Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs.
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and
Northern Europe. Its roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating. They also had a celebration with a huge bonfire.
Vocabulary and phrase explanations:
Superstition - something that people believe but is probably not true. The belief is not based on reason or knowledge. It may be believed because if ones cultural history.
"Traced back" - to look back into the past and find where something came from
Roots - where something began.
"Rome the streets" - walking around in a neighborhood without a specific place to go.
Pacify - to calm
Evolve - to grow and change through time.
Bonfire - a huge fire made by people usually to celebrate some event.
No comments:
Post a Comment