Awartywitchcanflyonherfastandspeedingbroominthesky.Shecanbewearingblackpantsandablackrobe.Ifyouseeone,shemigntbecarryingablackcattogivebadluck.
Aspooky,scary,andwhiteghostcangothroughwallsandcouldcontrolpeople.Youmightseeoneinthegraveyard.Becarefulbecauseitwillfrightenyou.Youmightbecomeoneofthem!
Theblackcatcangivebadluckwhenitcrossesyourpath.
It'sallpartofthefunonHalloween!TherootsofHalloweenstretchbackthousandsofyearsandborrowcustomsfromseveralpartsoftheworld.
WHATISHALLOWEEN?
HalloweenisaholidaycelebratedonOctober31.Bytradition，Halloweenbeginsaftersunset.Longago，peoplebelievedthatwitchesgatheredtogetherandghostsroamedtheworldonHalloween.Today，mostpeoplenolongerbelieveinghostsandwitches.ButthesesupernaturalbeingsarestillapartofHalloween.
ThecolorsblackandorangearealsoapartofHalloween.Blackisasymbolfornightandorangeisthecolorofpumpkins.Ajack-o'-lanternisahollowed-outpumpkinwithafacecarvedononeside.Candlesareusuallyplacedinside，givingthefaceaspookyglow.
DRESSINGINCOSTUMES
DressinginmasksandcostumesisapopularHalloweenactivity.Costumescanbetraditionalandscary，suchasawitch'spointyhatandblackgown.Costumesmayalsohaveamodernflavor.Manychildrendressupasmoviecharactersorafavoritesuperhero.
ButHalloweenisnotjustforchildren.ManyadultsenjoyshowingofftheircostumesatHalloweenparties!
TRICK-OR-TREATING
Onceincostume，childrengofromhousetohousesaying"Trickortreat!"Inthepast，childrenmightplaya"trick"onpeoplewhodidnotgivetreats.Theymightpelthouseswitheggsoroldtomatoes，orplayotherpranks.Today，children'scriesof"Trickortreat!"areusuallyrewardedwithcandy.
thecelts,wholived2,000yearsagointheareathatisnowireland,theunitedkingdom,andnorthernfrance,celebratedtheirnewyearonnovember1.thisdaymarkedtheendofsummerandtheharvestandthebeginningofthedark,coldwinter,atimeofyearthatwasoftenassociatedwithhumandeath.celtsbelievedthatonthenightbeforethenewyear,theboundarybetweentheworldsofthelivingandthedeadbecameblurred.onthenightofoctober31,theycelebratedsamhain,whenitwasbelievedthattheghostsofthedeadreturnedtoearth.inadditiontocausingtroubleanddamagingcrops,celtsthoughtthatthepresenceoftheotherworldlyspiritsmadeiteasierforthedruids,orcelticpriests,tomakepredictionsaboutthefuture.forapeopleentirelydependentonthevolatilenaturalworld,theseprophecieswereanimportantsourceofcomfortanddirectionduringthelong,darkwinter.
tocommemoratetheevent,druidsbuilthugesacredbonfires,wherethepeoplegatheredtoburncropsandanimalsassacrificestothecelticdeities.
duringthecelebration,theceltsworecostumes,typicallyconsistingofanimalheadsandskins,andattemptedtotelleachother'sfortunes.whenthecelebrationwasover,theyre-littheirhearthfires,whichtheyhadextinguishedearlierthatevening,fromthesacredbonfiretohelpprotectthemduringthecomingwinter.
bya.d.43,romanshadconqueredthemajorityofcelticterritory.inthecourseofthefourhundredyearsthattheyruledthecelticlands,twofestivalsofromanoriginwerecombinedwiththetraditionalcelticcelebrationofsamhain.
thefirstwasferalia,adayinlateoctoberwhentheromanstraditionallycommemoratedthepassingofthedead.thesecondwasadaytohonorpomona,theromangoddessoffruitandtrees.thesymbolofpomonaistheappleandtheincorporationofthiscelebrationintosamhainprobablyexplainsthetraditionof"bobbing"forapplesthatispracticedtodayonhalloween.
