Halloween, celebrated globally today, has roots in ancient traditions, especially the Celtic festival of Samhain. During Samhain, the Celts believed the boundary between our world and the spirit world was thin , allowing spirits to pass through. Later, this custom merged with the Christian festival of All Saints' Day, creating All Hallows' Eve, now known as Halloween. Many of the traditions we associate with Halloween, such as trick-or-treating, originated in medieval England. Back then, it was called " souling ," where people went door-to-door offering prayers for food. This custom continued into the Victorian era and evolved into modern trick-or-treating. Spooky costumes also come from the Celts, who dressed up to scare off spirits. As for pumpkin carving , it started with the Irish, who initially used turnips to ward off a mythical spirit named Jack. When the Irish migrated to America, they found pumpkins were easier to carve, giving rise to the familiar pumpkin tradition. Overall, these customs reflect a blend of ancient and more recent practices, forming the Halloween we know today.
Vocabulary :
• spooky (adj): strange and scary.
• tradition (noun): a custom or belief passed down through generations.
• spirit (noun): the soul of a person or ghost-like being.
• pray (verb): to talk to a god or spirit, usually to ask for help or give thanks.
• soul (noun): the spiritual part of a person.
• costume (noun): clothes worn to look like someone or something else.
• mythical (adj): related to a traditional story or legend, not real.
• scare (verb): to make someone feel afraid.