Halloween Traditions and Celebrations

Halloween is celebrated in the USA, and has become popular in Europe, too. Many children and adults go to Halloween parties, wearing scary costumes and masks.

Costumes

American children take their costumes and masks to school. Some typical Halloween costumes are witches, ghosts, skeletons, monsters, vampires and aliens Many parents make the costumes, but some prefer to buy them. In the afternoon the children put on their costumes and have a Halloween party at school. Pumpkins, ghosts, witches and bats decorate the school hall and the classrooms.

Bobbing for apple

Bobbing for apples is an old 5 English game. To play this game you put water and apples in a big bowl. The apples stay on top of the water. You must take an apple out of the water with your teeth but you can ’t use your hands. It’s not easy! Many people get very wet.

Jack-o-lantern

It is a popular tradition in the USA to buy a big pumpkin and make a jack-o’-lantern. People put their jack-o’-lanterns in front of the windows of their homes or in their gardens. This tradition originated in Great Britain and Ireland, when people wanted to frighten evil spirits but they didn’t use pumpkins then: they used big turnips In the United States there weren’t any turnips, so people used pumpkins.

Trick or Treating

Another popular Halloween tradition is ‘trick or treating’. This began in the nineteenth century, and was an Irish tradition. Irish immigrants brought ‘trick or treating’ to the United States. Today children and teenagers go ‘trick or treating’ in the evening. They visit their neighbours’ houses in their costumes. When the door opens they say ‘Trick or treat?’ People usually give them sweets or money. But when people don’t give them a treat, the children play a trick They sometimes write on windows with soap or even throw an egg at the front door of the house.

Halloween is not just for children. Many teenagers and adults wear costumes and go to parties on Halloween night.

Worksheet download.