【本期内容】

SHARED NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

世界各国共享的新年传统

Written by Mary Gabbett

（原文地址：https://greenglobaltravel.com/celebrate-new-year-traditions-around-the-world/）

Translated and edited by Spark Liao

And then there are the New Year’s traditions that are celebrated by people all around the world. These shared customs are part of what makes the New Year one of the planet’s most popular holidays. Here’s a look at some of the many traditions that transcend time zones, borders, and cultures.

此外，还有全世界人民共同庆祝的新年传统，这些共同的习俗使新年成为地球上最受欢迎的节日之一。下面我们就来看看一些超越时区、国界和文化的新年传统。

1. SINGING THE NEW YEAR SONG, “AULD LANG SYNE”

唱响新年歌曲《友谊地久天长》

Singing “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight is done throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The traditional Scottish folk song was transcribed (not written) by beloved poet Robert Burns in 1783. The literal Auld Land Syne translation is “old long since”, which really means, “days gone by”. After that, it became a common song of celebration - for weddings, graduations, funerals, etc. - throughout Scotland. In the nearly two and a half centuries since, “Auld Lang Syne” has become the most popular New Year's song in the world.

除夕夜吟唱《友谊地久天长》的习俗在英语世界内外都有，这首传统的苏格兰民歌是由深受爱戴的诗人罗伯特·伯恩斯于1783年改写的（不是原创）。“Auld Land Syne”的字面意思是“很久以前”，用来喻指“岁月流逝”。此后，它成为苏格兰各地常见的庆祝歌曲——出现在婚礼、毕业典礼、葬礼等场合。在近两个半世纪以来，《友谊地久天长》已成为世界上最流行的新年歌曲。

The tradition of singing it at midnight on New Year's Eve was popularized by a Canadian band, Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. The band, which came from a part of Ontario settled by Scots, often covered the song, partially to promote one of the sponsors of their radio show, Robert Burns Cigars. In 1928 the band got a chance to do a New Year's Eve show and closed their set with “Auld Lang Syne”. It became the show's closing number for nearly 50 years, the remainder of Lombardo's life.

加拿大乐队盖伊·隆巴多（Guy Lombardo）和加拿大皇家乐队（Royal Canadians）普及了除夕午夜吟唱这首歌曲的传统。这支乐队来自安大略省的一个苏格兰人聚居的地区，经常翻唱这首歌，部分是为了宣传他们的广播节目赞助商之一罗伯特·伯恩斯·雪茄斯。1928年，乐队获得了一次跨年演出的机会，并以《友谊地久天长》结束了他们的演出。在隆巴多乐队近50年的演艺生涯里，它成为了乐队的闭幕曲。

2. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

新年决心

People have been making New Year’s resolutions for literally thousands of years, dating back to the ancient times of the Mesopotamians.

几千年来，人们一直在制定新年计划，这可以追溯到美索不达米亚的古文明时代。

The tradition began as part of a 12-day New Year Festival (which was celebrated in March) called Akitu, during which citizens of Babylonia would swear an oath to the sitting king or allegiance to a new one. The Romans did a similar thing, also in March, devoting themselves to the Emperor. In the mid-1700s, the Methodist Church used the New Year to encourage its members to renew their commitments to God.

这一传统开始于一个为期12天的新年节（于3月庆祝），名为Akitu，期间巴比伦尼亚的公民将向在位国王宣誓或效忠新国王。同样在三月，罗马人也做了类似的事情，宣誓效忠皇帝。在18世纪中期，卫理公会利用新年鼓励其成员重申对上帝的承诺。

Nowadays, most resolutions are neither oaths to kingdoms or religious tradition. Instead, they’re generally commitments to make some effort towards self-improvement. Unfortunately, studies show that - while nearly half the US population annually makes resolutions - less than 10% of them are kept.

如今，大多数新年决心既不是对王国的誓言，也不是宗教传统。相反，它们通常是致力于自我提升的承诺。不幸的是，研究表明，尽管近一半的美国人口每年都会做出决定，但只有不到10%的人会遵守。

HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:

1. Exercise more / Get in shape
2. Lose weight
3. Get organized
4. Learn a new skill or hobby
5. Live life to the fullest
6. Save more money / spend less money
7. Quit smoking
8. Spend more time with family and friends
9. Drink less
10. Eat more at home
11. Floss
12. Look at cell phone less
13. Reduce stress
14. Get more sleep
15. Travel more

以下是一些排行靠前的新年计划：

• 多锻炼/保持身材
• 减肥
• 更有条理
• 学习新的技能或爱好
• 充实地生活
• 节省更多的钱/花更少的钱
• 戒烟
• 花更多时间陪伴家人和朋友
• 少喝酒
• 多在家吃饭
• 用牙线清洁牙齿
• 少看手机
• 减轻压力
• 更多睡眠
• 更多旅行

3. NEW YEAR’S FIREWORKS

新年放烟花

Invented in ancient China, fireworks were originally made from dried bamboo stalks. When thrown in a roaring fire, they would emit loud bangs. These were later filled with gunpowder (which was also a Chinese invention) to enhance the explosive effect. Finally, the bamboo was replaced by paper (another Chinese invention). Around the 12th century, gunpowder and fireworks gradually worked their way over to Europe.

