переводHogmanayAt midnight on December 31st throughout Great Britain people celebrate the

Перевод
Hogmanay
At midnight on December 31st throughout Great Britain people celebrate the coming of "the New Year, by holding hands in a large circle; and singing "For Auld Lang Syne". This line means "in memory of past times" and the words were written by Scotland's most famous poet Robert Burns. He wrote much of his poetry in the Scots dialect of English. New Year's Eve is a more important, festival in Scotland, than it is in England, and it even has a special name. It is not clear where the word "hogmanay" comes from, but it is connected with the provision of food and drink for all visitors to your home on December 31st. In addition, many people believe that you will have good luck for coming year if the first person to enter your house after midnight is a "tall dark stranger". It is also thought lucky if the person brings a piece of coal and some white bread! Most Scots take part in a ceilidh (Gaelic for "dance") on New Year's Eve and there is much dancing and singing until the early hours of the morning.

Most of the old New Year customs take place in Scotland, beginning with "first-footing" in which the first person to enter the house in the New Year must be entertained with food and drink. But he, on his part, must take food, drink and fuel into the house, to ensure that there shall never be lack of them during the coming year.

But this is a custom that must never be carried out by woman, because it is believed that if a woman first sets foot the house, bad luck will follow throughout a year! The same custom is carried out in part of the North of England.

Another Scottish custom is to burn juniper in the house on New Year's Day in order to protect the inmates from harm.

Besides public holidays there are other festivals, anniversaries, celebrations and simply days on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, they are ordinary working days.