Halloween Nobis 25

Special Class: Halloween

Today's class will be devoted to learn about the cultural background of this famous worldwide festivity.

Halloween Quick Quiz!

Let's start with this quick quiz to see how much you know!

Multiple Choice

Halloween originated in the United States.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What do children in Mexico do on "All Souls' Day" (Día de los muertos)?

• Dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat

• Build altars to honor their deceased loved ones

• Carve pumpkins and tell ghost stories

Multiple Choice

The traditional colors of Halloween are black and orange because they represent night and fire.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which of these is a popular Halloween symbol?

• Ghosts

• Pumpkins

• Witches

• All of the them

Multiple Choice

In some countries, people eat special Halloween cakes or candies.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Where does the tradition of carving pumpkins (jack-o’-lanterns) come from?

• US

• IRELAND

• MEXICO

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of “trick-or-treating”?

• To scare neighbors

• To collect candy or treats

• To perform magic spells

Halloween
History

The History behind Halloween

Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October. Halloween is a very popular holiday in many countries, especially in the United States, but Halloween traditions come from Ireland.

The tradition of Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain was the Celtic New Year and it was the end of summer and harvest time. The Celtic New Year was on the 1st of November. People believed that the 31st of October was "All Hallows Eve", when evil spirits returned to earth for a day. So, they dressed up in costumes and made noise in the streets to make the spirits go away. Over time, All Hallows Eve was shortened to Halloween.
When many Irish people emigrated to America to escape the potato famine of 1846, they took the tradition of Halloween with them. People used to make lanterns by carving turnips and putting candles inside them except that when they moved to America, it was easier to find pumpkins rather than turnips and this is what Americans used to make their jack-o'-lanterns. Many people like to decorate their houses with pumpkins and candles. Usually people carve their pumpkins to make scary faces. Then, they put a candle inside and it is called Jack-o'-lantern.

The main tradition of Halloween is to dress up in a costume. Some people wear scary costumes like ghosts, witches, skeletons, vampires, mummies, zombies or monsters, but other people prefer funny costumes like superheroes, ballerinas, cowboys, pirates, princesses, animals or cartoons.

Anothe traditions is that children go from door to door in their neighbourhoods to ask for treats such as sweets, lollipops or chocolates saying "Trick or treat". If someone answers trick, children can make a mischief on the owner of the house or his/her property. After going "trick-or-treating", families organise parties with friends in their houses.
Halloween is not a public holiday. It's just a day when people have lots of fun.

• Is Halloween celebrated in your country or community? How do people usually celebrate it?

• Do you think Halloween is becoming more popular in your country? Why or why not?

• Are there any similar holidays or festivals in your culture that involve costumes or remembering the dead?

• Do you think Halloween is more for children or adults?

• Some people say Halloween has become too commercial. Do you agree or disagree?

• What do you think the spirit of Halloween represents today compared to its Celtic origins?

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Time for discussion

Halloween Around the World.

​Watch the following video and discuss some questions.

• How do Halloween celebrations in the United States differ from those in other countries, like Mexico or Japan?

• Why do you think Halloween has become such a popular holiday worldwide?

• In the video, the narrator mentions some specific symbols associated with Halloween, such as pumpkins and ghosts. Why do you think these symbols are important to the celebration?

• Which Halloween tradition from the video would you most like to experience, and why?

• How do you think Halloween celebrations will change in the future?

• Do you think Halloween is only for children, or do adults enjoy it too? Why or why not?

Time to speak!

Stating Opinions

• What do you think makes Halloween such a popular celebration around the world?

• Do you think Halloween is more about fun or about tradition today? Why?

• What do you think about people decorating their houses for Halloween?

• Do you think the media (movies, TV shows, social media) has influenced the way people celebrate Halloween? How?

• Do you think Halloween should be celebrated in schools? Why or why not?

• Do you think global celebrations like Halloween affect local traditions?

• Would you like to see more Halloween-like celebrations in your country? Why or why not?

• If you could change one thing about Halloween, what would it be?

Time to have fun with games!