What should you do if thieves break into your house on Halloween? Give them a pumpkin! Some people are disgusted by this holiday, others simply don’t understand it. After all, it’s not ours! And it’s so stupid to walk around the city in stupid costumes, smeared with fake blood, or with rubber knives. There is some truth in this. It used to be believed that evil spirits roam the earth on this holiday. What does this have to do with Spider-Man's costume? But the main thing is fun, right?! Let's discuss this amazing and interesting holiday. And let no one dress up as us for Halloween. C"mon!
Essay on Halloween
The "Trick or Treat" time is here! Witches, goblins, vampires, werewolves, imps, ghosts and monsters, all of them gather to celebrate the most mysterious and dark holiday of the year Halloween!
This festivity is celebrated on October 31st. When the evening falls — you know it"s time to put on your masks! Because the night is going to be scary and it"s better to scare than being scared! The holiday itself is also called All Hallows" Eve. Halloween's history comes from the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes.The Celts had faith in the spirit world and worshiped nature. They believed that at the end of summer, Samhain, the god of death , becomes more powerful and overpowers the god of the sun, Belenus. This day, Samhain brings together all the undead and evil spirits by opening the gates between this world and other ones, much darker ones.On this day people wore masks or other disguises and blackened their faces to pass unnoticed by the spirits. This arose from the belief that ghosts or spirits cannot see their own reflection. And if a goblin or demon saw another creature looking suitably horrible, they would not touch it. Perhaps.
After the Romans conquered Britain in 61 A.D., they brought their own harvest festival with them, held on November 1. The festival was to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruitful abundance. Over the years, the two festivals got mixed up and became one long holiday. The Celtic conception of ghosts and witches became blended with Roman and later Christian customs. In the USA, before Halloween also comes a Mischief Night, celebrating on the 30th of October. This is the night when people prank each other.
These days, Halloween is a pretty much bright festival with kids wearing costumes and go trick-or-treating. Many of them carve jack-a-lanterns out of pumpkins. Fortune telling and storytelling about ghosts and witches are popular activities as well. Also, the great number of horror movies and video game releases usually fall on this holiday, plus Universal Studios even hold their own Halloween Horror Nights in LA, Orlando and Singapore weeks before the actual Halloween to entertain people.
People once believed that there were many ghosts and witches on the Earth and that they met on this day to worship the Devil. Today, people do not believe in supernatural but like to have fun and celebrate.
Essay on Halloween
So, it's time to say Trick or Treat! Witches, goblins, vampires, werewolves, devils, ghosts and monsters - they all gather to celebrate the most mystical and dark holiday of the year - Halloween.
The celebration is celebrated on October 31st. When evening comes, you know it's time to put on your masks. Because the night will be scary, and it's better to be scared than to be scared. The holiday is also called All Hallows' Eve. The history of Halloween originates from the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes. The Celts believed in a spiritual world and worshiped nature. They believed that at the end of summer Samhain, the god of death, becomes more powerful and defeats the sun god, Belenus. On this day, Samhain gathers all the evil spirits and opens the gates between this world and the other world, which are much darker.
On this day, people wore masks or other attributes and blackened their faces in order to pass unnoticed in front of the spirits. It all started from the belief that ghosts or spirits cannot see their own reflection. And if goblins or demons see another creature that looks appropriately terrible, they will not touch it. Maybe.
After the Romans conquered Britain in 61 BC, they brought with them their own harvest festival, which was celebrated on November 1st. The festival was held in honor of Pomona, the goddess of tree fruits and abundance. Over the years, the two festivals merged and became one big holiday.
The Celtic concept of ghosts and witches combined with Roman and later Christian customs. In the USA, before Halloween, there is still a “Night of Tricks”, celebrated on October 30th. On this night people play pranks on each other.
Today, Halloween is a rather light-hearted festival, with children dressing up in costumes and begging for candy. Many of them make jack-o'-lanterns. Fortune telling and stories about ghosts and witches are also popular. Additionally, a large number of horror movie and horror video game premieres occur on this holiday, and Universal Studios even hosts its own Halloween Horror Nights in Los Angeles, Orlando, and Singapore weeks before the holiday to entertain people.
A long time ago it was believed that there were many ghosts and witches on Earth, and on this day they gathered to worship the Devil. Today people do not believe in the supernatural, but they love to have fun and celebrate.
