万圣节的资料 英语

万圣节的资料英语

Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means "holy evening," and it comes every October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day. However, it is not really a church holiday, it is a holiday for children mainly.

Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put a burning candle inside. It looks as if there were a person looking out of the pumpkin! These lights are called jack-o'-lanterns, which means "Jack of the lantern".

The children also put on strange masks and frightening costumes every Halloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters. Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house. Every time they come to a new house, they say,"Trick or treat! Money or eat!" The grown-ups put treat-money or candy in their bags.

Not only children, but most grown-ups also love Halloween and Halloween parties because on this day,they can disguise themselves as personages or ghost as their imaginations will lead them. This bring them

the satisfaction of being young.

Dressing in masks and costumes is a popular Halloween activity. Costumes can be traditional and scary, such as a witch’s pointy hat and black gown. Costumes may also have a modern flavor. Many children dress up as movie characters or a favorite superhero.

But Halloween is not just for children. Many adults enjoy showing off their costumes at Halloween parties!

Once in costume, children go from house to house saying “Trick or treat!” In the past, children might play a “trick” on people who did not give treats. They might pelt houses with eggs or old tomatoes, or play other pranks. Today, children’s cries of “Trick or treat!” are usually rewarded with candy.

One of the oldest Halloween traditions comes from the ancient Celts, who lived in western and central Europe long ago. The Celts celebrated a holiday y called Saamhain on October 31. After sunset that day, people believed that spirits of the dead would rise and walk the earth. The Celts made offerings of food and drink to keep the spirits away.

Beginning about 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire

conquered many Celtic peoples. But Celtic traditions, including Samhain, remained strong in areas such as Ireland and Scotland, even after the Roman conquest.

The Roman Catholic Church tried to replace Samhain in 835 with All Saints’ Day, a day to honor saints of the Church. The eve of All Saints’ Day is October 31. It is called Allhallows or Hallowmas by the Church.

Halloween first came to America with early settlers from Celtic areas in Europe, such as Ireland and Scotland. But other American settlers with strict religious beliefs, including the Puritans from England, rejected Halloween. The arrival of many Irish immigrants during the 1800s helped spread Halloween’s popularity.

But by the late 1800s, fewer people believed in ancient superstitions of ghosts and witches. Halloween became more a holiday for children to receive treats and dress in costume.