HALLOWEEN is an annual
celebration and takes place on the 31st October every year. Originally called
‘All Hallows Eve' which means the evening before All Saints Day. Hallow is an
old English word for Saint. Over the years, people joined the two words
together to make the name Halloween.
It is the night of
pumpkins, candles, ghosts, tricks and treats, witches and brooms. One story
says it is a night when the spirits howl like wolves and go round the streets
looking for living bodies. It is a creepy idea but these days, people do not
believe such things happen. The Celts thought that dead friends would
return with their souls in the body of a black cat. This has remained the symbol of Halloween
to the present day. Naturally, the living did not want to lose their body to a spirit, so on the
night of Halloween, villagers would put out the fires in their homes to make them cold and
undesirable. Then, they would dress up to frighten off the spirits. In the dead of night, people
would go from door to door to collect food to donate to their favourite God, They would take
this to a bonfire on top of a local hill, eat and dance and have a good time. After the bonfire, the people were nervous about walking home in the dark so they dressed up as spooky characters and carved faces in
their candle holders which they made from huge orange pumpkins. They hoped that the light of the candle would frighten the spirits away.
return with their souls in the body of a black cat. This has remained the symbol of Halloween
to the present day. Naturally, the living did not want to lose their body to a spirit, so on the
night of Halloween, villagers would put out the fires in their homes to make them cold and
undesirable. Then, they would dress up to frighten off the spirits. In the dead of night, people
would go from door to door to collect food to donate to their favourite God, They would take
this to a bonfire on top of a local hill, eat and dance and have a good time. After the bonfire, the people were nervous about walking home in the dark so they dressed up as spooky characters and carved faces in
their candle holders which they made from huge orange pumpkins. They hoped that the light of the candle would frighten the spirits away.
Nowadays, people still parade from place to place and frighten
others but everyone laughs because they know it is just good fun. The young
people of the town or village visit different houses and call out ‘trick or
treat'. The custom is for the people in the house to pretend to be afraid and
to give the children a treat of some chocolates or biscuits. Parents allow children
to stay out late because there is no school the next
day.
day.
Our C2 class carved their small pumpkin. They had quite a laugh with this deal!!
