Holiday Traditions 2 – New Year

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Today is December 31st, the last day of the year. This means that tonight, there will be many things going on, and a lot of it has to deal with parties and last day traditions. Look at some of the vocabulary that you might hear on this holiday below.

Countdown: The countdown is very important to New Year’s eve. This is the time when you are actively counting to the New  Year at midnight! In the US, there is a very popular countdown in New York! Check out 2015’s countdown here

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New Year’s Party: It’s a party, but not just your everyday party. For New Years, many places have huge and luxurious parties. It’s also a party that you generally get dressed up for.

Champagne Toast: This term is used not just for New Year, but also for anytime you are celebrating using champagne, such as at a wedding.

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New Year’s Kiss: It is tradition in the US to kiss the person next to you at Midnight. It is said that by kissing at midnight, you will bring luck to your love life that year. For example: A couple that does not kiss on midnight might break up. Or a single person who does not kiss someone will spend the year lonely.

On January 1st, there are also a few different kinds of traditions. A lot of it has to do with recovering from the parties the night before, but here are some others!

Black Eyed Peas: Eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is considered good luck. There are many different theories behind it and you can check that out here.

New Year’s Resolution: This is a goal for the new year. Sometimes it is simple like taking the time to paint your nails every week. Or maybe it is a goal to expand your business.

These are just a few of the traditions here in the US. What are some traditions your family or country practice on New Years?

Holiday Traditions

It’s that time of year in the United States, and all around the world. Christmas season has arrived!

Let’s look at some simple Christmas decorating vocabulary!

Tree topper: A decoration that goes on the very top of the tree.

Ornaments: Decorations that you put on the tree. They can be most any shape and size. 

Tree skirt: A round blanket that goes around the base of the tree on the floor to decorate the bottom.

Presents: Gifts that are wrapped in Christmas themed paper that you put under the tree. They are traditionally opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve: December 24th, all day. Many families will have a dinner and open small presents in the evening.

Christmas Day: December 25th, all day. This is generally when presents from Santa Clause are opened.

In the US, it is common for families to put up trees and decorate them! Sometimes those trees are real. Sometimes they are fake. In my family, we often use real pine trees!

It is also a tradition to put the tree topper on last, after you have put on all the other decorations! We have a star for our tree, but many people have angels or other kinds of tree toppers!

What are some of your country’s or family’s traditions?