The celebration of the New Year is the oldest one of all holidays. It was first【1】in【2】Babylon about 4,000 years ago. New Year's Day is an【3】national holiday, and banks and offices will be closed. Many families have New year's Day【4】.

Traditionally, it was thought that it could【5】the luck they would have【6】the coming year by【7】they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for【8】to celebrate the first few minutes of a【9】new year in the【10】with the family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring【11】good luck or bad luck to the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor【12】to be a tall dark-haired man.

Traditional New Year's【13】are also thought to bring luck. People in many parts of the US celebrate the New Year by【14】black-eyed peas and cabbage. Black-eyed peas have been considered good luck in many cultures. Cabbage leaves are considered a【15】of prosperity, being【16】of paper currency. Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also【17】back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the【18】to lose weight or quit smoking.

The song, "Auld Lang Syne", is sung at the【19】of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the New Year. "Auld Lang Syne" literally【20】"yearning for the old days."

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C．observed

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