ENGLISH HALLOWEEN CUSTOMSThe celebration of All Saints Day or just Halloween takes place on October 31st. The tradition of Halloween began in the fifth century B.C. This day the Irish Celts celebrated their New Year at that time, because they organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one year to the next on October 31. In the year 835 A. D. the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honour all the saints. This day is called All Saint's Day. Since that time many years have passed. Some traditions are gone, new traditions appeared. The most known custom is the tradition of dressing. The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, people placed bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter their home. Fire has always played an important part in Halloween. Fire was very important to the Celts as it was to all early people. In the old days people lit bonfires to ward away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck. Today, we light candles in pumpkin and then put them outside our homes to ward of evil spirits. Another tradition is Apple Bobbing. It has the roman origins. The Roman festival for remembering the dead was also in October. During this time, the Romans remembered their goddess, Pomona. She was the goddess of the trees and fruits, and when the Romans came to Britain, they began to hold these two festivals on the same day as Samhain. Apples probably became associated with Halloween because of this festival. Some people believe that, if you slice an apple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and then eat it by candlelight before a mirror, your future spouse will appear over your shoulder. Trick or Treat was first known as Mischief Night. Halloween was a time for making mischief – many parts of England still recognize this date as Mischief Night – when children would knock on doors demanding a treat (Trick or Treat) and people would disguise themselves as witches or ghosts, in order to obtain food and money from nervous householders. Halloween was sometimes called Nut crack Night or Snap Apple Night in England. Families would sit by the fire and tell stories while they ate apples and nuts. Discussing questions: 1. When does Halloween take place? 2. When did the tradition of All Saints Day begin? 3. When did the Roman Catholic Church make November 1st the church holiday of All Saints? 4. What are the roots of tradition of dressing in costumes for Halloween? 5. Why did people wear masks and dress in costumes for Halloween? 6. Why do people light fire in Halloween? 7. What Halloween tradition do you know? 8. What is Apple Bobbing? 9. What people do on snap apple Night?
Exercises to the text: I. Translate the words and words combinations from English into Russian. Build up your own sentences with them: All Saints Day, Irish Celts, earthly world, to take place, according to, agricultural calendar, Roman Catholic Church, tradition of dressing, frightening time, food supplies, fellow spirits, to play an important part, evil spirits, goddess of the trees and fruits, early people, to ward away, nervous householders. II. Choose the Russian equivalents to the English word combinations:
III. Complete the beginning of the following sentences: 1. … because they organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one year to the next on October 31. 2. … made November 1st a church holiday to honour all the saints. 3. … and, many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. 4. … people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. 5. … to ward away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck.
IV. Ask questions to the underlined words: 1. The celebration of All Saints Day or just Halloween takes place on October 31st. 2. The most known custom is the tradition of dressing. 3. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. 4. On Halloween, people placed bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter their home. 5. Fire has always played an important part in Halloween.
V. Confirm or rebut the following statements: 1. The tradition of Halloween began in the fifth century A.D. 2. The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both American and Celtic roots. 3. Fire was very important to the Celts as it was to all early people. 4. Apple Bobbing has the roman origins. 5. Halloween was a time for making mischief – many parts of England still recognize this date as Mischief Night – when children would knock on doors demanding a treat (Trick or Treat) and grandparents would disguise themselves as witches or ghosts, in order to obtain food and money from nervous housewives.
VI. Choose the right English equivalent to the words in brackets: 1. Families would sit by the fire and (рассказывать истории) while they ate apples and nuts. a) to historify b) to yarn c) to tell stories 2. Apples probably (становиться) associated with Halloween because of this festival. a) to become b) to go c) to plant oneself 3. During this time, the Romans remembered their (богиня), Pomona. a) theomachist b) goddess c) queen
4. Since that time many years (проходить). a) to cross b) to go c) to pass 5. They organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one year to the next on October 31. a) to organize b) to establish c) to manage
VI. Translate the sentences from Russian into English: 1. Празднование Дня всех святых проходит 31 октября. 2. Самая известная традиция – традиция переодевания имеет как английские, так и кельтские корни. 3. Существовало поверье, что на Хэллоуин в земной мир возвращались духи, поэтому, когда люди выходили из дому, они надевали маски. 4. Хэллоуин был временем для шалостей – ночь шалостей, время, когда дети стучат в двери и требуют угощения. 5. Как празднуют Хэллоуин в нашей стране?
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