2016 is just around the corner, which means people all over the world will soon be celebrating the start of a great new year!
And to help make your celebrations a little more special, we’ve got some essential vocabulary for the festive season. Read on – and get in the party mood!
New Year’s resolutions
Resolutions are goals or ideas that people will often make for themselves, to set a plan for the future.
At the start of a new year, it’s common for many people to make special resolutions for the year ahead, as it gives a fresh new start to life. These are important dreams or goals they hope to fulfil in the coming year. They might often be related to their health, for example, a resolution to start a diet, do more exercise or stop smoking.
You can also make resolutions about other subjects – and they can be as big or small as you like. For example, you can make a resolution to learn a new skill or language, travel more, or simply make some changes to your lifestyle.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
These two dates are pretty special – and they come at either end of the calendar!
New Year’s Eve is December 31st – this is the day before the next year starts.
New Year’s Day is, as you might guess, January 1st – this is the start of a brand new year!
In many places, New Year’s Day is often a public holiday – and plenty of people enjoy a relaxed start to the new year, especially if they’ve been celebrating the night before!
Countdown
If you’ve ever celebrated the start of a new year, you might have seen a special countdown, where the last few seconds are counted down before midnight strikes and the New Year officially begins.
In many places, it’s a time of great anticipation and excitement – in New York for example, the famous New Year’s Eve Ball drops in Times Square, while in London, people will eagerly await the strike of Big Ben at midnight.
Auld Lang Syne
Pronounced “old lang sine”, this is the name of a well known song that is sung across the UK and other English speaking countries, when celebrating the New Year. The words might seem a little strange and unfamiliar to you – this is because it’s actually written in a Scottish dialect.
Don't worry if you don’t know the lyrics to the song though – the most important part is taking part and having a good time with everyone!
To ring in the new year
This is a phrase that means celebrating the start of the New Year, however you might choose to do it.
For example:
“We decided to ring in the new year with a quiet party at home, but my sister went to a huge celebration instead.”
How will you be celebrating the New Year? Make sure you practice using these special phrases to share the holiday spirit – and make a few New Year’s resolutions of your own!
