The New Year is a time for celebration for almost everyone of the world. In Britain, people go to pubs and nightclubs to dance the old year away, and to welcome in the new one at midnight.

In recent years, street parties have become more popular. Thousands of people gather in squares, main streets or on the river banks to listen to bands playing and to see fireworks displays.

For people who stay at home, most are attracted by the special, live New Year shows on TV. They are waiting for the countdown, along with the presenters, from 10 to 1 as the last second of the old year away and the bells of the New Year are rung.

In Scotland, people visit their neighbors and drink, dance on New Year's Eve. If you're invited to a Scottish home that night, it's important to know what to bring with you: a lump of coal, some shortbread and some whisky.

The coal shows warmth, so you're wishing the people you visit will have enough heat in the coming year. The shortbread represents food, so you're hoping that the people will have enough to eat in the new year. Some Scots call whisky “the water of life”£¬ so when you hand over your bottle to your hosts, it means you want them to have enough to drink over the next 12 months.

And there's one more key task you still have to perform if you can. The first person to knock on a neighbor's door is supposed to be a tall, dark, and handsome man who will bring good luck to the household. But what if that's not you? Well, don't ring the bell just yet. Wait a while and the_right_person is sure to turn up soon!