Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), when people used to wear costumes to keep ghosts away. This day marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year. Celts believed that on this night, the worlds of the living and the dead combine, and that ghosts returned to earth.
By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. The Roman festival Feralia was held in late October when the Romans traditionally celebrated the dead. This festival was combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
In 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV started All Saints Day on November 1. By the 9th century, Christianity had spread and mixed with Celtic traditions. The All Saints’ Day celebration was also called All-hallowmas and the night before it was called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
As the beliefs of different European groups and the American Indians mixed, an American version of Halloween began. The first celebrations were public events where neighbors shared stories of the dead. In the second half of the 19th century, many new immigrants helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween. Between 1920 and 1950, trick-or-treating began, which was a way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. From this, a new American tradition was born.
Comprehension
1) What is Halloween?
2) Why did Celts wear costumes during Samhain?
3) What is the origin of the tradition of trick-or-treating?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) ancient
2) costumes
3) combine
4) to be held
5) spread
6) share
a) to use or do something together
b) to move to a bigger area
c) clothes of a different character
d) to have an event
e) very old
f) to put two things together
Grammar Highlights
Use “used to” for routines in the past
“…people used to wear costumes to keep ghosts away.”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.