THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN: JACK O'LANTERN

2. THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN: JACK O'LANTERN Halloween is a party who celebrated mainly in the U.S., Northern Mexico, and some provinces of Canada on the night of October 31. Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain. One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would Come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife.

3. JACK O'LANTERN As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel, and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed.

4. Halloween Costumes Halloween came to America in 1840 by Irish immigrants. At that time the favorite pranks in New England were tipping units and unhinging fence gates. • The costumes of the Celts entered did not want to be possessed by spirits and dressed in a macabre way (similar to the current costume) and paraded through the streets making noise to scare away souls. • The pumpkin comes from the story of Jack O’Lantern • who was rejected in heaven and hell kicked out of cheating the devil who gave it to throw a candle and a turnip to not go out. But immigrants who came to America found that pumpkins were more plentiful than turnips. by what Jack was represented in America as a hollow gourd with a yard inside.

5. Trick or treat the Irish Celts introduced it but it was a European custom called Souling believed that on this night all kinds of beings from other worlds roamed the streets calling door to door "trick or treat" but the most feared was named Jack O’Lantern tradition said that it was best to accept the deal was that the trick was already cursing could be home with illness or loss of livestock.

6. SUPERSTIONS, SYMBOLS AND VOCABULARY Today's Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason.  we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt. Many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead. In particular, many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday with luck, by next Halloween be married.  If someone gives birth on Halloween night, the newborn can see and communicate with spirits. • Halloween symbols and Vocabulary: Ghost:The spirit of someone who has died, esp. one that is believed to have returned to earth to haunt a place or living people. Goblin: In folklore and fairy tales, an ugly creature that does evil or mischief to humans.

7. Haunted: Inhabitedor visited by ghosts Mask: A covering for all or part of the face, usu. worn to disguise the wearer's identity. Monster:An imaginary or mythical creature, often with features of two different animals or of animals and humans. Mummy:A corpse preserved by embalming, esp. one embalmed and wrapped by or in the manner of the ancient Egyptians. Potion:A mixture for drinking, esp. one that is supposed to have medicinal, magical, or poisonous effects. Bat:Any of various usu. night-flying mammals that have wings that are covered with membranes, and that sense objects mostly by means of reflected sound waves rather than by vision. Scary:Causingfear; frightening. Spell: Aword, phrase, or the like used to bewitch or enchant; charm; incantation. Vampire:a legendary being, often said to be a revived corpse, that preys on people in order to suck out their blood. Warlock:A man who practices witchcraft or magic arts; sorcerer. Witch:A woman who practices or is believed to practice occult magic; sorceress . Zombie:A spell or supernatural force that, according to voodoo belief and legend, can enter a corpse, return life to it, and then control its actions. Costume:A set of clothes suited to a particular season, occasion, or activity.

8. A scary tale This is a true story. My father died in 1991, three days before Christmas. I was only 7 years old. He died in our house. After that, my mom and two brothers and I would hear strange things like in the hall way at night you could hear someone walking back and fourth. You could also hear some one humming which was what my dad use to do. The cupboards in the kitchen would open up and close. Once I had one of my friends sleep over and I didn't tell them any thing what was happening. We were in my room and my friend said that she heard a noise. I just said you're probably just hearing things. Then my door opened up and slammed really hard. We got up fast and ran to the door to see if any one did that but there was no one there. It was just strange. Then we went back over by my bed and started talking and laughing. We heard someone coming and we thought it was my mom, so we stopped talking. There was no one there again. We just heard foot steps. My friend got scared and said that she wanted to go home and she did. I also have heard violins playing but it was coming from the basement. There was so much stuff happening. There is a lot more of things that happened. We moved from that house one year ago. I'm 17 years old now. This is true, everything that I have said.