Halloween

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C e l e b r at i o n sO

N OCTOBER 31ST, dozens ofnew year, the people carried the food they had made tochildren dressed in costumes knock on
the edge of town and left it for the spirits to find. The celtheir neighbors’ doors and yell, “Trickebration of Samhain also marked the end of the harvestor Treat” when the door opens. Pirates and princesses,
season, and the beginning of the cold, dark time of year.
ghosts, and popular heroes and heroines of the day all
Much later, when October 31 was no longer thehold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies
last day of the year, autumn festivals continued to bethat the neighbors drop in. As they
held, celebrating the harvest andgive each child a treat, the neighbors
honoring the dead. Over time,
exclaim over the costumes and try
however, Halloween became a celto guess who is under the masks.
ebration mostly for children.
Like some other American holi“Ghosts” went from door to door
days, Halloween customs evolved
asking for treats, or else a trickfrom a mix of traditions. The word
would be played on the owners of“Halloween” comes from the namethe house. When millions of Irish,of a holiday from the 800s AD,
British, and others from Celtic recalled All Hallows’ Eve. This wasgions immigrated to the United
the day and evening before All
States in the 1840s, the traditions
Saints’ Day, a holy day that was celcame with them.
ebrated on November 1st. The oriToday, many schools plan Halgins of Halloween go back even furloween festivities, and some neighther, however. In ancient times, Ocborhoods hold parties, often called
tober 31st was the eve of the Celtic“block parties” which are popular
New Year. The Celts, who lived overamong young and old alike. More
2,000 years ago, were the ancestors of the present-day
recently, adults have begun to celebrate Halloween, too.
Irish, Welsh, and Scottish people. On this day, the Celts
They dress up like historical or political figures, movie
held the festival of Samhain in honor of the Celtic lord ofstars, or cartoon characters, and go to masquerade parthe dead. In the evening, Samhain allowed ghosts to walkties or city-sponsored street parties. In many towns andand mingle with the living, or so the Celts thought. Thecities, costumed children and their parents gather attownspeople baked food all that day, and when night
shopping malls early in the evening. Stores and busicame, they dressed up in animal
nesses give parties, with games andheads and skins, and attended atreats for the children. Teenagers
PREVIOUSPAGE:
Pumpkins
andchildrenincostumes
areagreat bonfire, set by their priests, theenjoy costume dances at theircommon sight on Halloween.
Druids. Hoping that the ghosts ABOVE: Jack-o-lanterns are pumpkins that are carved out schools, and the more outrageous
would leave peacefully before the like faces and displayed at night with candles inside.
the costume the better!
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HALLOWEENCertain pranks such as soaping car windows and tipping over garbage cans are expected. But partying andpranks are not the only things that Halloween revelers
enjoy doing. Some collect money to buy food and medicine for needy children around the world. Others may
sponsor a Halloween party, or donate money or costumes for needy children locally.
At Halloween parties, children play games, listen toghost stories, enjoy snacks, and decorate their Halloween “trick-or-treat” bag for the evening. One traditional
Halloween game is bobbing for apples. One child at atime has to get an apple from a tub of water without using any hands! How? By sinking his or her face into thewater and biting into the apple!

Halloween. They are popular as trick-or-treat costumes,
and decorations for greeting cards and windows. Black isone of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place atnight and also marked the beginning of winter darkness.
In the weeks before October 31, retail shops and school
windows are decorated with silhouettes of witches andblack cats. Some people decorate their front door with
Halloween symbols or fake spider webs. Others create
elaborate and scary scenes, such as spooky graveyards,
on their front lawns.
Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. Since
the pumpkin is a large, orange-colored squash, orange
has become the other traditional Halloween color.
Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is a Halloween custom dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up
Symbols of Halloween
about a man named Jack who was so stingy that heHalloween originated in part as a celebration conwas not allowed into heaven whennected with evil spirits and the dead.
he died. His spirit was doomed toWitches flying on broomsticks withAbove: Calling out “trick or treat,” children dressed inblack cats, ghosts, goblins, and skel- costumes knock on their neighbors’ doors with bags wander around the countryside,
holding a lantern to light his way.
etons have all evolved as symbols of held out for candies and other treats.
Halloween98

C e l e b r at i o n sThe Irish people carved scary faces out of turnips representing “Jack of the Lantern,” or Jack­-o’-lantern.
When the Irish brought their customs to the UnitedStates, they carved faces on pumpkins because in theautumn, pumpkins were more plentiful than turnips.
Today a jack-o’-lantern, with a candle lit and glowing
inside, is placed in the window or on the front porchof a house on Halloween night to let costumed children know that there are goodies waiting if they knockon the door and say “Trick or Treat!”most are considered to be evil and use black magic
goblin(s): n. an evil or tricky spirit
skeleton(s): n. the bone framework of a body
evolve(d): v. to develop over a long period of timesilhouette(s): n. the shadow-like shape of something seenfrom the side; an outline of something or someone, filledin with black
fake: adj. artificial; false
elaborate: adj. complicated in design
spooky: adj. scary, frighteninggraveyard: n. a place (cemetery) where people bury (putunder the ground) their dead, or place their dead intombs above groundsquash: n. a round or long vegetable belonging to the
gourd family
carve(-ing): to cut a design carefully with a knife
jack-o-lantern: n. phrase. a pumpkin which has been
carved with a scary or funny facelegend: n. a story passed from one generation to anotherstingy: adj. unwilling to share
doom(ed): v. to judge against; condemn or send to aterrible fate or punishment
wander: v. to walk without a goal
turnip(s): n. a large root eaten as a vegetable

Glossary
costume(s): n. clothes, make-up, masks and otherthings such as jewelry worn so as to look like or givethe illusion of being like another person, from anothertime period, or of being like something else such as aghost or monster“Trick or Treat”: phrase. an expression used by children at Halloween: “Give us a treat, or we’ll play ajoke on you!”pirate(s): n. a robber on the sea
goody(ies): n. sweet food that children like to eat
treat: n. a reward, usually a sweet foodexclaim over: v. phrase. to admire openly
hallow: v. to make sacred or holy; to make highly
respected
ancestor(s): n. family member who came before, suchas grandparent, great-grand parent and so on.
mingle: v. to mix with; to join withdress up: v. to wear a costume
bonfire: n. a large public fire, around which people
may gather for a party or celebration
harvest: adj. referring to the time of year when crops
are ripe and ready to gather
outrageous: adj. shocking; elaborate or wild in design
prank(s): n. a trick or mischievous act
soap(ing): v. to cover with soap
reveler(s): n. people who are celebrating
ghost story(-ies): n. phrase. a scary or frightening story
about ghosts, goblins or evil spirits
bob(bing): v. to move up and down briefly andrepeatedly
originate(d): v. to begin or start a practice or tradition
witch(es): n. a woman that is believed to have supernatural powers; some are believed to be good, butC e l e b r at i o n s99Halloween