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Customers and shop assistants are getting used to new notes and coins

England have

Twelve of the European Union's 15 countries have woken to life with a new currency today, as the euro reached the purses of ordinary citizens across the continent.

In the biggest monetary changeover in history, more than six billion notes and nearly 40 billion coins have been distributed to shops, banks and cash machines.

The French President, Jacques Chirac, described the development as a "new way of being in Europe."

Just three EU countries have refused to part with their currencies: Britain, Sweden and Denmark.

However, European Commission President Romano Prodi said the arrival of the single currency inevitably meant "greater convergence of economic rules" within the eurozone - and any countries outside the zone risked being left out.

Traditional New Year parties became welcome parties for the new common currency in many European capitals.

A million revellers turned out in the German capital, Berlin, and other capitals including Paris, Helsinki and Athens staged special celebrations.

The new currency is unlikely to have its full effect on day-to-day transactions until tomorrow as many businesses are closed for New Year's Day.

National currencies will continue to circulate alongside the new euro for another two months in most member countries.

One notable exception is Germany, where a loophole in the law means the Deutschmark ceased to exist at midnight.

The euro has been used as an electronic currency for financial trading since 1999, but this is the first time it has appeared in the purses of the 300 million ordinary citizens of the eurozone.

The development has intensified the fierce debate in Britain, where the government is committed to areferendumon the issue once certain economic tests set by Chancellor Gordon Brown are met.

Europe Minister Peter Hain defended the government's position, saying, "We want to join but we will only join when it is economically right for Britain to do so."

But, he added, "The increasingly urgent question for British citizens is whether we want to get left behind yet again as we have been consistently in Europe."   

The Queen, Prime Minister and others celebrated at the Millennium Dome

The first people to witness the dawn of the new era were Pacific Islanders - among the last were the Americans.

And fears that the dreaded Millennium Bug would cause computer meltdown around the world failed to materialise to the relief of those who have invested billions in trying to avert a potential crisis.

The unique global experience, which will never again be witnessed by any person living today, was marked by all denominations and all classes and creeds of people across the planet.

Here in the UK a huge clean-up is now under way after one of the most amazing, yet trouble-free, celebrations this country has ever-seen.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, who celebrated with his wife, the Queen, and thousands of others at the Millennium Dome, said the "confidence and optimism" for the new Millennium should be bottled and kept forever.

More than two million people lined the banks of the River Thames to watch a firework spectacular and although the emergency services were stretched to capacity no major disturbances were reported.

In Edinburgh five tonnes of fireworks were set off in four minutes in the city's largest Hogmanay celebrations to date.

Today, thousands of people turned out for a Millennium Day Parade in London and bells were rung simultaneously in churches and cathedrals around the country at noon.

referendum: a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate（公民投票）