Halloween Halloween is a festival that is celebrated on the 31st of October. This day is the eve of All Saints' Day. The word “Halloween” is hundreds of years old. It comes from medieval England. But the origin of Halloween dates back hundreds of years to the Druid festival. They celebrated “All Hallows” Eve (in Old English “hallow” means “saint”). Long before this Celtic pagan tribes inhabited the territories of modern England. They thought that the year consisted of two parts – summer (bright part) and winter (dark part). The God of the Sun was taken prisoner during the winter. According to Celtic calendar the 1st of November was the day when the Druid New Year began. So they believed that just before this day witches and other evil spirits were playing tricks on human beings to mark the beginning of “dark” winter and the reign of the Lord of Death. Many ghosts and witches on the Earth and that they met on October 31 to worship the devil. People lit bonfires and made sacrifice.
These old traditions can still be found in countries of Celtic influence today. For example, in the United States children wear scary costumes of ghost and skeletons and masks (false faces) and go trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is the main Halloween activity for children. But what is trick-or-treating? Children go from door to door saying “trick or treat”. The neighbors give children treats like candies, fruit and money so that children do not play tricks on them.
Another Halloween tradition is making jack-o'-lanterns out of pumpkins. Jack-o'-lantern is a carved hollowed-out pumpkin with a face carved on one side. They also carve out rounded eyes in pumpkins and put a burning candle inside them so that they become visible from far away. There is an Irish legend which says that jack-o'-lanterns were named after the man called Jack. He was a miser and could not enter heaven, neither could he enter hell because he had played jokes on devil. As a result, Jack has to walk on the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.
Storytelling about ghosts and witches and fortunetelling and are popular activities on this day. Today, people do not believe in ghosts and witches but they like to tell stories about them on Halloween. The custom of telling ghost stories on Halloween comes from the Druids. Fortunetelling is an important part of Halloween. Earlier a coin, a ring, and a thimble were baked into a cake. People believed that the person who found the coin would become wealthy. The one who found the ring would marry soon. And the person who found the thimble would never get married.



1. Halloween is celebrated … .
Hundreds years ago the territory of modern England was inhabited by… .
Celtic New Year began… .
People … on October 31.
The main children’s activities on Halloween is … .
American children … .
In order to make Jack-o'-lantern you … .
Very popular activities on that day are… .
If the person will find the coin in a cake…

2. Ответьте на вопросы.

Where does the word “Halloween” come from?
Why did Celtic pagan tribes celebrate “All Hallows” Eve in this day?
Say some old traditions of this holiday?
What does “trick-or-treat” mean?
Who was Jack?
What will happen with person who found a ring or a thimble in his cake?

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Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October each year. This date is significant as it is the eve of All Saints' Day. The word “Halloween” itself has deep historical roots, originating from medieval England. Its etymology can be traced back to the Old English word “hallow,” meaning “saint,” and thus refers to the “All Hallows” Eve.

Hundreds of years ago, the territory of modern England was inhabited by Celtic pagan tribes. These ancient peoples had a profound influence on the Halloween traditions we see today. They believed the year was divided into two halves: the bright summer and the dark winter. They worshipped the Sun God and believed that he was taken prisoner during the winter months. According to the Celtic calendar, the 1st of November marked the beginning of their New Year, thereby making October 31 the last day of the old year and a time of significant mystical importance.

Celtic New Year began on November 1st. The Celts believed that the veil between the living world and the realm of spirits and deities was thinnest on this eve, thus allowing for greater interaction between humans and supernatural beings. This belief led to the tradition of Samhain, a festival to mark this occasion.

People, on October 31, engaged in various rituals and practices. One such belief was that witches, ghosts, and other evil spirits roamed the Earth on this night. To appease these spirits and protect themselves, the Celts lit bonfires and offered sacrifices. They believed these acts would ward off the evil spirits and mark the commencement of the dark, cold winter, under the dominion of the Lord of Death.

The main children’s activity on Halloween is trick-or-treating. This tradition has evolved over the years, especially in the United States. Children dress up in spooky costumes—like ghosts, skeletons, witches, and various other eerie entities—and go from door to door in their neighborhoods, uttering the phrase “trick or treat.” This phrase implies a playful ultimatum: provide a treat, or be prepared for a harmless prank. In response, neighbors usually give treats such as candies, fruits, or sometimes even money.

American children typically participate in this trick-or-treating tradition. They wear costumes and masks, symbolizing various supernatural or scary beings, and roam their neighborhoods to collect treats.

In order to make a Jack-o'-lantern, you need to hollow out a pumpkin and carve a face into one side. This tradition has an interesting backstory rooted in an Irish legend about a man named Jack. He was a miser who, due to his dealings with the devil, was barred from both heaven and hell. As a result, he was condemned to roam the Earth with his lantern until Judgment Day. The Jack-o'-lanterns are meant to represent his plight, with a burning candle placed inside the hollowed-out pumpkin to create an eerie effect.

Very popular activities on that day are storytelling about ghosts and witches, and fortunetelling. These traditions also have their roots in ancient practices. The custom of telling ghost stories on Halloween is a nod to the Druids, who were deeply involved in the spiritual and mystical aspects of life. Fortunetelling on Halloween used to be a more serious affair, with various objects like coins, rings, and thimbles baked into cakes. It was believed that finding one of these items in your slice of cake would predict your future: wealth for the coin, marriage for the ring, and a life of singleness for the thimble.

In summary, Halloween is a festival rich in history and tradition, evolving from ancient Celtic practices to modern-day celebrations involving costumes, trick-or-treating, Jack-o'-lanterns, storytelling, and fortunetelling. While the beliefs in the supernatural elements may have faded, the spirit of Halloween continues to thrive as a time of fun, mystery, and community engagement.