Private educational establishment Private educational establishment – Gymnasium – Gymnasium № № 212212

««Yekaterinburg-ParisYekaterinburg-Paris»»20092009

Halloween means «holy evening».Halloween means «holy evening».It’s celebrated on October, 31.It’s celebrated on October, 31.

Facts from the history:Facts from the history:To scare the ghosts, peopleTo scare the ghosts, peopledressed like devils and dressed like devils and

werewerevery noisy. ►very noisy. ►

They also made big fires toThey also made big fires tokeep the ghosts away.keep the ghosts away.Later, people did not Later, people did not

believe inbelieve inghosts, but they kept the ghosts, but they kept the

daydayof Halloween for fun.of Halloween for fun.

Halloween has some strange Halloween has some strange symbols. One symbol is the jack-o”-symbols. One symbol is the jack-o”-lantern in the window. lantern in the window.

Black catsBlack cats

Bats and owls Bats and owls

SkeletonsSkeletons

Halloween is Halloween is very popular with very popular with children. They children. They wear masks and wear masks and special costumes. special costumes. They want to look They want to look like skeletons and like skeletons and ghosts. ghosts.

Then they go from Then they go from

house to house and house to house and say «Trick or treat!» say «Trick or treat!» People give them People give them candies, cookies or candies, cookies or fruit. When people fruit. When people give nothing, the give nothing, the children sometimes children sometimes play trick of them.play trick of them.

Traditional are:Traditional are: masquerade parties or Halloween masquerade parties or Halloween to decorate the outside of homes to decorate the outside of homes

with the traditional Halloween with the traditional Halloween symbols symbols

store windows display jack-o'-store windows display jack-o'-lanterns, scarecrows and lanterns, scarecrows and witches. witches.

servers in restaurants and sales servers in restaurants and sales people in supermarkets and people in supermarkets and bookstores are often in costume. bookstores are often in costume.

many nightclubs and bars many nightclubs and bars encourage customers to come in encourage customers to come in costumes by offering prizes for costumes by offering prizes for the best disguises. the best disguises.

There’s also a There’s also a tradition to visit tradition to visit a haunted house.a haunted house.

Children usually Children usually love these love these haunted houses, haunted houses, butbut

sometimes their sometimes their parents are parents are scared to death!scared to death!

Most American Most American children have a children have a wonderful, exciting wonderful, exciting day on Halloween. If day on Halloween. If Halloween falls on a Halloween falls on a school day, they school day, they sometimes bring sometimes bring their costumes to their costumes to school and spend the school and spend the last few hours of the last few hours of the school day school day with with spooks instead of spooks instead of books.books.

Often, in the evening there's a party at a friend's Often, in the evening there's a party at a friend's home or at the local community centre. Bobbing home or at the local community centre. Bobbing for apples, telling fortunes, playing scary games, for apples, telling fortunes, playing scary games, and snacking on caramel apples, candy, apple and snacking on caramel apples, candy, apple cider, and pumpkin pie are all part of the fun. cider, and pumpkin pie are all part of the fun. Some communities build a bonfire, just as the Some communities build a bonfire, just as the Celts did. Children may sit around the bonfire Celts did. Children may sit around the bonfire telling scary stories while roasting hot dogs or telling scary stories while roasting hot dogs or toasting marshmallows.toasting marshmallows.

Halloween, which began hundreds of years ago as Halloween, which began hundreds of years ago as an evening of terror, is now an occa sion of great an evening of terror, is now an occa sion of great fun.fun.