3. THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN Everything started a very long time ago, in the 5 th century, in the place where today is Great Britain and Northern France. At that time the Celts lived there and they celebrated New Year with a festival called “Samhain” on November 1 st. It was a holiday of the end of the “Sun Season” and the start of the “Dark and Cold Season”. People made lamps of pumpkins and candles and said: “These lamps help the sun to live in winter”.

4. People strongly believed that Halloween is the night when communication between the worlds of the living and the dead can be. At that night the people believed that the souls of the dead returned to the places where they lived to warm near the fire.

5. The people put out the fire and tried to frighten the evil spirits dressing the scary costumes.

6. In the 8 th century the Christian church made November 1 st a church holiday of all saints who do not have a special day in the year. This holiday was called “All Saints Day” or “All Hallows Day The night before it was called “ALL HALLOWS EVE”, then it became “HALLOWEEN”. Halloween means: Holy → hallow-святой een → evening-вечер

7. The main symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin. People decorate the houses with pumpkins. They put them in front of their houses to scare spirits from their homes. The fire inside the pumpkin frightens the dead souls, saves the people.

8. Children knock at the houses and ask a treat. If you don’t give any money or sweets they can trick on you. TRICK OR TREAT!

9. People arrange Halloween parties, dress up as witches, ghosts, vampires, cats and bats. It’s hard to imagine a party without a scary story told in a low voice on Halloween night.