13. HALLOWEEN AT STANFORD SCHOOL, ENGLAND
Every year we plant pumpkins in the school allotment and then
dig them up ready for Halloween. The youngest children in the
school spend time carving different faces in them.
The PTFA (Parents, Teachers and Friends Association) organise
an annual Halloween disco to raise money for the school. All of
the children love dressing up for this special occasion.
14.
15. A History of Halloween in Ireland
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
The Celts lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the
United Kingdom, and northern France. They celebrated their new year
on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and of the harvest,
and marked the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The cold winter was
a time of year that was often associated with human death at this time.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary
between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. They
celebrated Samhain on the night of October 31, and they believed that
the ghosts of the dead could return to earth on this night. In addition
to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence
of these spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to
make predictions about the future. These predictions were an
important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
At a time when people relied heavily on their crops as a source of food,
the Celts would have done anything which they thought would help them
through the hard winter.
16. To celebrate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where
the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the
Celtic gods. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes which
would disguise them from the spirits. Typically these costumes
consisted of animal heads and skins.
Halloween is an old tradition here in Ireland and also in Scotland. In
these countries, people dressed up and carried lanterns made of
turnips. When people moved from Ireland and Scotland to the
United States and other places around the world, they started using
pumpkins instead of turnips. This is where pumpkin lanterns were
first created. Today it is very easy to buy pumpkins in your local
supermarket, and many homes carve these into scary faced lanterns.
There was also a tradition of giving food to the spirits. As the years
went by this tradition changed to a situation where people gave food
to poor people. This is where our modern day ‘trick-or-treating’
comes from.
17. But where does the name come from? ‘Halloween’ means All Hallows
Eve, or the night before 'All Hallows'. With the coming of
Christianity to Ireland in the 400s, the church gave religious meaning
and significance to the holiday which the ancient Celts had
celebrated. All Hallows is also known as ‘All Saints Day’. This is
celebrated on the 1st of November, and on this day Catholics
remember all of the saints throughout Christian history. ‘All Souls
Day’ follows all saints day and is celebrated on the 2nd of November,
on this day we remember all those, especially members of our family
or friends who have passed away.
Questions:
•How old is the festival of Halloween?
•Where were the Celts from?
•Why did they celebrate Halloween?
•How did they ‘dress - up’?
•Why did they dress up?
•Make a list of the ways we celebrate Halloween which:
a) haven’t changed all that much since the time of the Celts
b) are modern or different to the way the Celts celebrated it
7) Imagine you are a 9 year old boy / girl living in Celtic Ireland. Describe what it is
like during this time of year, and how you are going to celebrate Halloween.
8) When Christianity came to Ireland in the 400s, what did Catholic people celebrate
on the 1st of November?
18. Halloween in Greece
Halloween is not a festival that we celebrate in Greece. We only know
about it from films!
We celebrate Carnival in February and we have the parties and the
costumes then.
It will be a nice chance to learn more from you this year!!!
19.
20. Halloween in Spain
To celebrate Halloween in our school,
the students create recycled jack
o lanterns with their parents at home
and they bring them to the school,
where we exhibit them in the hallway.
At the end of the week, the best
pumpkin of each grade wins a set of
reading books in English and the
principal gives the prizes.
21.
22. Halloween in Portugal
The 31st of October is the
witches day in Portugal.
We do not really celebrate
this day, as in other
countries, but we like to
decorate the house with
witches, spiders, cobwebs
and pumpkins.
24. HALLOWMAS
On November 1st marks
the "Cookie Day" in
Portugal.
It is tradition to make
cakes with dried fruit.
25. HALLOWMAS
Children go from door to door
asking for the cupcake.
They say: “Dear Aunt gives me
a cookie and I'll give you a
kiss!...”
“Ó tia dá bolinho e eu dou-te
um beijinho !...”
They receive them cakes and
many sweets.
28. HERE'S THE RECIPE
Preparation
Mix well the flour, sugar, cinnamon,
baking powder and lemon zest.
Add the mashed potatoes and the eggs
one by one. Knead well.
Ingredients
500 g sugar
500 g flour
500 g potato mash
2 tsp cinnamon
dessert
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
zest 2 lemons
nuts
salt to taste
When well mashed, add the dried fruit.
Let stand half an hour.
Shaping small scones and place on tray.
Go to the hot oven to bake.
Enjoy!
Bom apetite!
