In Britain the New Year is not as widely celebrated as Christmas. Some people ignore it completely and go to bed at usual time. Others, however, do celebrate it in one way or another. The most common type of celebration is a New Year party.
There is a funny tradition connected with the New Year: the First Foot. This is the first visitor to enter a house on New Year's morning. He is a person of great importance. The First Foot must be a man because it is believed that if a woman first sets foot in the house, bad luck will follow throughout the year. He may be a chance caller or a person who comes on purpose to let the New Year into the house and bring good luck to the family. Traditionally, the first visitor of the year must carry food, drink and coal into the house. Coal helps to make a fire in midwinter and there shall never be lack of food and drink during the coming year.
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