English Vocabulary for Halloween ?? - Learn English with Harry ??

English Vocabulary for Halloween ?? - Learn English with Harry ?? Autumn is here (where I am living certainly) and is commonly seen as the stepping stone (route, how to get to another place) from Summer to Winter and of course Christmas and the New  Year.When we think of Autumn our thoughts turn to Halloween and when we think of Halloween we  dream about costumes, dressing up (putting on different clothes) family games such as bobbing the  apple (explained below) and of course the tradition of trick or treating (children dressing in  costumes and calling on the neighbours offering to do a trick, tell a story or a joke in exchange for a  treat candy or sweets).   This festival (annual event of celebration) is probably the second biggest  festival after Christmas. Huge amounts of money are spent on costumes and wigs and spooky (scary) masks. The history of Halloween stretches back many centuries and is a pagan festival. The tradition originally comes from Ireland. Today in Christian world November the 1st is  known as All Saints Day (All Hallows). In pagan times it was believed  to be a time when the souls of dead people returned to earth and the day before or All Hallows Eve (now shortened to Halloween) was a night of celebration before Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) which  is a Celtic /Gaelic word. Even today in Irish Gaelic language November is still called Samhain.Pumpkins or turnips were used as lanterns (lights). The turnip or pumpkin was hollowed out and a  candle placed inside to ward off (scare away) evil spirits. Known today as Jack OLanterns they are  sold in their millions and carved out by families all over the northern hemisphere.The religious aspects are now largely ignored but the celebration continues to grow. Houses, streets  and shops are decorated with anything connected with the dark world of witches, e vil spirits and  skeletons. English Vocabulary for Halloween - Halloween Games Bobbing the apple: A family game where apples are placed in a basin (shallow bucket) with water.  The apples float in the water and you take it in turns (one after another) to try and pick up an apple  in the water with your teeth. You cannot use your hands. It is not easy and lots of water is splashed  around accompanied by much laughter.A ring in a cake: An ancient tradition was for single girls to try and find a husband. There were lots  of old superstitions concerning this practice. Elderly relatives baked a cake (a barmbrack Gaelic  cake) and buried (hid) a ring in the cake. The superstition was that whoever got the slice or piece of  cake containing the ring would get married before the next Halloween. Sometimes other items like  coins would be added which would possibly signify wealth coming to whoever got the coin. English Vocabulary for Halloween - Learn English Words stepping stone  route, how to get to another placeto dress up to put on different clothesspooky scarylantern light, light sourcebasin shallow bucketto take turns to do something one after anotherto bury to hide