全球各地过新年都有自己独特的庆祝方式，比如日本人喜欢寄贺年卡，朝鲜人会吃甜饭，阿根廷人洗“新年浴”，葡萄牙人斗牛迎新年。然而，在一片喜庆祥和的气氛中，也有些地方的元旦习俗令人匪夷所思，甚至有点惊悚。
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1. 用面包驱赶鬼魂
Back in the day, residents of Ireland would bang loaves against doors and walls just before midnight to ward off any angry apparitions or problematic phantoms that might be lurking. Whacking bread against the wall is also believed to send bad luck packing and ensure that your family won't go hungry for the next 12 months.
过去，爱尔兰人在新年前夜会用长面包用力敲打门和墙，以驱赶潜伏在家中的怨鬼邪灵。据认为用面包敲打墙面还能赶走厄运，保佑家人新的一年不会挨饿。
2. 不要在新年第一天洗衣服
Some people believe that if you clean clothes on January 1, you'll be "washing for the dead" and a member of your family will die at some point in the coming year. It will also send a year of good fortune spiraling down the drain.
有些人相信，如果你在1月1日这天洗衣服，你洗的将会是“死人的衣服”，你的一位家人将会在这一年去世。他们认为，元旦洗衣服还会将一年的好运都冲走。
3. 不要在新年第一天扔东西
According to this New Year's superstition, nothing—be it leftover pizza, empty wine bottles, you get the idea—should be removed from your house until after New Year's Day. The idea is that it'll set the tone for a steady stream of people and things to leave you in the year to come.
有一种迷信说法是，元旦不能扔家里的任何东西，无论是吃剩的披萨还是空酒瓶。如果你在这一天扔东西，你身边的人和物都会在这一年陆续离你而去。
4. 在新年前夜打开所有门窗
Homeowners in the Philippines open all the doors and windows just before midnight to serve up an eviction notice to any bad juju that might be lingering around and usher positive auras into their abodes. According to Filipino tradition, the more noise you make on December 31, the better, as it's also believed that a big ruckus helps to drive away evil spirits.
菲律宾人会在新年前夜打开家中的所有门窗以驱邪纳吉。依照菲律宾传统，12月31日家里越吵闹越好，因为菲律宾人认为吵闹声可以赶走恶灵。
5. 在新年前夜扮成妖怪
In small villages around Japan, young men dressed as the Namahage (a.k.a. ogre-like demons) go door to door to frighten lazy people. They also threaten to snatch away misbehaving children but back off once the head of the household offers sake and rice cakes. These terrifying figures are also believed to bring protection from illness and disasters once appeased, as well as a good harvest and plentiful food year-round.
在日本的一些小村落，年轻男子会扮成生剥鬼（一种食人魔鬼）走家串户去吓懒人。他们还威胁要抓走调皮捣蛋的小孩，但是只要主人拿出清酒和年糕款待，他们就会离去。据认为这些可怕的鬼怪形象可以祛病消灾，还能保佑来年庄稼丰收，一年到头都有充足的食物。
英文来源：Mental Floss
翻译&编辑：丹妮
来源：中国日报网