Similar essays
1 Words on the topic: Halloween (audio version, transcription)
Click on an English word to listen (or listen in the player)
(= Hallow-e"en, = Hallowe"en) [ˌhæləu"iːn] – American abbreviation for All Hallows" Eve; letters "All Hallows' Evening" - Halloween (Halloween), the eve of All Hallows' Day, is celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1 (Halloween is written with a capital letter, like other names of holidays in English language)
(trick-or-treat) [ˌtrɪkɔː"triːt] - a custom according to which on Halloween children knock on doors and demand treats (threatening to play a trick on the owner of the house if he refuses); “Pay off, otherwise I’ll cast a spell!”
[ˌʤækə"læntən] – a pumpkin lantern with cut holes in the form of eyes, nose and mouth
["pʌmpkɪn] – pumpkin
["kændl] – candle
- ghost, ghost
- sorceress, witch
- bat
["kændɪ] – candy, lollipop
["skelɪt(ə)n] – skeleton
- death
["spaɪdə] – spider
Other words:
All hallows day– All Saints Day (November 1); fortune telling- divination, fortune telling; bonfire- fire; prank- mischief, prank, prank, trick; costume- costume; witch's broom– pomelo; hat- hat; treat– treat; pumpkin pie- pumpkin pie; apple- apple
black cat- black cat; spider's web– spider network, cobweb; ghoul– vampire, ghoul, ghoul; wer(e)wolf– werewolf, wolf-man; monster– monster; devil- devil, demon; scarecrow– scarecrow; graveyard- cemetery; blood- blood
scary- creepy, terrible; spooky– sinister; creepy
2 Song with English vocabulary on the topic: Halloween
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3 Children's song in English: Halloween Night
Halloween Night
(Lyrics: Bob Boyle / Music: B. Mossman)
When the sky is dark and the Wuzzle Wolf sings
Out come the creepy-crawly things
When you see something scary, it's quite alright
"Cause tonight is the night
Trick or treat!
Ooo-oooo Halloween night
Ooo-oooo Halloween night
The moon is full and all is right
Pumpkins, witches and spooky bats
Candy, costumes and silly hats
Ghosts and goblins, ghouls with wings
Tricky, sticky, icky things
Some things are spooky and some are scary
But look over there it"s a pretty pink fairy
Trick or treat!
Ooo-oooo Halloween night
Ooo-oooo Halloween night
Dress up fancy and dress up funny
There's a vampire dancing with a purple bunny
Dress up wild and dress up weird
There's a butterfly with a wizard's beard
The candy is sweet and the candy is sour
But ya gotta get home before the midnight hour
Ooo-oooo, it's Halloween night
4 English nursery rhyme about Halloween with translation
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said: "Oh, my! It’s getting late!"
The second one said: "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said: "But we don’t care!"
The fourth one said: "Let's run and run, and run!"
The fifth one said: “I’m ready for some fun!”
Oooo went the wind and out went the light
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Five yellow round pumpkins sat on the fence.
One of them said: “It will be completely dark soon!”
Another: “Soon the ghosts will begin their night flight!”
And the third whispers in horror: “No one will save us!”
Fourth: “So scary that I want to run away!”
And the fifth: “It’s funny to me. Let’s go dance!”
The moon rose in the sky, light illuminated the space.
Five yellow round pumpkins fell over the fence.
5 Features of the use of words denoting death in English
dead- dead, deceased;
to be dead- not to be alive
1. The Russian sentence “he died,” reporting only the fact itself without indicating any circumstances, corresponds to English he is dead.
Are his parents alive? No, they are dead– Are his parents alive? No, they died.
2. Unlike to be dead, verb to die used with obligatory circumstances of time, place, etc.:
Didn't die in a car accident– He died (died) in a car accident.
In three years he died peacefully surrounded by all his loving family“Three years later, he died quietly surrounded by his family.
3. Prepositions of And from with which the verb is used to die, distinguish the nature of the cause of death. Design to die of used when the cause is illness: to die of heart attack (of fever)– die from a heart attack (fever).
Design to die from– if the cause is damage to the body: to die from wounds- die from wounds.
6 Some features of use English word candy
Candy(candy, sweets) - most commonly used as a collective noun in American English. Usually, candy is used with a singular verb and is defined by the words much, little, some, any.
In the British version the more common word is sweets, with which the verb can be either singular or plural.
Candy as a collective noun can sometimes be conceptualized as countable and in this case can be used in the plural: cookies and candies- cookies and sweets.
