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1、A Comparision of Western and Chinese New Years Superstitions 对比：东西方的新年禁忌对比：东西方的新年禁忌Besides getting sloppy drunk and kissing everybody in the room at the stroke of midnight, celebrants observed numerous lesser-known New Years customs and superstitions. Many of the superstitions associated with the ev
2、ent bear the common theme that activities engaged in on that day set the pattern for the year to come. Others have to do with warding off evil spirits or attracting luck. Because January 1 is the first day of the new year, we have drawn a connection between what we do on that day and our fate throug
3、hout the rest of the year. Here are some of the ways we attempt to guarantee a good outcome through our acts on that portentous first day: Kissing at midnight: We kiss those dearest to us at midnight not only to share a moment of celebration with our favorite people, but also to ensure those affecti
4、ons and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To fail to smooch our significant others at the stroke of twelve would be to set the stage for a year of coldness. Stocking Up: The new year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders mus
5、t be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the home to guarantee prosperity. Paying Off Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed off prior to January 1st. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the
6、 New Year arrives. First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year youre about to have. Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silv
7、er coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt. Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household. Aim a gun at them if you have to, but dont let them near your door before a man crosses the
8、threshold. The first footer (sometimes called the “Lucky Bird“) should knock and be let in rather than unceremoniously use a key, even if he is one of the householders. After greeting those in the house and dropping off whatever small tokens of luck he has brought with him, he should make his way th
9、rough the house and leave by a different door than the one through which he entered. No one should leave the premises before the first footer arrives the first traffic across the threshold must be headed in rather than striking out. First footers must not be cross-eyed or have flat feet or eyebrows
10、that meet in the middle. Nothing prevents the cagey householder from stationing a dark-haired man outside the home just before midnight to ensure the speedy arrival of a suitable first footer as soon as the chimes sound. If one of the partygoers is recruited for this purpose, impress upon him the ne
11、ed to slip out quietly just prior to the witching hour. Nothing Goes Out: Nothing absolutely nothing, not even garbage is to leave the house on the first day of the year. If youve presents to deliver on New Years Day, leave them in the car overnight. Dont so much as shake out a rug or take the empti
12、es to the recycle bin. Some people soften this rule by saying its okay to remove things from the home on New Years Day provided something else has been brought in first. This is similar to the caution regarding first footers; the year must begin with somethings being added to the home before anythin
13、g subtracts from it. One who lives alone might place a lucky item or two in a basket that has a string tied to it, then place the basket just outside the front door before midnight. After midnight, the lone celebrant hauls in his catch, being careful to bring the item across the door jamb by pulling
14、 the string rather than by reaching out to retrieve it and thus breaking the plane of the threshold. Black-Eyed Peas: A tradition common to the southern states of the USA dictates that the eating of black-eyed peas on New Years Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the o
15、ne doing the dining. Some choose to add otherSouthern fare to this tradition, but the black- eyed peas are key. Work: Make sure to do and be successful at something related to your work on the first day of the year, even if you dont go near your place of employment that day. Limit your activity to a
16、 token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very unlucky. Also, do not do the laundry on New Years Day, lest a member of the family be washed away (die) in the upcoming months. The more cautious eschew even washing dishes. New Clothes: Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow. Money: Do not pay
