"HAPPY New Year!" Everyone will greet each other with these words as they meet each other over the next couple of weeks. But it wasn't always January 1 that marked the new year.
　　"新年快乐！"在接下来的几周里，人们会用这样的话相互祝福新年的来临。不过，历史上，新年并非总是从1月1日开始的。

　At least 4,000 years ago the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians marked the changing of the year. In Egypt, the year started when the Nile River flooded, enriching farmers' fields with silt. This happened at the end of September. 　 　　
至少在4000年以前，古埃及人和古巴比伦人就开始庆祝新年了。在埃及，9月底泛滥的尼罗河给农田带来了肥沃的淤泥，人们把尼罗河泛滥的时节作为一年的开始。

　The Babylonians held a festival in the spring, on March 23, to kick off the next farming cycle. The Babylonian celebration lasted for 11 days.
　而古巴比伦人在3月23日庆祝一个为期11天的节日。这个节日就标志着下一个农耕周期的开始。

　The date January 1 was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January was named after the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new. The new calendar was in time with the sun and it has been used until the present day. 　　
公元前46年，罗马恺撒大帝在制定一直沿用至今的太阳历的时候，把1月1日选作一年之始。1月(January)这个名字取自罗马的门神雅努斯(Janus)。雅努斯有两个头，一个头朝前看，另一个往后看，象征着时间的新旧交替。

　Around the world, different cultures have their own traditions for welcoming the new year. The Japanese hang straw rope across the front of their houses to keep out evil spirits and bring happiness and good luck. They also have a good laugh as the year begins to get things started on a lucky note. 　　
世界上各种不同的文化都拥有自己独特的庆祝新年的传统方式。例如，日本人喜欢把稻草绳挂在房子前面，据说可以驱邪避鬼，带来好运。新年伊始，他们还开怀大笑，祈求一年开开心心，顺顺利利。

　In India, people like to wear pink, red, purple and white flowers. Women favour yellow, the colour of spring. Hindus also leave shrines next to their beds so they see beautiful objects when they wake up. 　　
而在印度，人们喜欢戴上粉红、红色、紫色和白色的花儿，迎接新年的到来。女人喜欢代表春天色彩的黄花儿。印度人还把圣物箱放在床前，这样，一觉醒来，他们就能看到圣物箱里漂亮的小玩意儿，以求新年大吉大利。

　Canadians enjoy the traditional polar bear swim. People of all ages put on their swimsuits and jump into frozen lakes. 　　
而加拿大人呢，他们热衷于传统的"北极熊游泳"。不论老少，人们都穿起泳衣，跳进冰冷的湖水中畅游一番。

　The date January 1 was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January was named after the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new. The new calendar was in time with the sun and it has been used until the present day. 　　
公元前46年，罗马恺撒大帝在制定一直沿用至今的太阳历的时候，把1月1日选作一年之始。1月(January)这个名字取自罗马的门神雅努斯(Janus)。雅努斯有两个头，一个头朝前看，另一个往后看，象征着时间的新旧交替。

　Around the world, different cultures have their own traditions for welcoming the new year. The Japanese hang straw rope across the front of their houses to keep out evil spirits and bring happiness and good luck. They also have a good laugh as the year begins to get things started on a lucky note. 　　
世界上各种不同的文化都拥有自己独特的庆祝新年的传统方式。例如，日本人喜欢把稻草绳挂在房子前面，据说可以驱邪避鬼，带来好运。新年伊始，他们还开怀大笑，祈求一年开开心心，顺顺利利。
　
In India, people like to wear pink, red, purple and white flowers. Women favour yellow, the colour of spring. Hindus also leave shrines next to their beds so they see beautiful objects when they wake up. 　　
而在印度，人们喜欢戴上粉红、红色、紫色和白色的花儿，迎接新年的到来。女人喜欢代表春天色彩的黄花儿。印度人还把圣物箱放在床前，这样，一觉醒来，他们就能看到圣物箱里漂亮的小玩意儿，以求新年大吉大利。

　Canadians enjoy the traditional polar bear swim. People of all ages put on their swimsuits and jump into frozen lakes. 　　
而加拿大人呢，他们热衷于传统的"北极熊游泳"。不论老少，人们都穿起泳衣，跳进冰冷的湖水中畅游一番。