Halloween, which takes place every October 31st, is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Originally based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), Halloween has evolved into a modern celebration where children of all ages dress up in costumes and go door-to-door “trick-or-treating,” asking for candy from friends & neighbors.
Halloween is also a time to enjoy the spookier side of life. People celebrate ghosts, zombies, haunted houses, and all things creepy and fun – often with Halloween parties for children and adults alike.
For more information about Halloween, check out wikipedia.
Halloween Vocabulary
- 🚪 Trick-or-treat – the Halloween activity where children dress up and go door to door for candy
- 🎃 Pumpkin – a round orange vegetable often carved into a jack-o’-lantern
- 👻 Ghost – the spirit of a dead person, often imagined as white and floating
- 🧙 Witch – a woman with magical powers, often shown with a broomstick and pointed hat
- 🧛 Vampire – a creature that drinks blood and avoids sunlight
- 🧟 Zombie – a dead person who comes back to life, usually walking slowly
- 🕷️ Spider – a creepy-crawly insect often used in Halloween decorations
- 🕸️ Web – what a spider makes to catch insects; also used as decoration
- ☠️ Skeleton – the bones of a body, often shown as decorations or costumes
- 🏚️ Haunted house – a spooky or abandoned house believed to have ghosts
- 😱 Scary – something that causes fear or makes you feel afraid
- 🦇 Bat – a flying animal often linked with vampires and the night
- 🍫 Chocolate / Candy – a sweet treat made from cocoa, popular during Halloween. Sweet treats given to children who go trick-or-treating.
- 🎭 Costume – special clothing worn to look like someone or something else
- 💀 Skull – the bone part of a head, often used as a spooky symbol
Here are 5 fun & interesting facts about Halloween:
- 🎃 Origins in Ancient Celtic Festival: Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), celebrated on October 31st. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred.
- 👻 Costumes to Scare Spirits: People originally wore costumes and masks to scare away or confuse ghosts and evil spirits that were thought to return on Halloween night.
- 🍬 Trick-or-Treating Traditions: The practice of trick-or-treating began in medieval Europe as “souling,” when poor people would go door-to-door on All Souls’ Day (Nov 2), offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.
- 🕯️ Jack-o’-Lanterns Came from Turnips: Before pumpkins, the Irish carved turnips into lanterns to ward off evil spirits. When they immigrated to America, they found that pumpkins were more plentiful and easier to carve.
- 🦇 Popular with Americans: Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the U.S., with Americans spending billions of dollars each year on costumes, candy, decorations, and parties.
