History of HalloweenHalloween is a holiday celebrated on the evening of October 31st. Traditional activities such as trick-or-treating, bonfires, carving jack-o-lanterns, and visiting “haunted houses” are part of the holiday. Versions of these activities were first carried to North America in the nineteenth century by Irish and Scottish immigrants. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival was a celebration of the end of the harvest season. Trick-or-treating is one of the main traditions of Halloween. It involves children going from house to house in costumes, asking for sweet treats with the question, “Trick or treat?”

Dressing in costumes is another key tradition of Halloween. The practice of dressing in costumes and begging door-to-door for treats goes back to the Middle Ages. There are many legends and theories around the traditional Jack-o-Lantern carved in pumpkins as part of Halloween traditions to scare away evil spirits.

Costumes are a key part of Halloween celebrations. During the Samhain festival, people wear masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by evil spirits. Orange and black are the traditional Halloween colors. Orange symbolize the vibrant colors of their crops and the work of the harvest season. Black stands for the death of summer.

Read the article about Halloween and complete these sentences using only one word.

1.- Halloween is celebrated in the ........................of October 31st. 2.- ……………………………- or- treating is one of the activities.

3.- Children wear costumes and ………………from house to house. 4.- Children ……………….for sweet treats. 5.- Halloween has its origins in an ancient ………………… festival.Answer these questions.

1.- Why do people wear costumes and masks?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2.- What are the traditional Halloween colours?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3.- What nationality were the first people to celebrate Halloween in the United States?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4.- Name some traditional activities that are part of the holiday.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5.- What was this festival originally?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..