Halloween in the US began in 1846 courtesy of Irish

immigrants. However the actual roots of the festival

go back to the ancient Celts of Europe.

The Origin of Halloween

The Celtic festival known as Samhain is believed to be

the predecessor of modern Halloween. Samhain
marked the end of the Celtic harvest season. It was
also the start of the Celtic New Year. The date for
the New Year was October 31. On this day, the Celts believed that the lines
separating the living and the dead dissipated.

During this time, evil spirits were said to roam the Earth. To combat these
forces, the Celts would don masks. This aspect in the history of Halloween
helps explain the tradition of watching scary costumes during the festival.

Where the Name Came From

Halloween got its name from Hallowe’en. This in turn was derived from All
Hallow’s Eve. During the 9th century, the church changed the date of All
Saint’s Day or All Hallows’ Day from May 13 to November 1. November 2 was
then declared as the day of the dead.

For this reason, October 31 became known as All Hallows’ Eve. Despite the
move of the church, the festival remained very popular among the people.

Traditions

No study of the history of Halloween would be complete without addressing

the origins of its many symbols. The jack o lantern had its roots in Celtic
beliefs too. During Samhain, the Celts would carve heads out of rutabaga.

They believed that the head could ward off the evil sprits that were
roaming the Earth. This legend became intertwined with Irish and British
legends involving Stingy Jack.
According to the story, Stingy Jack was a greedy farmer who conned Satan
into climbing a tree. Satan got stuck there when jack carved the trunk into a
cross shape. In retaliation, the devil cursed Jack to roam the earth. His only
companion was a candle in a turnip. Eventually, the rutabaga was replaced by
the cabbage and pumpkin.

The history of Halloween has also become intertwined with trick or treating.
Children clad in Halloween costumes would go to houses and greet the owner
with the question “trick or treat?” The origin of this practice was the
Middle Age practice of appeasing fairies.

There was a belief that people should leave sweets on October 31 to appease
fairies and spirits. Not doing so meant one could fall victim to a fairy trick.
A trick meant your property could be burned or livestock killed.

Other Halloween Symbols

Through the years, Halloween has become associated with goblins, skeletons
and other scary figures and symbols. This practice first gained popularity in
America and has spread through other countries.

This tradition has been popularized by movies. Also, a lot of stores use the
occasion to sell Halloween related toys, costumes and other decorations.

While the history of Halloween indicates it was originally a religious festival,

today most countries view it as a secular holiday. It has become a time for
parties and watching horror films.

A. Answer the questions

1. When did Halloween originate in the U.S?

_________________________________________________________

2. What was the date of the Celtic New Year?

_________________________________________________________

3. What was said to roam the earth during this time?

_________________________________________________________
4. When did the church change the date of All Saint’s Day?

_________________________________________________________

5. What did Stingy Jack conn Satan into doing?

_________________________________________________________

6. Who was Stingy Jack?

_________________________________________________________

7. What did people believe they should leave on October 31st?

_________________________________________________________

8. What has Halloween become today ?

B. Circle whether the following is true or false:

1. Halloween originated in U.S. T/F

2. Samhain marked the beginning of the harvest season. T/F

3. All Saint’s Day was changed from November to May T/F

4. Stingy Jack was an honest farmer. T/F

5. Jack’s only companion was a candle. T/F

6. You have bad luck if you don’t leave sweets to children. T/F

7. Halloween first gained popularity in Europe and then U.S. T/F

8. Halloween originated in U.S. T/F

C. Fill in one of the words in the gap.

Declared beliefs festival replaced church

history candle story evil spirits

Halloween got its name from Hallowe’en. This in turn was derived from All
Hallow’s Eve. During the 9th century, the ____________ changed the date
of All Saint’s Day or All Hallows’ Day from May 13 to November 1. November
2 was then ____________ as the day of the dead.
For this reason, October 31 became known as All Hallows’ Eve. Despite the
move of the church, the _________ remained very popular among the
people.

Traditions

No study of the ___________ of Halloween would be complete without

addressing the origins of its many symbols. The jack o lantern had its roots
in Celtic ___________ too. During Samhain, the Celts would carve heads out
of rutabaga.

They believed that the head could ward off the ___________ that were
roaming the Earth. This legend became intertwined with Irish and British
legends involving Stingy Jack.

According to the _________, Stingy Jack was a greedy farmer who

conned Satan into climbing a tree. Satan got stuck there when jack carved
the trunk into a cross shape. In retaliation, the devil cursed Jack to roam
the earth. His only companion was a ________ in a turnip. Eventually, the
rutabaga was _________ by the cabbage and pumpkin.

Text taken from : http://www.inventionhome.com