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THE CLOCK IS ABOUT TO STRIKE MIDNIGHT.

It is New Year's Eve. In New York hundreds of thousands of people have jammed into Times Square -the center of the city- to welcome the new year. The last seconds of the old year tick away. When 12 o'clock arrives, a great cheer goes up, horns blow, firecrackers explode, and people sing "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne." It is now, January 1st, the beginning of a new year.

New Year's Day is the world's birthday. It is celebrated in almost every country in the world. It is a day to look back over the past year and remember all the good things that have happened. It is a time to look back at mistakes, and to make "New Years Resolutions" to avoid these mistakes in the new year.

People celebrate New Year's Day in different ways throughout the world. In England and Scotland, large bonfires are built. In France, gifts are exchanged on New Year's Day. In some countries children go from door to door to receive cookies and cakes.

Perhaps the most popular custom throughout the world is going visiting. People in many parts of the world open their doors to greet their friends and neighbors on New Year's Day. Cookies, candies, nuts, cakes, and other good things are offered at each house. This friendly custom began in China many years ago.

There have been some strange customs on New Year's Day. They are superstitions. That is, they are strange ideas people believed even though there was no real reason to believe them. That a rabbit's foot brings good luck or that breaking a mirror brings seven years bad luck are superstitions.

The most famous superstition for New Year's Day is called "first footing." People in many European countries believed that the first visitor who entered their house on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck for the whole year. A dark-haired man would bring good luck. A woman or a man with light hair would bring bad luck. So, to be on the safe side, some towns chose a man with dark hair to go quickly from house to house. After he made his rounds, the houses would be open to other visitors.

In Japan, women placed beans on the floor in the four corners of the house. This was supposed to drive evil spirits from the house for the new year.

In the United States the new year is celebrated with New Year's Eve parties, paper hats, noise, music, and good friendship. Parades are also an important part of the celebration.

The "Mummers" parade on January 1st each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the biggest parades in the world. A "Mummer" is a man who wears a mask or costume. The Philadelphia parade lasts 10 hours, and is said to cost over one million dollars. The leader of the parade is called "King Momus," and is dressed in a brightly colored costume. He is followed by a long line of magnificent floats, each one different, and specially decorated for the occasion. There are marching bands. The men in the parade are dressed as clowns, animals, historical figures, and even women. The costumes are gay and colorful, and many are covered with flowers, baubles, sequins, and jewelry.

On the other coast of the United States in Pasadena, California, is another famous parade-the Tournament of Roses. A "queen" leads the parade. Millions of flowers, especially roses, decorate the floats. It is one of the most beautiful parades in the world. The climax of the pageant is the Rose Bowl football game.

Everyone, however, does not celebrate the New Year on January 1st.

The date of the new year depends on the calendar that is used. In the past, different days have been New Year's Day because of the different calendars that were used. Even today, some countries or groups of people celebrate according to other calendars.

The wonderful thing about New Year's-whenever it occurs - is that a whole new year lies ahead. The sad thing is that another year has passed.