On October 31st, we celebrate Halloween,
are hollowed out pumpkins
thought to be the one
with a face cut in one side
night of the year when
and a candle put inside. In the
ghosts, witches, and
old days people lit fires to scare
fairies are especially
away bad spirits. They believed
active. So what do
light had power over darkness.
people do on Halloween
Today Jack-o-lanterns are
Day in England?
supposed to frighten away ghosts and witches.
One Halloween party game is called ‘bobbing for apples’. Apples are put in a big bowl full of water. The players, sometimes blindfolded must take an apple out of the water without using their hands.
On Halloween, when it was believed
Children in costumes
that bad spirits came back to the
go from house to
earthly world, people thought they
house in their
would meet ghosts if they left their
neighbourhood, often in
homes. To avoid being recognized by
small groups, in order to
ghosts people would wear masks
ask for treats such as
when they left homes after dark so
sweets, lollipops,
that the ghosts would
chocolates or money.
mistake them for fellow
When someone answers
spirits. That’s why
the door, the children
Halloween
say: ’Trick or treat?’ The
costumes are
"trick" is a threat to
traditionally
perform mischief on the
monsters such as
homeowners or their
vampires, ghosts, witches and devils.
property if no treat is given.
Texts adapted from: www.projectbritain.com and www.wikipedia.org