7 Halloween in idioms in English
bobbing for apples/ducking for apples– “get the apple”, a traditional children's game at parties on All Hallows' Eve (players try to get apples floating in a basin of water with their teeth)
shell out– colloquial give small gifts to children who go from house to house on All Hallows' Eve (October 31st)
(as) dead as a doornail– deader than dead (lit. dead as a doornail)
over one's dead body– colloquial through smb. dead body ( Only over my dead body! - Only over my dead body!)
to be dead to the world- sleep soundly; be dead drunk
dead loss– net loss; Jonah
dead duck– colloquial a goner
dead heat– draw, fight to a draw
the quick and the dead- bibliography living and dead
to be dead and buried/gone- lie in the grave; stay in the (distant) past
to flog/beat a dead horse- engage in useless work, waste energy, try in vain
dead presidents- Amer. decomposition banknotes
dead marines, dead men– colloquial empty wine bottles
to be dead in the water– 1) lose speed (about the ship); 2) reach a dead end (about negotiations); find yourself in a hopeless situation
the devil of a job- hell of a job
the devil of a fellow- a real devil, a daredevil, a desperate fellow
the devil for women- a big hunter of women
to catch the devil- get a scolding
to give smb. the devil for smth.- to soap smb. neck for smth.
to play the devil with- to cause harm, to spoil
when the Devil is blind– when the devil goes blind (after the rain on Thursday)
devil among the tailors– 1) work is in full swing; 2) commotion
to love smb. as devil loves holy water- to hate someone, not to endure; run from someone like the devil from incense
devil-may-care attitude– a devil-may-care attitude, it’s all bullshit
devil's own luck– damn lucky; extraordinary happiness
the devil (and hell) to pay- a lot of troubles, all kinds of troubles
devil and all– anything (good or bad); All you want; all sorts of troubles
printer's devil– mouth student, the most junior (by position) worker in the printing house (“whipping boy” who, as an “enemy of the human race,” gets it for everything)
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8 Proverbs and signs about Halloween
Everyone has debts at Halloween.
Everyone gets into debt on Halloween.
Talk of the devil and he will appear.
Speak of the devil, he will appear.
The devil is not so bad as he is painted.
The devil is not as scary as he is painted.
He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.
He who dines with the devil should take care of a spoon with a long handle.
It's every man for himself, and the Devil takes the hindmost.
Every man for himself, and let the devil take the last one.
Whenever the cat of the house is black, the lasses of lovers will have no lack.
If there is a black cat in the house, then the girls will have no shortage of admirers.
When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween.
If there are black cats wandering around and pumpkins flashing with lights, expect good luck on Halloween.
When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, "tis near Halloween.
If witches ride horses, black cats appear, the moon laughs and whispers, Halloween is coming.
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9 Games, songs, stories in English on the theme of Halloween (flash)
History of Halloween
Halloween is traditionally celebrated in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, as well as in Spain and Latin America, although it is not an official weekend or public holiday.
It is believed that the prototype of Halloween is a Celtic holiday. The celebration of "Samhain", symbolizing the end of summer, agricultural work and the beginning of the cold winter associated with death, took place on the eve of the Celtic new year, which began on November 1. According to legend, at this time the dead returned to earth to evaluate the deeds of their descendants. Celtic priests - Druids - predicted the future on this day. The Celts dressed in fancy dresses to deceive evil spirits who could send misfortune to them. To appease the spirits, food was placed on the doorsteps of houses. When the Roman legions conquered Gaul, this territory mixed the traditions of Souin\Samhain and two Latin holidays Feralia (accounted for at the end of October, on this day the Romans commemorated the deceased) and the day of Pomona\Pomona (the goddess of tree fruits, the wife of Vertumna, is depicted with fruits – usually with apples – and with a garden knife). After the spread of Christianity pagan holidays were banned. Pope Boniface IV declared November 1st All Saints' Day - on this day it was supposed to commemorate all the saints and martyrs. This was a common practice: Christians often preferred not to prohibit ancient rituals, but to give them a different meaning. New holiday received the name All-hallowees (a distorted Old English phrase - the Mass of All Saints), and the night of October 31 (Sowin's night) was called "All-hallowes Eve" - Halloween. It was believed that on Halloween night, dark forces temporarily gain power over the earth and must be scared away. In addition, food was given to the poor on this day.
