“开放门户”的风俗是由乔治-华盛顿在其第一届总统期间开创的。1789年的1月1日，华盛顿总统首次打开了他的官邸大门，任何想进去的人都可以进。“开放门户”，顾名思义就是：前门是开着的……

　　Like many people all over the world， Americans enjoy celebrating the arrival of each new year. Almost everyone makes an occasion of New Year’s Eve in order to[1] see the old year out and welcome the new one. In New York， a favorite gatheringplace on December 31 is New York City’s Times Square.

　　Thousands of Americans and international tourists crowd this famous spot （at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue） and crane their necks to watch for "Happy New Year" to flash across the electronically controlled sign that moves around. When the moment arrives bedlam breaks forth. Bells ring， whistles blow， people cheer with their happy excitement.

　　The custom of visiting friends， relatives and neighbors is one of the popular activities on New Year’s Day. This activity is called Open House. The custom of Open House was inaugurated by George Washington during his first term as President. On January 1， 1789， President Washington first opened the doors of his official residence to all who wished to come. An Open House is just what the name implies ： the front door is left open.

　　Inside the door there is a spirit of relaxed cordiality， and guests are free to arrive and leave when they like. Invitations may say simply， "Drop in after the game" or "Come drink a New Year’s toast with us[4]". On January 1， now， families hold "Open House" so that their friends can visit them throughout the day to express good wishes for the new year.

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　　同全世界人民一样，美国人也喜欢庆祝每个新年的到来。几乎人人都把除夕作为送旧迎新的时刻来庆祝。十二月三十一日在纽约，人们最喜欢聚会的地方是纽约的时代广场。

　　成千上万的美国人和国际游客拥挤在这块胜地（百老汇和第七街的交叉处），翘首观望来回移动的电子控制牌，上面不时闪现着"新年好"的字幕。当新的一年的一刹那到来时，喧闹声骤然四起。钟声响了，汽笛响了，人们热情欢呼，沉浸在幸福的激情之中。

　　看望朋友、亲戚和邻居的风俗是新年最常见活动之一。这一活动叫做“开放门户”。“开放门户”的风俗是由乔治-华盛顿在其第一届总统期间开创的。1789 年的1月1日，华盛顿总统首次打开了他的官邸大门，任何想进去的人都可以进。“开放门户”，顾名思义就是：前门是开着的。

　　进门后是轻松热情的气氛，来宾们来去自便。邀请的词语很简单，“看完球赛了请来坐坐”或者“进来跟我们喝一杯，庆祝新年”。现在，到1月1日那一天，各家各户都“开放门户”，以便朋友们随时都可去看望，表达对新的一年的美好祝愿。