Text 7 autumn holidays Halloween

On October 31^st British people celebrate Halloween. It is undoubtedly the most colourful and exciting holiday of the year and it is very dear to those who celebrate it, especially to children and teenagers. Originally it was a Celtic feast celebrated the last day of the year and beginning of winter when witches and ghosts were supposed to celebrate their rites. When the Christianity came the holiday converted to the Eve of All Saints’ Day. The name was later shortened to Halloween.

Now children celebrate Halloween in unusual costumes and masks. They go from house to house and say “Trick or treat”, which means ‘give us a treat or we will play a trick on you’. Treats are some sweets, fruit, money and the most common trick is a soaping the windows or spill the flour on the stairs.

A favourite Halloween custom is to make a jack-o’-lantern. Children take out the middle of the pumpkin, cut holes for the eyes, nose and mouth in its side and, finally, they put a candle inside the pumpkin to scare their friends. The candle burning inside makes the orange face visible from far away on a dark night – and the pulp makes a delicious pumpkin-pie.

At Halloween parties the guests wear every kind of costume. Some people dress up like supernatural creatures, other prefer historical or political figures. You can also meet pirates, princesses, Draculas, Cinderellas, or even Frankenstein’s monsters at a Halloween festival.

At Halloween parties children play traditional games. One of the most popular is called bobbing for apples. One child at a time has to get apples from a tub of water without using hands. But how to do this? By sinking his or her face into the water and biting the apple! Another game is pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. One child is blind folded and spun slowly so that he or she will become dizzy. Then the child must find a paper donkey hanging on the wall and try to pin a tail onto the back. And no Halloween party is complete without at least one scary story. It helps too create an air of mystery.

It is a festival of merrymaking, superstitions spells, fortunetelling, traditional games and pranks. Halloween is a time for fun. Today, Halloween is still a bad night for the police…

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*Eve of All Saints’ Day – канун Дня всех святых (празднуется в ночь с 31 октября на 1 ноября)

*“Trick or treat” - обычай, согласно которому на праздник Хэллоуин дети стучатся в двери и требуют угощения

*jack-o’-lantern – “Светильник Джека” — один из основных атрибутов праздника Хэллоуин, представляет собой вырезанную в виде головы тыкву с зажжённой свечой внутри.

*Cinderella - Золушка

*“bobbing for apples” - "достань яблоко" (традиционная детская игра на вечеринках в канун Дня всех святых: играющие пытаются достать зубами яблоки, плавающие в тазике с водой)