People in different countries greet each other in different ways. Here are some.

    The United States

    People shake hands when they meet for the first time. Friends and family members often hug or kiss on the cheek(脸颊)when they see each other.

    Korea(韩国)

    Men bow and shake hands to greet each other. Women do not usually shake hands. If you call someone, you use his or her full name. The family name comes first; then the first name.

    Finland(芬兰)

    Finns (芬兰人) greet each other with a handshake. Hugs and kisses are only for close friends and family members.

    The Philippines(菲律宾)

    The everyday greeting for friends is a handshake for both men and women. Men sometimes pat(轻拍) each other on the back.

    Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some ways. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.

    In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year from midnight on December 31st to January 1st, People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal(正式的)clothes, and they may drink champagne(香槟) at midnight. During the first minute of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead, But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

    Many cultures also do special things to get rid of(摆脱)bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes, The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh(重新). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

    Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck he will have in the new year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck on New Year's Day. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year, you have to eat 365 of them!

    More than forty years ago, a group of artists gathered to develop a television program. They planned to make a television show that would teach young children about subjects like reading and math in a fun way.

    Sesame Street was first shown on TV on November 10th, 1969. It was produced by a group called The Children's Television Workshop, and today it was called The Sesame Workshop. The show used cartoon characters and human actors to create funny and creative lessons for children. Some of the most famous characters on the show are Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Bert and Ernie. Puppet maker Jim Henson created these lovely characters.

    Research is an important part of what made Sesame Street special. The show's creators studied children very carefully to understand how to best keep them having fun and learning. When the show was first introduced to children, some of its creators were not sure whether it would last one season. But forty years later, Sesame Street is the longest running children's television program in the United States.

    As part of its fortieth anniversary (周年), Sesame Street had a special guest on its show. First Lady Michelle Obama showed a group of children and Big Bird how to plant. She explained that the seeds would grow into vegetables, which are healthy and good to eat. She also had a message to the parents who watch the show with their children. She said parents can help their children do things to have healthy lives, like getting enough exercise.