139. New Year's (Listen and Read)

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

What is New Year's? Well, to me a New Year is when the date of the year changes.

This year it is 2001,

and on December 31st at midnight it will change to 2002.

I wonder who invented the changing of the years

and how it was made the way it is.

It must have been someone a long time ago, since it's already 2001.

When New Year's comes closer, a lot of people talk about New Year's resolutions.

I don't bother making "resolutions" because I never do them anyway!

And the ones I do make are usually ones that will happen anyway.

I guess it's just common sense.

The biggest reason why I like New Year's

is because of the fireworks that we have here in Canada

and many other countries, too.

You should see some of the fireworks that go off.

There are many different colors.

There's pink, blue, purple, yellow, green, red, even white, silver and gold.

Fireworks make loud bangs, squeals, siren sounds, and sometimes all at once.

There are lots of different sounds, but I can't even explain what they are all like.

Fireworks are best when it's very dark outside.

They light up the whole sky!

Sometimes, they look as though they are going to fall on you.

I like New Year's because it's fun in other ways,

but the fireworks are the best.

You can buy fireworks to use for your own fireworks show.

However, you have to be careful that no one gets burned or hurt.

Usually, there are parties at New Year's.

Some people really dress up fancy and even wear masks.

They don't know who one another is until midnight when they take their masks off.

As midnight comes very close, everybody begins to count down,

and then everyone yells out "Happy New Year's"

and bang pots and pans or ring bells or honk horns.

Join me in the count down on New Year's Eve!