1月1日 新年(New Year's Day)
新年是全美各州一致庆祝的主要节日。美国人过新年，最热闹的是除夕晚上。是夜，人们聚集在教堂、街头或广场，唱诗、祈祷、祝福、忏悔，并一同迎候那除旧更新的一瞬。午夜12点，全国教堂钟声齐鸣，乐队高奏著名的怀旧歌曲《一路平安》。在音乐声中，激动的人们拥抱在一起，怀着惜别的感伤和对新生活的向往共同迎来新的一年。 新年在美国并不是最热闹的节日，但仍有不少盛大的庆祝活动，加利福尼亚州的玫瑰花会是美国规模最大的新年盛典，届时用鲜花特别是玫瑰花扎成的彩车绵延数英里，车上摆满鲜花做的各种模型，不仅吸引加州的男女老少簇拥街头，而且还吸引着上百万电视观众。
在费城，有举行化装游行的传统，参加游行的人们，有的装扮成小丑，有的装扮成妇女(按照古老的习俗，这个游行不允许女人参加)，随着彩车载歌载舞，热闹非凡。
据说美国的印第安人也有独特的新年习俗。每到除夕之夜，他们就举行富有特色的篝火晚会，一家人围在篝火旁边，载歌载舞。待至晨曦微露，他们就把破旧衣物付之一炬，作为除旧迎新的象征。美国人还有一个有意思的习惯，就是在新年许愿立志，他们称之为“新年决心”。这决心通常不是什么宏图大志，而是一些朴实而实际的打算，例如“我一定戒烟““我要好好对待邻居”等等。他们总是坦率地讲给大家听，以期得到监督和鼓励。
January
The first day of January is New Year's Day. This federal holidacelebrates the beginning of each New Year. People in the U.S. sometimes spend this day watching college football games and parades. On the third Monday in January， we celebrate Martin Luther King， Jr.'s birthday as a federal holiday. Martin Luther King， Jr. worked to change laws so that all people in the U.S. would be treated fairly. He worked for change in the 1950s and 60s when many states had laws separating black and white people. Martin Luther King taught people to use peaceful demonstrations to change laws， instead of violence. Many laws were changed because of his work. Many people worked with him in the hope that the U.S. could be a fair country for all people.
In January or February many people in the U.S. celebrate the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year falls between January 10th and February 19th.The date changes because it is from a calendar based on the moon， not the sun. On this day， many families clean their homes of all the "old" and get ready for the New Year. They wear new clothes and share delicious food. They give each other red envelopes with money for good luck in the coming year. They also light firecrackers to chase away bad luck.