10 Basic Facts about Halloween (B1)

19.10.2021

Jack-O'-Lantern

People celebrate Halloween on October 31
It's 2000 years old pagan Celtic festival, originally called Samhain
For ancient Celts, who lived in area of Ireland and northern France, it was the end of summer and the beginning of winter
They believed that on the night of October 31 the ghosts of the dead return to earth and cause troubles. To scare off the evil spirits, they wore scary costumes and made bonfires
When western Christian church conquered pagan Celtic lands, Samhain became All Saints Day and eventually Halloween
Massive migration of Irish people to the USA in the 19ht century caused big popularity of Halloween in the USA
Nowadays the original purpose is nearly forgotten and Halloween is mostly about having spooky fun. The top 3 popular Halloween activities are 1. carving pumpkins, 2. trick or treating, 3. wearing costumes
A pumpkin with carved scary face and a light inside is called Jack-o'-Lantern
Chidren wearing scary costumes go from house to house in a neighbourhood saying "trick or treat". The meaning is: give us a treat (=sweets) or we will play a trick on you (=you will be in troubles)
Top 5 Halloween costumes for kids are 1. Spiderman, 2. Princess, 3. Batman, 4. Superhero, 5. Witch and for adults 1. Witch, 2. Vampire, 3. Ghost, 4. Black cat, 5. Pirate