Halloween is around the corner, on October 31st is celebrated in the British Isles, the United States and Canada by children and adults going door to door while wearing costumes and begging sweets and playing jokes. (Treat: Sweets or trick:jokes) Let's now read about the origins of this festival. Halloween celebration and traditions are rooted in Samhain, an old Irish festival celebrated by the Celts which honored the dead and marked the beginning of winter and the start of a new year.
Then in the ninth century, Christians declared November 1st All Saints Day to honor saints who did not yet have their own day of homage. So there was a special mass called All hallow mass and the night before was known as All Hallows Eve: Halloween. The origins of trick or treat. One version is that on All Souls Day, early Christians went door to door begging for "soul cakes", offering a prayer for the giver's soul in return. Others say that on Samhain, revelers wore masks representing the dead, and went from house to house and collected food that had been reserved for the departed. Halloween costumes: People used to believe than on All Hallows Eve, the line between the dead and the living weakened, allowing spirits to re-enter the world and possess the living. Apparently, fearful folks wore the garb or ghouls and ghosts to avoid an encounter with the spirits. What is the origin of Jack-o-lantern? According to folklore, a man named Jack who once tricked Satan was barred from heaven and hell when he died. He was condemned to wander in darkness, with just one coal to light his way. This is why we put candles inside carved pumpkins at Halloween. There are similar celebrations around the world, from Mexico's Day of the Dead to Sicily's Festival of the Dead. Now have a look at this video, and be careful when you go out at night at Halloween...
Now try this quiz and send it to your teacher: Quiz on Halloween
1.Halloween is celebrated on ___.
a. February 14th
b. July 14th
c. October 31st
d. December 25th
2.The word comes from medieval England's All Hallows' ___.
a. eve
b. time
c. month
d. rite
3.It's believed that ___ have supernatural powers, and that they fly on broomsticks.
a. Wizards
b. Witches
c. Fairies
d. Ghosts
4.Halloween is the time for ___ fun.
a. spooky
b. frosty
c. very
d. plenty
5.___ and black are colors associated with Halloween.
a. Blue
b. Red
c. Orange
d. Green
6.___ are carved into Jack-o'-Lanterns.
a. Pumpkins
b. Melons
c. Potatoes
d. Onions
7.Children wear scary ___.
a. habits
b. costumes
c. gowns
d. customs
8.Children go from door to door asking for ___.
a. tricks
b. treats
c. money
d. coins
9.When children go to someone's door they say "___."
a. Trick or treat
b. Treat or trick
c. Treat or treat
d. Trick or beat
10.___ are also associated with Halloween.
a. Black dogs
b. Brown bears
c. Black cats
d. White cats