bythe800s,theinfluenceofchristianityhadspreadintocelticlands.intheseventhcentury,popebonifaceivdesignatednovember1allsaints'day,atimetohonorsaintsandmartyrs.itiswidelybelievedtodaythatthepopewasattemptingtoreplacethecelticfestivalofthedeadwitharelated,butchurch-sanctionedholiday.thecelebrationwasalsocalledall-hallowsorall-hallowmas(frommiddleenglishalholowmessemeaningallsaints'day)andthenightbeforeit,thenightofsamhain,begantobecalledall-hallowseveand,eventually,halloween.evenlater,ina.d.1000,thechurchwouldmakenovember2allsouls'day,adaytohonorthedead.itwascelebratedsimilarlytosamhain,withbigbonfires,parades,anddressingupincostumesassaints,angels,anddevils.together,thethreecelebrations,theeveofallsaints',allsaints',andallsouls',werecalledhallowmas.
today'shalloweenghostsareoftendepictedasmorefearsomeandmalevolent,andourcustomsandsuperstitionsarescariertoo.weavoidcrossingpathswithblackcats,afraidthattheymightbringusbadluck.thisideahasitsrootsinthemiddleages,whenmanypeoplebelievedthatwitchesavoideddetectionbyturningthemselvesintocats.wetrynottowalkunderladdersforthesamereason.thissuperstitionmayhavecomefromtheancientegyptians,whobelievedthattrianglesweresacred;italsomayhavesomethingtodowiththefactthatwalkingunderaleaningladdertendstobefairlyunsafe.andaroundhalloween,especially,wetrytoavoidbreakingmirrors,steppingoncracksintheroadorspillingsalt.
butwhataboutthehalloweentraditionsandbeliefsthattoday'strick-or-treatershaveforgottenallabout?manyoftheseobsoleteritualsfocusedonthefutureinsteadofthepastandthelivinginsteadofthedead.inparticular,manyhadtodowithhelpingyoungwomenidentifytheirfuturehusbandsandreassuringthemthattheywouldsomeday--withluck,bynexthalloween!--bemarried.
in18th-centuryireland,amatchmakingcookmightburyaringinhermashedpotatoesonhalloweennight,hopingtobringtruelovetothedinerwhofoundit.inscotland,fortune-tellersrecommendedthataneligibleyoungwomannameahazelnutforeachofhersuitorsandthentossthenutsintothefireplace.thenutthatburnedtoashesratherthanpoppingorexploding,thestorywent,representedthegirl'sfuturehusband.(insomeversionsofthislegend,confusingly,theoppositewastrue:thenutthatburnedawaysymbolizedalovethatwouldnotlast.)anothertalehaditthatifayoungwomanateasugaryconcoctionmadeoutofwalnuts,hazelnutsandnutmegbeforebedonhalloweennight,shewoulddreamaboutherfuturehusband.youngwomentossedapple-peelsovertheirshoulders,hopingthatthepeelswouldfallonthefloorintheshapeoftheirfuturehusbands'initials;triedtolearnabouttheirfuturesbypeeringateggyolksfloatinginabowlofwater;andstoodinfrontofmirrorsindarkenedrooms,holdingcandlesandlookingovertheirshouldersfortheirhusbands'faces.
otherritualsweremorecompetitive.atsomehalloweenparties,thefirstguesttofindaburronachestnut-huntwouldbethefirsttomarry;atothers,thefirstsuccessfulapple-bobberwouldbethefirstdowntheaisle.
ofcourse,whetherwe'reaskingforromanticadviceortryingtoavoidsevenyearsofbadluck,eachoneofthesehalloweensuperstitionsreliesonthegoodwilloftheverysame"spirits"whosepresencetheearlyceltsfeltsokeenly.oursisnotsuchadifferentholidayafterall!
halloweendatesbacktoacelticfestivalcalledsamhain.november1isthenewyearofthecelts,wholivedineuropemorethanathousandyearsago.thisisthedaywhichmarkedtheendofsummerandharvest.theceltsbelievedthatonthenightofoctober31,ghostsofthedeadwouldreturntoearth.theceltscelebratedsamhainbydressingupincostumeswithanimalheadsandhavingbonfires.manyceltssettledinbritainandireland,wherethefestivalbecamepopular.thosewhomovedtoamericatookthetraditionwiththem.
nowadays,mostpeoplecelebratehalloweenbutonlyforfun.theyarenotworriedaboutghosts.kidsinamericawilldressupasdevilsorangelsandwillgofromhousetohousecalling"trickortreat",playingmischievoustricksandgettingsweets.americansspendmoremoneyonhalloweenthanchristmas!inxx,morethanhk$45billionwasspentonhalloween.andhk$15billionofthatwasspentoncandyalone!!!
kidsinbritainalsodressupathalloween.theyvisithouses,singsongsortellajoketogetsweets.manygotohalloweenpartiesandplaygameslike"duckingforapples".youmustpickupanappleinwaterbutyoucanonlyuseyourmouth.tryit!