Halloween falls on the thirty-first of October. Originally, Halloween was a religious holiday. Today it is a day of fun and excitement.

Children make faces in pumpkins (turnips are used in Britain) by removing the pulp and seeds and cutting holes in the shell for the eyes, nose and mouth. These pumpkins are called jack-o-lanterns. A lighted candle is put inside to shine through the holes.

Children dress up in costumes; sometimes accord­ing to tradition, as ghosts, goblins, witches, vampires and werewolves, sometimes as pirates, sailors, balleri­nas, folk heroes, etc.

After dark, children walk around their neighbourhood, knocking on their neighbours’ doors. They say “trick or treat”, and their neighbours give them fruit or candy.

In the old days “trick or treat” had to perform songs and shifts for their neighbours. If the neighbours liked the performance, the children received a “treat” — fruit or candy. If not, the neighbours played a trick on the children — like throwing water on them.

As a matter of fact, they don’t do that anymore.

The costumes of the trick-or-treaters are related to ancient traditions, according to which ghosts, witches walked in the streets on the last day of October and the pumpkins with a lighted candle inside were supposed to frighten the evil spirits.

On Halloween most adults stay at home, waiting for children to knock on their door. However, teenagers and young adults often go to costume parties as ghosts, goblins, witches, etc.

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Vocabulary

Halloween — (шотл., амер.) канун дня всех святых, 31 октября

originally — первоначально

religious — религиозный

excitement — возбуждение, волнение

pumpkin — тыква

turnip — репа

pulp and seeds — мякоть и семечки

lantern — фонарь

a lighted candle — зажжённая свеча

ghost — привидение

goblin — домовой

witch — ведьма

vampire — вампир

werewolf (pi. — wolves) — человек-волк; оборотень

pirate — пират

ballerina — балерина

folk hero — народный герой

neighbourhood — соседство, близость

“trick or treat” — “шутка или угощение”

shift — уловка

to frighten  the evil spirits — пугать злых духов

adults — взрослые

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