NB2 Halloween Presentation - by Esther Barbero & Laura García, EOI Torre-Pacheco 2010-11

1. - 31 October -

2.  The first people who celebrated Halloween were the Celtic.They
lived in Great Britain.They celebrated the festivity of Samhain,
their goddess of the dead.That night, the druids (Celtic priests)
contacted spirits.
 Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest* (orange colour) and
the “NewYear”, and then the new year began with winter and long
nights (black colour).
 The Celtic believed that spirits returned to the Earth.They invited
good spirits but moved away evil spirits and witches.
* harvest

3.  Celtic  Samhain (Goddess of the dead)
 Colours of Halloween:
 Orange
 (represents the end of the harvest)
 Black
 (represents the beginning of the NewYear)

4.  A legend said that people lighted a candle for
each deceased* relative. They put the
candles on the window of their homes. That
night, when the spirits visited their relatives’
homes, they saw the candles.
* Deceased people is a
formal way of referring to
dead people.

5.  But if a spirit didn’t find a candle, the spirit did
bad things and the spirit’s relatives couldn’t
sleep well and they had nightmares*.
* A nightmare is a bad dream.

6.  When the Romans invaded Great Britain,
they liked that festivity. The Romans
honoured Pomona (their goddess of fruit
trees) on the 1st of November. And soon, the
apples became a symbol for both festivities.

7.  In 1840, Halloween arrived in the United States. The Irish immigrants
brought the “Jack-o-lantern” tradition (a pumpkin with a candle in it).
This tradition was inspired by “The mean Jack” legend.
 And then, the festivity became very popular in 1921. That year, the first
Halloween parade was celebrated in Minnesota.
 But Halloween became most popular in 1978, because the film “The
Halloween Night” premiered* in the USA and around the world.
* Premiere: The first public performance of a film, play, etc.

8.  1840: Halloween arrived in the USA
 Irish immigrants (Jack-o-lantern)
 1921: First Halloween parade (Minnesota)
 1978: “The Halloween Night” (Director John
Carpenter)

9.  Myths:
1.- “Jack-o-lantern” pumpkin
2.- “Bobbing for apples” game.
3.- Black cats
4.- Witches Night
5.- Why do people wear costumes?
6.- “Trick or treat”

10. 1.- “Jack-o-lantern” pumpkin
 When the Irish arrived in the USA, and they brought the Witches´
Night tradition, they used the most famous symbol of Halloween
night: The Jack-o-lantern.
 Jack was a very bad man. When Jack died, he couldn´t get in heaven
or hell. And then, he was sentenced and he wandered* looking for
the entrance to one of the two worlds. His only help was a light in a
turnip*. But the Americans changed this tradition because didn´t
have turnips, for that reason they used pumpkins.
*Wander: to move or travel without any definite purpose or destination. *Turnip

11. 2.- “Bobbing for apples” game
 Children played a game called “bobbing for
apples”.
 People put water and apples in a big bowl.
The apples float on top of the water.
 Children take an apple out of the water using
their teeth, but they can´t use their hands.
Many people get very wet!

12. 3.- BLACK CATS
 People say that Black cats is a costume* that
witches used to walk peacefully in the city.
* A black cat costume

13. 4.-THE NIGHT OF WITCHES
 The legend says that the old witches met twice a
year: 30th of April and 31st October. Satan was
summoned and they rode their brooms* to share
witchcrafts and black wisdom.
 Today, Halloween night is recognized as a day
before new year for witchery. For many people, it is
the night when the power of witches is in its top
level, to the extent that Halloween is known as “The
night of witches”.
* broom

14. 5.- WHY DO PEOPLE WEAR COSTUMES?
 The tradition of wearing costumes in Halloween was
born in France in the 14th
and 15th
centuries.
 Children and adults wore terrible and ugly
costumes* (skeletons, aliens, monsters or vampires)
to frighten ghosts, witches and evil spirits.
* Traditional Halloween costumes

15. 6.-TRICK OR TREAT
 Another tradition is “Trick or treat” (sweet or prank). On
this night children wear scary costumes (e.g. monster,
witches or vampires), and knock at their neighbours’ doors
asking the question: “Trick or treat?”.
 This tradition originated in the pursuit* of the protestant
against the catholics in England during the 16th
and 17th
centuries.
* Pursuit: To persecute.

16. INTERESTING LINKS
 MONSTER MASH
 THE MYSTERY OF EATUM HALL

17. THE END
Powerpoint presentation created by:
Esther Barbero & Laura García
Nivel Básico 2 EOI Torre-Pacheco