Halloween Party Supplies
Jack-o-lantern
One of the main attributes of the holiday is a carved
pumpkin head with a lit candle or electric light inside. The appearance of this symbol is most often associated with the Irish legend about a stingy man named Jack, who twice deceived the devil and made the evil one swear that he would never harm him. When Jack died, God refused to take the stingy man's soul into heaven. He sent Jack's soul back to earth and gave him fire coals for eyes so that Jack would ward off the devil. The ancient Irish and Scots began to carve the scary faces of Stingy Jack from apples, and later from potatoes. In the USA, pumpkin began to be used for these purposes.
Candles
For many Irish people, the symbol of the holiday is a burning candle, which was traditionally placed in the east window and burned until the end of the holiday.
In the United States, Halloween candles are traditionally colored orange, purple, pink or black and scented with cinnamon or other spices with a strong sweet-spicy scent that is strongly associated with the holiday.
Trick-or-treat
America has enriched Halloween with the Trick-o-Treat tradition. trick-or-treat(can be roughly translated as "trick or treat"). The poor do not expect favors from nature: children dressed in carnival costumes, knock on the doors of houses and demand treats - sweets (a similar custom exists among the Slavic peoples - carols). If the owners turn out to be greedy, then the children can take revenge. Previously, they threw eggs at an inhospitable house, and over time, toilet paper often began to play the role of eggs - the roll is thrown in such a way that it unwinds.
Ghost stories
During Halloween, it is common to share ghost stories and other scary tales.
Fortune-telling
In some regions, Halloween is called "Nut Cracking Night" because nuts were often used in witchcraft and fortune telling. The girl, to make sure of her lover’s fidelity, placed two nuts with names on the grate next to the fireplace. If they burned together, everything was in order, but if they scattered to the sides or did not burn, this indicated the young man’s infidelity.
In England, on Halloween, ivy leaves were thrown into the fire in pairs - the pointed one for the man, and the round one for the woman. If the leaves rushed towards each other in the hot air, it meant a wedding, and if they scattered, it meant a quarrel.
Apple bobbin (bobbing for apples)
Traditional fun on All Hallows' Eve. Players (usually children) try to catch apples with their teeth from a vessel filled with water. In Scotland the game is known as ducking for apples", in Ireland - " snap apple".
Food
Foods associated with Halloween: Bonfire toffee(sweets, type of iris); Caramel apples(caramelized apples); Caramel corn(caramelized corn); Pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread(pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread); Roasted pumpkin seeds(roasted pumpkin seeds); Roasted sweet corn(roasted sweet corn); Soul cakes(All Saints' Day Easter cake); Novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc.(sweets in the shape of skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc.).
Halloween has spawned an entire culinary trend. For example, on this day in the USA they bake “scary” cakes and pies. However, an ordinary coffee or chocolate cake can be turned into a real Halloween one. To do this, just stick a few cookies and drip raspberry or cherry jam on them (they will represent bloody tombstones). In the United States, “bloody popcorn” has become popular in recent years. A little tomato juice is added to regular popcorn (puffed corn), after which the popcorn is dried in the oven for two minutes.
Based on materials from: ru.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org and the encyclopedia "Symbols, signs, emblems".
Exercises and games on the theme: "Halloween" (in English)
Children's poems about Halloween in English
Friendly Ghost
I'm a friendly Ghost, I'm a friendly Ghost,
Watch me fly, watch me fly,
I can fly right through the air
See how all the people stare.
Way up high in the sky
Halloween Night
Jack-O-lanterns, Jack-O-lanterns
Hall-O-ween, Hall-O-ween
See the owls gliding,
Coal black cats are hiding,
Ghosts go Boo, Ghosts go Boo
(by Jack Prelutsky)
Give us candy, give us cake,
Give us something sweet to take.
Give us cookies, fruit and gum,
Hurry up and give us some.
You had better do it quick
Or we"ll surely play a trick.
Trick or treat, trick or treat,
Give us something good to eat.
Jack-O-Lantern
Jack-o-lantern, jack-o-lantern,
Halloween, Halloween.
See the witches flying,
Hear the wind a sigh,
Oooooo, Oooooo.
Oh the Bats
Oh the bats sing a squeaky song.
And they sing nearly all night long.
Catching bugs Until the break of dawn.
Then the bats fly away.
Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31. In the United States children wear costumes and masks and go trick-or-treating. Many of them carve jack-o"-lantens out of pumpkins. Fortunetelling and storytelling about ghosts and witches are popular activities.
