In Italy New Year begins on the sixth of January. At night when all the children sleep the kind fairy Befana arrives on a magic sweeper.

She puts children's presents in the socks suspending on a fireplace. Who from them studied badly or played pranks, Befona brings a pinch of ashes or a piece of coal.

In Italy, on New Years Eve people throw out old things from window. The Italians like this custom very much. They throw out old irons, chairs and other stuff.

In Sweden before New year children elect the queen of light Lyuchiya. They dress up in a white dress, the head put on a crown with the lit candles. Lyuchiya brings gifts to children and delicacies to pets: to cat - cream, a dog - a sugar stone, to a donkey- carrots.

In Ireland Christmas – it is religious holiday, but not simply entertainment. The lit candles put near a window at the evening before Christmas, for the aid to Iosif and Maria if they look for a shelter.

The most common type of celebration is a New Year party, either a family party or one arranged by a group of young people. This usually begins at about eight o'clock and goes on until the early hours of the morning.

Another popular way of celebrating the New Year is to go to a New Year's dance. Most hotels and dance halls hold a special dance on New Year's Eve. The hall is decorated, there are several different bands and the atmosphere is very gay.

In England there was a custom to exchange greeting cards by New year. The first New Year's card was printed in London in 1843.

On the British Isles has big distribution custom of "an admission of New year" - a symbolical boundary of transition from antecedents to new. When clock beat 12, people open a back door of the house to let out Old year, and with the last blow of clock they open a forward door, letting in New year.

In Scotland a holiday of New year is called " Hogmanay ". On streets people celebrate the holiday with the Scottish song on Robert Burns's words. On custom for a New Year's Eve they set fire to barrels with tar and roll them on streets, burning, thus, Old year and inviting New.

People call the New Years Eve Hogmanay. They visit their friends houses just after midnight on the New Years night. The first person who comes to the your house brings you luck. At midnight when the clock began to strike twelve, the head of the family goes to the entrance door, opens it wide and holds it until the last stroke. Then he shuts the door. He has let the old year out and let the New Year in.

This day the French Father Frost - Per Noel - brings to good and diligent children gifts and sweets. In wooden boots and with a basket of gifts behind the back, he arrives on a donkey.

He leaves an animal outside, and gets into the house through a flue. He puts gifts in footwear (sabots) which children leave in advance before a fireplace.

Father Frost comes To Holland by the ship. Joyful children meet him on pier. Father Frost loves cheerful draws and surprises and often gives to children marzipan fruit, toys, candy flowers.

In Japan housewives start to cook special food for the New Years Day and the members of the families do a big cleaning up. The idea is to get rid of the past year dirt, and welcome the new. On the television or on the radio you can hear 108 bells. The 108 th bell rings just a second before the midnight. The people say : Happy New Year! People eat special food and drink rice wine during the meal.