Where does the Halloween tradition come from?
The Halloween customs that are celebrated each October 31st. in the Anglo-Saxon culture began long ago. They came from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celtic people lived about 2,000 years ago in an area which we know as Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. The festival of Samhain marked the end of summer, the harvest season and the beginning of their new year. The Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31st., the ghosts came to earth. They built huge bonfires and dressed in costumes to frighten the ghosts. They also offered the ghosts good things to eat.
The modern tradition of Halloween is similar to the Celtic customs. But it is essentially celebrated by children who, dressed as witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, monsters, vampires, go trick or treating in their neighborhoods. They repeat:
Trick or treat, Smell my feet or
Give me something good to eat!!!
They go from house to house and they are given apples, buns, money and, of course, sweets. If they cannot treat with the people in the house, a trick will be done, for example, a ghost might visit and haunt the place. Children also have festivals in churches and schools where they wear costumes, read and write stories, play games and have a lot of fun!
Halloween was brought to U.S.A. by many immigrants who came with their believes and traditions. The carving of a Jack-O-Lantern comes from an Irish custom. They are used to frighten ghosts so that they leave the houses.
Do you celebrate Halloween? Why? What do you do?
Match the words with their definitions
A - Habits 1 – bonfires
B - Time when vegetables are picked up 2 - to frighten
C - Big fires made during celebrations 3 - customs
D - Clothes that people wear to pretend they 4 - harvest
are someone/something different (Br.Eng. disguise)
E - To scare 5 - goblins
F - The soul of the dead that comes back to earth 6 - vampires
(especially to scare people)
G - Little monsters, especially in children’s stories 7 - witches
H - Bats that drink blood 8 - Jack-O-Lantern
I - Typical ornament made with a pumpkin 9 – costumes
J - They make potions in a caldron 10 – ghosts
- A-3
- B-4
- C-1
- D-9
- E-2
- F-10
- G-5
- H-6
- I-8
- J-7
