Halloween is a traditional festival in Europe and America. The Jack-o-lantern is a symbol of Halloween on October 31st. Let me give you a brief introduction of Halloween. Welcome to know!
The Origin of Halloween
While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Halloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same.
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 3 1st to honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.
HOW HALLOWEEN GOT STARTED
One of the oldest Halloween traditions comes from the ancient Celts, who lived in western and central Europe long ago. The Celts celebrated a holiday
y called Sa amhain on October 3 1. After sunset that day, people believed that spirits of the dead would rise and walk the earth. The Celts made offerings of food and drink to keep the spirits away.
Beginning about 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire conquered many Celtic peoples. But Celtic traditions, including Samhain, remained strong in areas such as Ireland and Scotland, even after the Roman conquest.
The Roman Catholic Church tried to replace Samhain in 835 with All Saints' Day, a day to honor saints of the Church. The eve of All Saints' Day is October 3 1. It is called Allhallows or Hallowmas by the Church.
HOW DID HALLOWEEN COME TO AMERICA?
Halloween first came to America with early settlers from Celtic areas in Europe, such as Ireland and Scotland. But other American settlers with strict religious beliefs, including the Puritans from England, rejected Halloween. The arrival of many Irish immigrants during the 1800s helped spread Halloween's popularity.
But by the late 1800s, fewer people believed in ancient superstitions of ghosts and witches. Halloween became more a holiday for children to receive treats and dress in costume.
The History Halloween
Halloween is on October 3 1st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.
WHAT IS HALLOWEEN?
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 3 1. By tradition, Halloween begins after sunset. Long ago, people believed that witches gathered together and ghosts roamed the world on Halloween. Today, most people no longer believe in ghosts and witches. But these supernatural beings are still a part of Halloween.
The colors black and orange are also a part of Halloween. Black is a symbol for night and orange is the color of pumpkins. A jack-o'-lantern is a holl owed-out pumpkin with a face carved on one side. Candles are usually placed inside, giving the face a spooky glow.
DRESSING IN COSTUMES
Dressing in masks and costumes is a popular Halloween activity. Costumes can be traditional and scary, such as a witch's pointy hat and black gown. Costumes may also have a modern flavor. Many children dress up as movie characters or a favorite superhero.
But Halloween is not just for children. Many adults enjoy showing off their costumes at Halloween parties!
TRICK-OR-TREATING
Once in costume, children go from house to house saying “Trick or treat!” In the past, children might play a “trick” on people who did not give treats. They might pelt houses with eggs or old tomatoes, or play other pranks. Today, children's cries of “Trick or treat!” are usually rewarded with candy.
Expand Halloween English stories
HALLOWEEN
One story about Jack, an Irishman, who was not allowed into Heaven because he was stingy with his money. So he was sent to hell. But down there he played tricks on the Devil (Satan), so he was kicked out of Hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern.
Well, Irish children made Jack's lanterns on October 3 1stfroma large potato or turnip, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside. And Irish children would carry them as they wentfromhouse to house begging for food for the village Halloween festival that honored the Druid god Muck Olla. The Irish name for these lanterns was Jack with the lantern or Jack o f the lantern, abbreviated asJack-o'-lantern and now spelled jack-o-lantern.
The traditional Halloween you can read about in most books was just children's fun night. Halloween celebrations would start in October in every elementary school.
Children would make Halloween decorations, all kinds of orange-paper jack-o-lanterns. Andfromblack paper you'd cut scary designs ---an evil witch with a pointed hat riding through the sky on a broomstick, maybe with black bats flying across the moon, and that meant bad luck. And of course black cats for more bad luck. Sometimes a black cat would ride away into the sky on the back of the witch's broom.
And on Halloween night we'd dress up in Mom or Dad's old shoes and clothes, put on a mask, and be ready to go outside. The little kids (children younger than we were) had to go with their mothers, but we older ones went together to neighbors' houses, ringing their doorbell and yelling, Trick or treat! meaning, Give us a treat (something to eat) or we'll play a trick on you! The people inside were supposed to come to the door and comment on our costumes.
Oh! here's a ghost. Oh, there's a witch. Oh, here's an old lady.
Sometimes they would play along with us and pretendto be scared by some ghost or witch. But they would always have some candy and maybe an apple to pu t in our trick or treat bags. But what if no one come to the door, or if someone chased us away? Then we'd play a trick on them, usually taking a piece of soap and make marks on their windows. .And afterwards we would go home and count who got the most candy. One popular teen-ag ers' Halloween trick was to unroll a roll of toilet paper and throw it high into a tree again and again until the tree was all wrapped in the white pap er. The paper would often stay in the tree for weeks until a heavy snow or rain washed it off. No real harm done, but it made a big mess of both the tree and the yard under it. One kind of Halloween mischief.
All Saints'Day (Nov 1st)
There is such a story about Halloween. It means that an Irishman named Jack was not allowed to enter heaven and was sent to hell because he was very stingy with money. But there he always played tricks on the devil Satan, so he was kicked out of hell and punished to walk in the world with lanterns forever.
On October 31st, Irish children made "Jack's Lantern" with potatoes and Rob. They dug out the middle, made holes in the surface and lit candles inside. In order to celebrate the Halloween of Tuid God in the village, children carry this lantern and beg for food from house to house. The Irish name of this kind of lantern is "Jack with lantern" or "Jack-o‘-lantern", and the abbreviation is Jack-o'-lantern, which is now spelled jack-o-lantern.
Halloween, which you read in most books now, is just a happy night for children. In primary schools, Halloween is celebrated in October every year.
Children will make Halloween decorations: all kinds of orange pumpkin lanterns. You can make a terrible shape with black paper-a witch riding on a broom handle and wearing a pointed hat flying across the sky, or a black bat flying over the moon. These all represent bad luck. Of course, a black cat means worse luck. Sometimes there will be a black cat riding behind a witch broom and flying into the sky.
On Halloween night, we all wear mom and dad's old clothes and shoes, put on masks and plan to go out. Children younger than us have to go out with their mothers. As soon as we are older, we rush to our neighbors' houses, ring their doorbell and shout, "Trick or treat!" It means give us food, or we'll play a trick on you. People inside should come out and evaluate our makeup.
"oh! This is a ghost, that is a witch, and this is an old woman. "
Sometimes they will play with us and pretend to be scared by ghosts or witches. But they usually bring some candy or apples into our "trick or treat" pocket. But what if no one answers the doorbell or someone drives us away? We play tricks on them, usually by smearing their glass with a piece of soap. Then we go home and count who has the most candy.
Another typical Halloween trick is to open a roll of toilet paper and keep throwing it at the tree until it is all wrapped in white paper. Paper will stay on the tree until it is washed away by heavy snow or rain. It doesn't really hurt, it just messes up the trees and yard, a kind of Halloween prank.
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