Worldwide weird: Odd ways to ring in the New Year

美國各地奇怪的跨年方式

Drawing more than one million visitors in person and one billion viewers on TV, New York City’s Times Square ball drop is one of the most watched events in the world。

每年最后一天的夜晚，紐約時代廣場上的水晶球降落儀式都是萬眾矚目的焦點，吸引百萬游客駐足觀看， 另有超過10億的觀眾通過電視一同分享這一盛事。

But many cities across the United States prefer to put their own spin on the now traditional event. From pinecones to pineapples, these regions lower their own oversized symbols as the last seconds of the old year tick away。

然而，許多的城市都有自己的不一樣的跨年方式。伴著一年最后的時間滴答溜走的聲音，這些地區紛紛啟動自己的城市象征的降落儀式，只是降落的不再是水晶球，而是松果和菠蘿。

Pinecone Drop, Flagstaff, Arizona

亞利桑那州的弗拉格斯塔夫：松果

Arizona is more likely to be associated with cactus than pinecones, but Flagstaff, in the northern part of the state, has the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the continental United States. The 5ft-by-7ft gold and silver aluminium pinecone has dropped from the 112-year-old Weatherford Hotel since 1999.

亞利桑那一般會跟仙人掌而不是松果聯系在一起。但是，北部的弗拉格斯塔夫卻擁有美國大陸最大的黃松林。自1999年起，每年最后一天的午夜時分，都會有一個寬5英尺，高7英尺金銀相間的鋁制松果從有著112年歷史的維勒夫特酒店樓頂降落，慶祝新年的到來。

Great Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop, Eastport, Maine

緬因州的東港：沙丁魚和楓葉

The only place in America where the New Year is rung in twice in one night, the easternmost city in the United States drops a 4ft-wide maple leaf at 11 pm to celebrate the New Year in neighbouring New Brunswick, Canada, and drops an 8ft-long sardine at midnight to ring in their own New Year, commemorating Eastport’s longstanding sardine canning industry。

這里是美國唯一一個跨兩次年的地方。作為美國最東邊的城市，東港每年都會在12月31日晚11點，先落下一個4英尺寬的楓葉，慶祝鄰邊加拿大小鎮新不倫瑞克的新年。 然后在午夜時分，落下一只長達8英尺的沙丁魚，慶祝自己的新年。這只巨大的沙丁魚同時也象征著東港經久不衰的沙丁魚罐頭產業。

Moon Pie Drop, Mobile, Alabama

阿拉巴馬州的莫比爾 ：月亮餅

Though moon pies are made in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mobile has had a love affair with the marshmallow-filled treats since they were first thrown in Mardi Gras celebrations in 1956. The 12ft-tall moon pie replica has only been dropping on New Year’s Eve since 2008, but the event already has its very own commemorative song。

雖然月亮餅是在田納西的查塔努加做的，但是莫比爾與它之間的美麗情緣卻可以追溯到1956年。那時候，莫比爾人會在四月齋前的狂歡節上互相投擲這種包著軟糖的點心。一直到了2008年，月亮餡餅才登上了跨年夜的舞臺，莫比爾人用降落一個12英尺高的仿真月亮餅的方式來迎接新年。盡管只有3年的歷史，這個儀式現在已有了專屬的紀念歌曲。

Walleye Drop, Lake Clinton, Ohio

俄亥俄州的克林頓湖 ：碧古魚

A 20ft, 600-pound walleye fish has made an appearance in this Lake Erie town since 1996. Residents hold an entire outdoor celebration (where the temperatures can often be well below freezing) with walleye chowder, sandwiches and even walleye-flavoured popcorn。

自1996年起，伊利湖邊的這個小鎮上的降落儀式主角是一只長20英尺，重600磅的碧古魚。人們舉行隆重的戶外慶祝儀式(氣溫經常低至0°C 以下)。慶典上有美味的碧古魚雜燴，三明治，甚至還有碧古魚味的爆米花。

Pineapple Drop, Honolulu, Hawaii

夏威夷的火魯努努：菠蘿

The last time zone in the US to leave the old year behind, Hawaii sends it off in style by lowering a 200-pound papier-mâché pineapple from the 10-storey Kahala Resort in Oahu. The event can be seen from the beach or the hotel。

夏威夷是美國最晚迎來新年的地方。為迎接新年的到來，一個重達200磅的紙質菠蘿將從10層樓高的卡哈拉酒店樓頂降落。不管是在海邊還是酒店，都可以看到這一儀式。