Halloween, the spookiest time of the year, is celebrated all over the world, each country with its own traditions. Let's take a look at the history and origin of Halloween and some traditions!
The name Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows' Evening, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve. It is a celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31st, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day.
It happens during the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all of the departed. In ancient times, since it was a holiday to remember the dead, some people believed that spirits from the dead would be able to walk around freely between the living world and the world of the dead.
Because of that, and to protect themselves, the ancient people created some habits that are still observed today, like wearing costumes and carving scary faces on pumpkins, all of this in order to scare the evil spirits away.
American Halloween Activities and Traditions
Trick or Treating
This is the favorite activity among kids, they dress up in costumes and go around the neighborhoods knocking on neighbors' doors and asking for candy. They give the neighbors two options: either they give them a treat (candy) or the kids will play a trick on the neighbor (which can be, for example, to throw toilet paper on their roof!).
The candies distributed are usually mini-sized versions of regular candies, such as Reese's peanut butter cups, Tootsie rolls, milk duds, Skittles, M&Ms, Kit Kat, Butterfinger, etc.
Pumpkin Carving
The ancient traditions included carving scary faces on pumpkins, to scare the evil spirits away. Nowadays, people carve not only scary faces, but all sorts of faces and other images on pumpkins! Before carving the pumpkin, you have to remove its insides, including the seeds, which you can later bake to make Halloween snacks! After carving the pumpkins, people put candles inside them to turn them into lanterns. This kind of pumpkin is also called "Jack-o'-lantern" which is another story full of variants and legends! Click
here to read about the tale of Jack-o'-lantern!
Haunted Attractions
Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare people. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses that may include haunted houses and corn mazes. Some people even decorate their own houses as haunted houses, and open for neighbors to visit!
Halloween Costumes
Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as vampires, monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Over time, in the United States, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses.
1. Now complete the sentences with words from the box below.
Halloween costume - Jack-o'-lantern - trick or treating - Halloween candy - haunted house - pumpkin seeds
a) I have already bought my for this year's holiday, I'm going to be a vampire!
b) are a traditional Halloween snack, and a very healthy option to eat every day too!
c) My friends and I are going to visit a today, it's a very old and creepy house, I am already scared.
d) My children love going , they always get a lot of from the neighbors!
e) I'm going to carve this pumpkin to make a ! I'll use it to decorate my front porch.
2. Complete the sentences below.
a) your mother pumpkin seeds?
b) you always this witch costume on Halloween? I think you should try something new this year!
c) your friends going to haunted houses? We should all go together!
d) your girlfriend to the Halloween party with you?
e) this you, John? I can't recognize you because of the mask you are wearing.
f) you go trick or treating last year?
g) you at the corn maze last Saturday too? That's such a coincidence.
3. Write the question forms of the affirmative sentences below.
a) You like watching horror movies on Halloween.
?
b) The little girl went trick or treating with her parents.
?
