You see people in movies celebrating a white Christmas in England or the United States. But Christmas in Australia is different.

The holiday, celebrated on Dec 25, comes at the hottest time of the year in Australia. The temperature is usually about 30°C in most cities and can even be over 40°C. There is certainly no white Christmas in Australia.

Because it is so hot, the tradition is to have a lunch outside and to swim in the pool or beach. Most people have a one-week holiday during this time, so they will travel to meet their family for Christmas lunch. Christmas lunch is usually a big meal of ham, turkey, salad and fresh seafood. (3) Family members all cook something different to bring to the big meal. I always enjoy Christmas lunch because there are lots of good cooks in the family. One year my aunt even made a delicious gingerbread house (姜饼屋) that we ate for dessert.

Children get presents from “Santa Claus” and are always excited to play with them. (4) It is a fun time to play or swim in the pool with the other members of your family.

The sport of cricket (板球) is very popular in Australia and another tradition is to play a game of cricket in your backyard. I always enjoyed playing with my uncle and cousins when I was growing up.

So Australia might not have a white Christmas. But it is still a very exciting and fun time of the year.

A New Year’s resolution is a promise a person makes for the new year. No matter what resolutions people make, they want to improve themselves in the coming year.

Resolutions can come in many ①forms. Some people make a promise to change a bad habit, such as giving up smoking or eating less junk food. ②Other people make a promise to have a good habit. For example, they promise to start an exercise program, spend more time with family and friends, or learn something new.

The tradition(传统) of New Year’s resolutions goes back to 153 BC. At that time, January was named after Janus, a god of early Rome. Janus had two faces-one looking forward (向前) and the other looking backward (向后). On December 31st, the Romans thought Janus could look backward into the old year and forward into the new year. ③ for, a, time, became, special,Romans,this (.) They wanted Janus to forgive (原谅) them for their wrong doings in the past year. They would give gifts and make promises. And that’s how the New Year’s resolution was born.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in China. On that day, people get together to celebrate it. Eating mooncakes is popular every year.

There are many interesting folk stories about this festival. However, the story of Chang’e is the most touching of all. After Hou Yi shot down the nine suns, a goddess gave him magic medicine to thank him. No matter who took this, he or she could live forever. Hou Yi planned to take it with Chang’e. However, Pang Meng tried to steal the medicine when Hou Yi was not home. Chang’e refused to give it to him. She took it all. She became very light. She flew up to the moon. Hou Yi was too sad to fall asleep every night. She called out her name to the moon. One night, the moon was bright, he saw his wife. He quickly laid out fruits in the garden. How happy he was!