Halloween originated over 2,000 years ago among the ancient Celtic people in Ireland, who called it the Festival of Samhain. It was celebrated on November 1st and marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead returned, so they wore costumes and had bonfires to scare away spirits. Carving pumpkins and making jack-o-lanterns evolved from an Irish folktale about a man named Jack who was doomed to wander at night with only a carved turnip lantern. These Halloween traditions spread to the U.S. with Irish immigration.

1. HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS
DEPARTAMENTO DE INGLÉS

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Halloween is believed to have started more than 2,000 years ago in Ireland,
with an ancient group of people known as the Celts. During this time, it was
called the Festival of Samhain. It was celebrated on November 1rst and it was
when this group of people would celebrate their New Year. This day was
important to them because it marked the end of the summer and the harvest,
and the beginning of winter.
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3. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
• When did Halloween start?
• Where did it start?
• Which ancient culture gives us many of
our Halloween traditions?
• How was Halloween called then?
• Why was important in ancient times?

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The Celts also believed that this time of the year was closely linked to human
death, and believed that on the night before the new year, on October 31rst,
that the boundary between the dead and the living became blurred. They
called this time Hallow´s Eve and believed that on this night, the ghosts of the
dead returned to earth and caused trouble. Because of this, the Celts used to
wear costumes on this night and have bonfires to scare off the spirits.
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5. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
• The Celts believed that this time of the year
was related to ________ ___________
• the Celts used to wear __________ on this
night and have ________ to scare off the
spirits.

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The tradition of carving pumpkins and putting candles in them or turning them in to Jack-
o-lanterns evolved from an Irish folktale. Supposedly there was once a man named Jack
who invited the devil for a drink. He was stingy and didn´t want to pay so he convinced the
devil to turn himself into a coin. When the devil did, the man put him in his pocket next to
a cross so that the devil could not change back. He then convinced the devil to never take
his soul if he should die before freeing him again. When the man died, God did not want
such a questionable figure in heaven and did not let him enter. Because of the deal that
Jack had made with the devil, he couldn´t go to hell either and so Jack´s spirit was doomed
to wander the earth. He carved out a turnip and put a coal in it and used it as a lantern to
light his sad travels through the night. After that people started making the their own
laterns with pumpkins. With the large amount of Irish Immigration that happened during
the time of the Potato Famine, the traditions of Hallow´s Even and Jack-o-lanterns made it
to the U.S. and eventually evolved into the Halloween traditions practiced today.
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7. Complete the sentences
The tradition of carving
_________and putting candles in
them or turning them in to Jack-o-
lanterns evolved from an _________
folktale. Supposedly there was once a
man named _______who invited the
devil for a drink. He was stingy and
didn´t want to pay so he convinced the
devil to turn himself into a coin.

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Halloween now… ..
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9. Another tradition associated with Halloween is telling scary stories. You are about
to hear a Scary story called: Just Delicious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9AFyPKqK4Q

10. TALK ABOUT THE VIDEO
WHAT IS THE VIDEO ABOUT?
IN WHAT WAY IS IT RELATED TO
HALLOWEEN?
HOW DOES THE STORY END?