Halloween developed from new year festivals and festivals of the dead. Christian church established a festival on November 1 called All Saints" Day so that people could continue to celebrate their festivals. The Mass said on All Saints" Day was called Allhallowmass. The day before All Saints" Day was known all hallows" Eve or All Hallow e"en.
The main Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating. Children dress in costumes and masks and go from door to door saying "trick or treat". The neighbors give children such treats as candy, fruit and pennies so that children do not play tricks on them.
Jack-o"-lanterns are hallowed-out pumpkins with face carved into one side. Most jack-o"-lanterns contain a candle inside. An Irish legend says that jack-o"-lanterns are named after the man called Jack. He could not enter heaven because he was a miser, and he could not enter hell because he had played jokes on devil. As a result, Jack has to walk on the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.
Fortunetelling is an important part of Halloween. For example, a coin, a ring, and a thimble were baked into a cake. It was believed that the person who found the coin would become wealthy. The one who found the ring would marry soon. And the person who found the thimble would never get married. Today people practice cardreading or palmistry.
People once believed that there were many ghosts and witches on the Earth and that they met on October 31 to worship the devil. Today, people do not believe in ghosts and witches but they like to tell stories about them on Halloween.
Halloween
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st. In the United States, children dress up in fancy dress and masks and go door to door asking for candy. Many of them carve jack-o'-lanterns. Popular pastimes include fortune telling and stories of witches and ghosts.
Halloween evolved from New Year's Day and celebrations honoring the dead. Christian church founded a holiday on November 1st, called All Saints' Day, so that people could continue to celebrate their holidays. The Mass celebrated on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmas. The day before All Hallows' Day was called All Hallows' Eve or "All Hallows' Eve."
The main entertainment for children on Halloween is begging for sweets. Children dress up in fancy dress and masks, go from house to house and say: “Give me a treat, or we’ll play a joke.” Neighbors give children such treats, candies, fruits and small change so that the children do not play a cruel joke on them.
Halloween lanterns are empty pumpkins with a face carved on one side. Most lanterns have a candle inside. Irish legend says that Halloween lanterns (jack-o"-lanterns in English) are named after a man named Jack. He couldn't go to heaven because he was a miser, and he couldn't go to hell because that he played cruel tricks on the devil.As a result, Jack is forced to wander the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.
Fortune telling is an important part of Halloween. For example, a coin, a ring and a thimble are baked into a pie. It was believed that whoever found the ring would soon get married. Whoever finds the coin will become rich. And the one who finds the thimble will never marry or be married. Today people use card fortune telling and palm reading.
People once believed that the earth was full of witches and that they met on October 31st to worship the devil. Today people don't believe in ghosts and witches, but they love to tell stories about them on Halloween.
Halloween. Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) in English
The history of Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years. The earliest celebrations of Halloween were among the Celtic people. The Celts were a group of people who lived in present day Ireland and England from about the 5th century BC. They believed that Halloween is a time when magic is most potent and spirits can make contact with the physical world. According to belief all kinds of witches and goblins wandered abroad on this night. On that day people lit bonfires to honor the sun god and to keep away evil spirits.
Nowadays Halloween is a festival of fun for kids and adults. People dress up as witches, skeletons and ghosts and go to masquerade parties. Such events take place on October 31.
There are various symbols of Halloween such as Halloween black cats, bats, skeletons, witches, terrifying masks and carved pumpkins. These symbols are used to decorate homes, costumes, gift paper, cards, cookies, cakes and candy.
Carving pumpkins into Jack-o'-lanterns is a traditional Halloween custom. Today jack-o’-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let children know that there are presents or sweets waiting if they knock and say “ Trick or Treat!”
There are many other traditional Halloween activities. Some of these include watching horror films, telling ghost stories and playing Halloween games. The most popular game is Bobbing for apples. This game is one of the traditional games used for fortunetelling on Halloween night. The rules of the game are easy. The first person who gets an apple out of the water without using hands would be the first to marry.
Also Halloween is sometimes called “Nutcrack Night” or “Snap-Apple Night”. Families sit usually by the fire and tell stories while they eat apples and nuts.
Translation of Halloween text. Halloween (All Hallows' Eve)
The history of Halloween celebrations dates back more than 2000 years. The earliest Halloween celebrations were among the Celtic peoples. The Celts were a group of people who lived in what is now Ireland and England from around the 5th century BC. They believed that Halloween was the time when witchcraft was at its strongest and spirits could communicate with the physical world. According to legend, witches and goblins roamed everywhere that night. On this day, people burned bonfires in honor of the Sun God and wereware of evil spirits.
