节日中的迷信

Superstition of festival

On Halloween, journeys must be finished before sunset.

在万圣节，旅行必须在日落之前结束。

A piece of bread crossed with salt (holy bread with witch- repellent salt) was carried in the pockets of travellers to keep them safe.

旅行的人包里会带着蘸着盐的面包(神圣的面包和巫婆讨厌的盐)来确保安全。

Apples, nuts and candles figured['fɪgə]出现prominently in many of the superstitions [,sʊpɚ'stɪʃən] practised at Hallowe'en

苹果，坚果和蜡烛是万圣节一些迷信活动中的常用物品。

Hazel Nuts

榛果

Girls placed hazel nuts along the front of the fire grate, each one to symbolize [ˈsɪmbəlaɪz] one of her suitors. She could then find out who her future husband would be by chanting, 'If you love me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.

女孩们把榛果排列在炉排前面，每一个榛果代表一个求婚者。女孩唱着歌就可以发现哪个人将成为她的丈夫，唱词是“爱我飞出来，恨我烧到坏。”

People believed that the Devi was a nut-gatherer. At Halloween, nuts were used as magic charms.

人们相信恶魔收集坚果。在万圣节，坚果被当作有魔力的物品。

Apples

苹果

1) If you slice an apple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and then eat it by candlelight before a mirror, your future spouse will appear over your shoulder.

如果把一个苹果横着切开(露出中间的五星)，然后在镜子前借着烛光吃掉，你将来的配偶的形象就会出现在你身后。(小编：怎么感觉有点恐怖~~)

2) Peel an apple, making sure the peeling comes off in one long strand and then throw it over your shoulder. The shape it lands in will be the initial of your beloved.

给一个苹果削皮，确保削下的皮成一条线，然后朝身后扔。果皮落地的形状就是你爱人的首字母。

3) If you place an apple under your pillow you will dream of your future husband.

如果把一个苹果放到枕头下，你就会梦到未来的丈夫。(小编：这个操作还比较简单，不过，枕头下放个苹果能睡好么~~)

Candles

蜡烛

Take a candle and look into a mirror whilst combing your hair or eating an apple. Your future husband will appear peeking over your shoulder.

点一根蜡烛，照着镜子梳头发或者吃苹果，(小编：吃苹果也就算了，梳头发，女鬼呀)就能看见你未来的丈夫出现在你身后。(小编：这个镜子看来和哈利波特里面的镜子有的拼)

Just as Halloween is f or Americans, the “Hungry Ghost Festival” is for Chinese.Ghost Festival is one of Chinese traditional occasions, which is taken very seriously by the Chinese. This festival usually falls on the15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. The Ghost Festival, some places say the Hungry Ghost Festival, is also called Half July (Lunar), Ullambana, which is closely related to Buddhism, and zhongyuan jie which is the Taoism saying and Folk Belief.

就像万圣节对于美国人一样，中国也有鬼节。鬼节是中国传统节日之一，并且被中国人认真看待。这个节日通常是阴历七月十五。鬼节（有些地方翻译为饿鬼节），又叫七月半，佛教称之为盂兰盆节，中元节是道教的称法，同时也是一种民间说法。

It is believed by the Chinese that the dead become ghosts roaming between Heaven and Earth unless they have descendants to care for them during the Ghost Festival. During this month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. Some even think that the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives. However, more people remember their ancestors on this day. The Ghost Festival becomes a time for remembering the importance of filial piety. The reason why the Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck. People now release river lights as an important activity during this time, since it is said that river light can comfort and warm the homeless ghosts. In some areas, visitors may also see small roadside fires, where believes burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits who have temporarily been released from Hades.

中国人认为除非一个人有子孙后代能够在他死后在鬼节这天悼念他们，否则人死后会变成鬼魂在天地之间游荡。在七月，地狱的大门会打开放出饿鬼，这些饿鬼会在凡间寻找食物。一些人更认为他们会向那些害死他们的人复仇。但是，更多的人在这一天祭奠他们的先人。鬼节成为一个子女对先人尽孝的节日。中国人庆祝这个节日的原因是纪念他们家中死去的成员并且悼念死者。他们相信祭品能安抚死者，消除厄运。放河灯是人们纪念鬼节的重要活动，因为据说河灯能给无家可归的孤魂野鬼以慰藉和温暖。在一些地区，外来者会看见路边一小堆一小堆的火，因为人们相信烧纸钱或其它东西能安抚刚从地狱出来的痛苦幽魂。

How we Chinese people celebrate it?中国人怎样庆祝鬼节呢？

The Ghost Festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It also falls at the same time as a full moon, the new season, the fall harvest, the peak of Buddhist monastic asceticism, the rebirth of ancestors, and the assembly of the local community.

人们在阴历七月庆祝鬼节，同时也是月满之夜，新季节新丰收的日子。这时候正值佛教寺院苦行主义高峰，是先人轮回，家人团聚的日子。

Unlike other celebrations of the dead in Eastern cultures, the Hungry Ghost Festival seeks to pacify the hungry ghosts. These are the ghosts of those who died by their own hands,