"Happy New Year!
One of the most important days of the year is the first of January and it is celebrated all over the world. It is the time of year when people get together, eat and drink a lot and generally behave with warmth and affection towards each other.
In London, on the stroke of midnight before the New Year begins, people gather in Trafalgar Square and not only celebrate in the usual way but also sometimes throw themselves into the fountain under Nelson's Column.
In Spain, people eat grapes for each of the twelve strokes of midnight. No one knows exactly how the custom of celebrating the New Year began. Some people believe it was the Chinese who started it, others say it was the Romans.
In China, they celebrate New Year, which is at a different time from that in the West, not only for one day but also for several days.
A special custom in some countries is to make so-called "New Year's resolutions." This means you make a big decision to improve your life in some ways by stopping any bad habit you may have. For example, people say they will stop smoking, they will work harder, they will do their best to pass their exams, and so on. It is pity that the optimistic spirit of New Year does not often last very long!
Source : Heinemann English Language Teaching, Oxford"
Which of these words has the closest meaning to the word "custom" ?