Nowadays, Halloween is a festival of entertainment for children and adults. People dress up as witches, skeletons and ghosts and go to masquerades. Such events take place on October 31st.
There are different Halloween symbols such as Halloween black cats, the bats, skeletons, witches, scary masks and carved pumpkins. These symbols are used to decorate houses, costumes, gift paper, cards, cookies, cakes and candies.
Making Jack-O-Lanterns from pumpkins is a traditional Halloween custom. These days, Jack-o'-lanterns in a house window on Halloween night symbolize for children the gifts and candy that await them if they knock and say, "Trick or Treat!"
There are many other traditional Halloween activities. Some of these include watching horror movies, telling scary stories, and playing games. The most popular game is to catch apples out of the water with your mouth. This game is one of the traditional games that is used for fortune telling on Halloween night. The rules of the game are simple. The first one to get an apple out of the water without hands will be the first to get married.
Halloween is also often called “nut cracking night” or “apple eating night” in England. Families usually sit around the fireplace and tell stories while eating apples and nuts.
Additional Expressions
- Celtic– Celtic
- Celts– Celts
- 5th century BC– 5th century BC
- magic- magic, sorcery, enchantment
- potent- strong, powerful
- spirit– spirit
- witch- witch
- goblin– goblin, brownie, gnome
- ghost- ghost, spirit
- to wander- to wander, wander
- to light (lit-lit)- illuminate, light up
- to honor- to honor, to honor
- to keep away– don’t let him get close, beware
- adult- adult
- to dress up– dress up, put on a fancy dress
- skeleton- skeleton
- symbol- symbol
- terrifying- frightening, terrifying
- carved pumpkin– carved pumpkin
- candy– lollipops, lollipop, candy, candy
- Jack-o'-lantern– lantern, Jack-o'-lantern
- custom- custom, tradition
- Trick-or-treat!– Treat or spare!/Trick or treat!/Trick or treat!
- bobbing for apples– catch apples from water with your mouth (game)
- fortunetelling- fortune telling
Halloween is celebrated on the 31st st of October. According to scientists it originated from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. People believed that on that day the dead could visit the living, as their spirits return to earth.
Traditions
Traditionally on Halloween Night people wear scary or funny costumes of witches, vampires, pirates, fairies and ghosts. The most popular children's amusement on Halloween is "trick-or-treating".
They visit houses in their neighborhood knocking on every door yelling the phrase: "Trick or treat!" Usually people give them sweets, fruits and candies, but if they don't, the children can play a low-down trick on them.
Another famous All Saints’ Night tradition is making Jack O"Lantern: people carve a scary smiling face on a pumpkin and put a candle inside.
Traditional Halloween symbols are bats, black cats (and white ones in England), spiders, ghosts and images of Jack O'Lantern.
Halloween is celebrated all over the world
Halloween is celebrated in many countries all over the world. In some of them (China, Mexico, Austria) the dead are honored and welcomed: people leave food and gifts for the souls of their deceased loved ones and keep lights in their houses burning all night.
In other countries, like Germany, people are afraid of ghosts and spirits. They even hide knives and other sharp objects in order not to be hurt by these visitors on Halloween night.
The origin of the holiday
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. According to scientists, it comes from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. People believed that on this day the dead could visit the living, as their souls returned to earth.
Traditions
Traditionally, on Halloween night, people wear scary or funny costumes of witches, vampires, pirates, fairies and ghosts. The most popular Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating.
They visit houses in the area, knocking on every door shouting: "Trick or Treat!" Usually people give them sweets, fruits and candies, otherwise children may play tricks on them.
Another traditional All Hallows' Eve activity is jack-o'-lantern making: people carve a scary smiling face onto a pumpkin, which they then place a candle inside.
Traditional Halloween symbols include bats, black cats (and white cats in England), spiders, ghosts and jack-o'-lanterns.
Celebrating around the world
Halloween is celebrated in many countries around the world. In countries such as China, Mexico and Austria, the dead are greeted with joy and respect: people leave food and gifts for the souls of their deceased loved ones and keep the lights on all night.
In other countries, such as Germany, people are afraid of ghosts and spirits. They even hide knives and other sharp objects on Halloween to prevent late-night visitors from harming them.
