their promotion step by step.
Brazil
Brazilians hold torches high on New Year's Day and go climbing in groups. People are scrambling to find the golden birch tree that symbolizes happiness. Only those who are fearless can find this rare fruit. They call it "seeking happiness". There is a unique custom in rural Brazil-pulling each other's ears. When people meet in the New Year, they must grab each other's ears to express their blessings.
Iran
Iran has an Islamic calendar, and the seasons and months are not fixed. In Iran, celebrating the New Year means celebrating the arrival of spring, usually in the late March of the solar calendar. It takes a week to celebrate the New Year. People flocked to the street to light a "bonfire"-"night fire", and then the whole family jumped down from the night fire in turn, indicating that they would burn "bad luck", usher in the light, drive away evil spirits and eliminate diseases, and be happy forever. We should eat "seven dishes" on New Year's Eve, and the name of each dish should start with the letter "S" to show good luck. From grade one to grade three, people visit relatives and friends and wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the new year, the whole family went out for an outing to ward off evil spirits.
France
France celebrated the New Year with wine, and people began to revel in drinking on New Year's Eve until 65438+1October 3. The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day indicates a new year. On the morning of New Year's Day, they went to the streets to see the wind direction for divination: the south wind blows, which indicates that the weather will be good and the year will be safe and hot; When the west wind blows, there is a bumper harvest year for fishing and milking; If the east wind blows, the fruit will be rich; When the north wind blows, it is a poor harvest year.
Switzerland
Switzerland: Swiss people have the habit of keeping fit on New Year's Day. Some of them go climbing in groups, standing on the top of the mountain facing the ice and snow, singing loudly about a better life. Some ski along the long snowy road in the mountains, as if looking for the road to happiness; Some hold stilt walking competitions, in which men, women and children go into battle together and wish each other good health. Welcome the new year with fitness.
Greece
Greece: On New Year's Day, every family will make a big cake and put a silver coin in it. The host cut the cake into several pieces and distributed it to family members or visiting relatives and friends. Whoever eats the cake with silver coins will become the luckiest person in the new year, and everyone congratulates him.
Romania
Romania: On New Year's Eve, people will put up a tall Christmas tree and set up a stage in the square. The citizens sang and danced while setting off fireworks. Rural people celebrate the New Year with wooden plows decorated with colorful flowers.
Pakistan
On New Year's Day, people in Pakistan ran out with red powder in their hands, met their relatives and friends, thanked them for their new happiness, and painted red powder on their foreheads to show their good luck in celebrating the New Year.
Afghanistan
Residents in northern Afghanistan hold fierce sheep-grabbing competitions every New Year's Day to celebrate. The two teams of riders competed for their prey, and the game was fierce and festive.
Argentina
Argentines believe that water is the most sacred. Every New Year's Day, every family, old and young, flock to the river for a "New Year bath" to wash away all the filth on their bodies.