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Check out the entire resource at this link:New Year's Eve: A Webquest on its History and Customs!
Happy New Year!
Bonne annee(French)
Frohes neues Jahr(Germany)
Felice anno nuovo(Italian)
Gott nytt ar(Swedish)
Feliz ano nuevo(Spanish)
Shana tova(Hebrew)
Hauoli makahiki hou(Hawaiian)
Gelukkig nieuwjaar(Dutch)
In Russia, divers place a New Year's tree into Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake.
Did you know that in Denmark, people like to throw old broken dishes at the front door of friends, at New Year's Eve?
Did you know that eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnightis considered good luck in Spain?
Hogmanay is a custom celebrated in Scotland at New Year's. The word means "last day of the year". One of the activities is "first footing", being the first person to visit a neighbor or friend in the new year. Usually, a gift is brought, too.
Christmas trees are made into bonfires to celebrate New Year's Eve in the Netherlands. This custom is done to symbolize getting rid of the old and welcoming the new year.
Extension Activities:
Use a world map and locate the countries mentioned. Write one fact you may know about the country.
Illustrate one of the customs.
Webquest:
1. New Year's has been celebrated for over 4000 years. It began with which ancient culture?_________________They celebrated the beginning of the new year with the first new moon , after the vernal equinox occurred. Their celebration lasted 11 days! In which month did New Year's take place?_____________What important event always took placed during this time?_______________________Find the answers at this link: New Year's Customs
2. On the Jewish calendar, September welcomes the new year. What is the name for this religious celebration?_________________ What does this phrase mean?____________________ What is a shofar?______________________What are two things which Jewish people often do at this time of year?____________________What is the name for the bread often eaten at this time of year and what is often spread on this bread?______________Find the answers at this link:Rosh-Hashanah
3. The celebrating of the new year The celebrating of the new year on January 1st began with which ancient culture?__________________For whom is the month of January named?__________________Why did he have two faces?_________________________For a time, ___________was used as the beginning of the year as was ____________In which year, did Pope Gregory X111 return the calendar to January 1 as New Year's Day?_________________Find the answers at this link:New Year's
Note: Illustration from openclipart.org