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Lesson Transcript

Hi everyone, I'm Gina.
I'm sure that everyone watching this video knows about New Year's Day and celebrates it, but do you know how we celebrate in Great Britain?
In this lesson, you're going to learn about the British New Year which we celebrate on the 1st of January.
Do you know how many people gather in London to watch the New Year's fireworks?
We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video.
New Year's Eve is a big party night in Britain. People all over the country celebrate with parties and fireworks to ring in the new year. In Scotland especially it is a big event known as Hogmany. When Big Ben chimes midnight to signal the start of the new year, we join hands and sing the traditional song Auld Lang Syne, a song about friends and forgiveness.
A new year is seen as a new beginning, where we can say goodbye to the year that has passed and welcome the year that is coming. It is tradtional to choose a New Year's Resolution and this is a goal or a change that we want to make to ourselves or our lives. Popular New Year's Resolutions are to loose the extra pounds put on over Christmas, or to quit smoking.
In Britain, and especially Scotland, there is an old superstition and custom that the first person to enter a house in the New Year will bring luck with them. If the First Footer, as they are called, has dark hair it is considered extremely lucky.
As New Year's Eve is a party night it means that New Year's Day is a very slow paced day. Public transport and store hours are limited and most people choose to stay home, relax and nurse their headaches!
And now I'll give you the answer to the earlier quiz.
Do you know how many people gather in London to watch the New Year fireworks?
About 250,000 people gather every year along the River Thames to watch the fireworks. The fireworks are set off from boats along the river and also around the London Eye.
How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting?
Do you remember the name of the song we sing to welcome the New Year?
Leave us a comment at EnglishClass101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson!

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