Halloween traditions from around

the world
Halloween derives from All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Saints Day,
November 1st.
In the Celtic calendar, the New Year began on November 1, so October 31 was
New Year's Eve. Halloween is really popular in the USA. It was brought to the USA
by the Irish immigrants.
It is one of the world's oldest holidays, dating back to pagan times. But it is
celebrated today by more people in more countries than ever before. Most of us
are familiar with kids in fun costumes trick or treating on Halloween night. But
different cultures celebrate the holiday in many unique ways.
In Ireland, where it all started, bonfires are lit and children get dressed up in
costumes and spend the evening "trick-or-treating" in their neighborhoods,
looking for a lot of sweets.
After trick-or-treating, most people go to parties. Children play games like snapapple, a game in which an apple on a string is tied to a tree and players
attempt to bite the hanging apple. Another tradition is to carve Jack O
Lanterns out of pumpkins and people decorate their homes with pumpkins. They
also eat a special Halloween cake called barnbrack which includes prizes
baked inside like rings or coins.
In China, the Chinese Halloween is known in English as the hungry ghost
festival and takes place in July. Ghosts are said to return to earth for
entertainment and nourishment. Food and water are placed in front of
photographs of family members. Chinese children avoid swimming and staying
out late to evade evil spirits. Chinese people put out lanterns on the rivers to light
the way home for the lost souls.
In Mexico, Halloween is called El dia de los muertos, the day of the dead. It is a
three day fest that begins on the 31 of October. Altars are built and graves are
decorated in honor of the dead people.
Popular decorations are: skeletons, marigolds and skulls made of sugar.
In Austria, the tradition is to leave bread and water on a table overnight next to a
lighted lamp or candle. This is meant to welcome the dead souls back to earth.
And in Germany, Germans honor the dead by putting away all their knives on
Halloween night so that no spirit gets harmed.

A. What do these pictures represent? Read the text and find the words. (Words in
bold in the text)

B. Answer the following questions and complete the crosswords.

Across

Down

1. In which country did Halloween

start?

2. What are the Chinese children afraid

of?

4. Jack O lanterns are made out of

3. When do the Chinese celebrate

Halloween? In

6. How many days is the day of the

5. Germans put away their

Vocabulary (Halloween traditions from around

the world)
3

Pagan

Paen

way

Faon, manire

lit

Allum

neighborhood

Voisinage

party

Fte

to bite

Mordre

to carve

Tailler, sculpter

baked (to bake)

Cuit (=cuire)

ring

Anneau, bague

coin

Pice

takes place (to take place)

Avoir lieu, se passer

entertainment

Divertissement

nourishment

Nourriture, alimentation

to evade

chapper, viter

evil

Mauvais

soul

me

Altar

Autel

grave

Tombe

marigold

Souci (fleur jaune)

overnight

La nuit

putting away (to put away)

Ranger, loigner

harmed (to harm).

Bless (blesser)

C. Lets see a bit of vocabulary. Write the name under the right picture.

A BAT A RAT A GHOST A WITCH A CAULDRON A FULL

MOON A WIZARD A SPIDER CANDIES A BROOM A GHOST HOUSE

A PUMPKIN

A
SKELETON

A _U___I_

_I___

_A__IE_

_E_I_

_ _ E_ E _ O _

__OO_

__A__

A
_U__
OO _

A _ AU _ _ _ O
_

_A_

A BLACK CAT A VAMPIRE A DEVIL

_A_
_

__O__

_I_A__

D. Who am I? Read the sentences and try to find out.

_A__I_E

_ _ I _E _

A __O__
U_E

_A_

_O

I live with my 3 uncles. Im white and my name is Casper. Im a

2
3
4
5
6

I always fly on a broom and I cast spells. Im ..

I am red and I have little horns on my head. Im a .
Children love eating ..
Im an animal. Im black and I fly. Who am I? .
Im an orange vegetable. People curve faces in me. Im .

7
8
9

Im afraid of the sun. I like drinking blood. Im ..

Harry Potter is a well-known
I have 8 paws. Im a small animal and people are scared of me. Im

...
10 Im an animal. People usually love me but not when Im black. Im a
.