HALLOWEEN Pagan festival, supernatural, coincide, in honour of, to herald, hordes of witches, the predominance, veil, is partially lifted, goblin, lantern, spine-chilling tales, prank, superstitious spells Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31 The holiday is symbolically associated with death and the supernatural It is the eve of the Festival of All Hallows, better known as All Saints, it also coincides with a much older pagan festival - Samhain - which was celebrated by the Druids in honour of the Celtic New Year And because Samhain marked the end of summer sunshine and the beginning of winter's darkness, it was supposed to herald the arrival of hordes of witches, ghosts and demons Added to this, the ancient Romans held their Festival of Pomona at about this time of year Pomona was the goddess of fruit-trees and apples that explains the predominance of apples at Halloween party games All these ceremonies were grafted one upon the other over the centuries to become our modern Halloween All Saints' Day was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century to honor Christian saints All Souls' Day, a holy day established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century, is also closely linked to Halloween Though it is not a public holiday, it is very dear to those who celebrate it, especially to children and teenagers This day was originally called All Hallow's Eve because it fell on the eve of All Saints' Day The name was late shortened to Halloween According to old beliefs Halloween is the time, when the veil between the living and the dead is partially lifted, and witches, ghosts and other supernatural beings are about Well, that's the traditional story A long time ago people were afraid and stayed at home on Halloween But now in Britain it’s a time for fun There are always a lot of parties on October 31st At these parties people wear masks and they dress as ghosts and witches, and other supernatural beings as Dracula or Frankenstein's monster The most celebrated Halloween decoration is the jack-o'-lantern, traditionally a hollowed-out pumpkin carved to resemble a grotesque face and illuminated by a candle placed inside In Britain Halloween celebrations have, until recently, been confined largely to the younger generation Now it is not only children but adults who hold witchy dances and ghost parties, and listen to spine-chilling tales of the ghosts, goblins and witches of Halloween Now children celebrate Halloween in unusual costumes and masks Dressing in costume is one of the most popular Halloween customs, especially among children Trick-or-treating is another Halloween tradition, in which costumed children go from house to house soliciting candy or other treats from their neighbours According to this custom, children greet each homeowner with the cry "Trick or Treat," suggesting that some sort of prank will be played unless treats are provided Today, many parents accompany children when they go trick-or-treating Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give us something good to eat Give us candy, give us cake, Give us something sweet to take Give us cookies, fruit and gum, Hurry up and give us some You had better it quick Or we’ll surely play a trick Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give us something good to eat A traditional feature of the children's Halloween party is «love magic» In modern Aberdeen young girls stand in turn a looking glass at the stroke of midnight and each brushes her hair three times A face is then supposed to materialize in the mirror - that of the boy whom fate has decreed she will one day marry It is a festival of merrymaking, superstitious spells, traditional games and pranks Halloween is a time for fun Questions When does this festival take place? Is it a public holiday? Try to explain the name of this holiday What were the old beliefs concerning the time of Halloween? Why thousands of people through all over the world enthusiastically celebrate this holiday? What is the main symbol of the holiday? What costumes children and teenagers wear on this day? Do you know any traditional song, games or tricks typical for the day? What yon know about the history of this festival? 10 Do Russian people celebrate this funny holiday? Read the text and select information about: 1) the origin of Halloween; 2) the Halloween traditions