烟花起源于中国古代，最初是用干竹竿制作的。当被扔进熊熊烈火中时，它们会发出巨大的爆炸声。这些竹竿后来被填充了火药（这也是中国的发明），以增强爆炸效果。最后，竹子被纸取代（中国的另一项发明）。大约在12世纪，火药和烟花逐渐传到欧洲。

Since the beginning, fireworks have been used to scare away evil spirits and enemies. Because the holiday is often associated with starting anew, fireworks have long been a part of New Year celebrations, setting up partygoers for a positive year to come. Today, the tradition of setting off fireworks as part of New Year celebrations is pretty much a staple all around the world.

从一开始，烟花就被用来吓跑恶灵和敌人。因为这个节日经常与重新开始联系在一起，所以烟花一直是新年庆祝活动的一部分，为即将到来的积极的一年做好准备。今天，燃放烟花作为新年庆祝活动的一部分的传统在世界各地几乎成了最主要的活动。

4. NEW YEAR’S CHAMPAGNE

新年香槟

Champagne, some people claim, was originally an English invention as opposed to a French one. The Brits developed the technology to bottle carbonated drinks in the late 1500s. Using techniques translated from making cider, they began to make sparkling wines (of which Champagne is one variety). This invention also required creating stronger glass bottles that could withstand the pressure built up inside by the fermented drink.

一些人声称，香槟最初是英国人发明的，不是法国人。英国人在15世纪末开发了瓶装碳酸饮料的技术。他们利用苹果酒酿造技术，开始酿造起泡酒（香槟是其中的一种）。这项发明还需要制造更坚固的玻璃瓶，它们能够承受发酵饮料在内部产生的压力。

Later, Champagne became the popular drink of choice for celebrations by the royal courts of Europe. It eventually became a worldwide phenomenon in the late 1800s, when the price began to drop and producers started marketing the drink to common folks. While commoners couldn’t afford it for their daily table wine, it was affordable enough for special occasions. It became especially popular for New Year’s celebrations because opening the bottle produced a firework-like POP, and the beverage flowed out in a display of abundance.

后来，香槟成为欧洲皇家宫廷庆祝活动的热门饮品。它最终在19世纪末在全球得以普及，当时价格开始下降，生产商开始向普通人推销这种饮料。虽然普通人负担不起它作为日常的餐用酒，但在特殊场合还是买得起的。它在新年庆祝活动中特别受欢迎，因为打开瓶子会产生像烟花一样的爆裂声，而且香槟酒会瞬间大量喷出。

5. NEW YEAR’S KISS

新年之吻

The tradition of sharing a New Year’s Eve kiss at the stroke of midnight has been featured in countless classic movies, from The Godfather II to When Harry Met Sally. The custom is now a part of most modern New Year’s celebrations.

从《教父II》到《当哈利遇见莎莉》，无数经典电影都有在午夜时分分享新年之吻的传统。这一习俗现在是大多数现代新年庆祝活动的一部分。

Amazingly, the practice has been around for millennia, beginning with the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Lots of meaning has been attributed to the kiss over the years. In Roman times, it was more an act of basic debauchery. German and English folklore cited that the first person you encountered in the New Year (and how that encounter went) would set the tone for the rest of the year. Attendees of masked balls in Europe used it as an act of purification after removing their masks. These days, it’s widely believed that failing to share a midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve foretells a year of romantic loneliness.

令人惊讶的是，从罗马的土星节开始，这种习俗已经存在了数千年。多年来，这个新年之吻被赋予了很多寓意。在罗马时代，它更多被视作一种放荡行为。德国和英国的民间传说称，你在新年遇到的第一个人（以及你们是如何相遇的）将为今年余下的日子定下基调。过去在欧洲参加假面舞会的人在摘下面具后，将亲吻作为一种净化心灵的行为。如今，人们普遍认为，在除夕夜未能分享午夜之吻预示着来年将爱无所依。

However (and wherever) you may celebrate the New Year, most people around the world embrace and honor the passage of time with mixtures of reverence and revelry. It’s yet another thing that shows just how similar, yet unique, our planet’s diverse array of cultures are. We value analogous things and celebrate in our own ways. But we all love to share these moments we hold sacred. We should all remember and relish the customs and traditions that unite us this New Year’s. At a moment when division and dissidence seems inevitable, we still have each other.

不管如何庆祝新年，或是在哪里庆祝新年，世界各地的大多数人都怀着敬畏和喜悦的心情，接受并尊重时间的流逝。这也同时表明了我们星球上的各种文化是多么地相似，但又是多么地独特。我们珍视彼此的共通之处，并以自己的方式庆祝。但我们都喜欢分享这些我们认为神圣的时刻。我们都应该记住并享受将我们团结在一起的习俗和传统。在分离和分歧似乎不可避免的时刻，我们仍然拥有彼此。