Halloween has its origins in Celtic traditions celebrating Samhain. The holiday also has Christian influences and is associated with themes of orange and black, horror, and disguise. Traditionally, jack-o-lanterns were carved to guide spirits and scare away bad ones, while costumes and masks were also worn for protection. Modern Halloween traditions include trick-or-treating, eating foods like candy and pumpkin treats, and participating in activities like costume parties, haunted houses, and telling scary stories.

2. History

Tradition Themes
 Halloween was originally  Orange and black
adopted from Celtic  Orange highlights autumn,
traditions, similar to and the changing of leaves
 Black symbolizes death.
Samhain.
 Horror
 Historically, it is also a  Halloween became the
very Christian holiday. “scary” holiday because it
 November 1 is All Saints celebrates the deceased,
Day both good and bad spirits.
 November 2 is All Souls  Disguise
Day

3. Guiding Spirits
• Jack-o-Lanterns are an
important part of Halloween.
• The Jack-o-Lanterns are
supposed to guide the
spirits of the dead into a
peaceful afterlife.
• Scary faces were
incorporated in order to
scare off bad spirits.
 This is a traditional Jack-o-
Lantern.

4. 
• Today, people make all different
kinds of designs on pumpkins!
 Some can be scarier than
others.

5. Costumes

 Originally, masks were
worn to scare spirits too!
 People started to make
scary costumes:
 Vampires
 Werewolves
 Living Dead (zombies)
 Ghosts
 Goblins
 Witches

6. Costumes Today

 Costumes today are not
always scary (but some
are)!
 Halloween gives people
a day to dress up and
pretend to be
somebody else.

7. Trick or Treat!

 Trick or treating started in
Ireland and Britain.
 Peasants would go door
to door and ask for food
or money, promising to
pray for souls on All
Souls’ Day.
 Today, children go from
door to door with bags or
baskets to ask for candy!

8. Food & Candy

 After carving pumpkins,
we use the insides to
make delicious pumpkin
pies or roasted pumpkin
seeds.
 Sometimes people make
caramel apples.
 All different kinds of
candies are given out:
 Chocolates
 Candy bars
 Lollipops
 Gummies

9. Other Traditions

 At costume parties, people
will bob for apples.
 Apples are put in a tub of
water, and you must get
them using only your
mouth – your hands are
behind your back!
 People will also make scare
crows and haunted houses,
too.
 Sometimes, we gather
around a bonfire and tell
scary ghost stories!