Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31st, mainly in the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom, and Ireland. It has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people
believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead became thin. To scare
away ghosts, they would dress up in costumes and light bonfires.
Today, Halloween is a time for spooky fun! People decorate their homes with carved pumpkins,
called jack-o’-lanterns, and spooky decorations like fake spiders, ghosts, and skeletons. Children
and even some adults dress up in costumes. Popular costumes include witches, ghosts, and
vampires, but you might also see superheroes or animals.
One of the most popular Halloween activities for children is trick-or-treating. Kids dress up in
costumes and go from house to house, saying “trick or treat” to get candy. Another fun activity is
visiting haunted houses, which are designed to be scary. People walk through rooms with creepy
decorations, strange sounds, and sometimes even actors dressed as monsters!
Halloween is also a time for eating special treats, like candy apples, pumpkin-flavored snacks, and
lots of candy. Some families have Halloween parties where they play games, tell ghost stories, and
watch horror movies.
Tasks
1. Comprehension Questions
1. When is Halloween celebrated?
2. Where did Halloween traditions originally come from?
3. Why did people wear costumes on Halloween in ancient times?
4. What are jack-o’-lanterns?
5. What do children say when they go trick-or-treating?
2. True or False
1. Halloween is mainly celebrated in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
2. People used to believe that the boundary between the living and the dead became
thin on Halloween.
3. A popular Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating.
4. Jack-o’-lanterns are carved apples.
5. Some families watch horror movies on Halloween.
3. Vocabulary Matching
Match the Halloween word on the left with its correct definition on the right.
1. Jack-o’-lantern
2. Trick-or-treating
3. Haunted house
4. Samhain
5. Costume
A. A Celtic festival that Halloween originated from
B. A carved pumpkin with a light inside
C. A scary place people visit on Halloween
D. An outfit worn to look like someone or something else
E. Going from house to house to get candy
4. Fill in the Blanks
Use the words: pumpkin, candy, costume, haunted, treat
1. Children dress up in a ___________ for Halloween.
2. Many people carve a ___________ to make a jack-o’-lantern.
3. Kids say “trick or ___________” when they go from house to house.
4. Some people visit a ___________ house for a scary experience.
5. Halloween is a time when people eat lots of ___________.
5. Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever celebrated Halloween? If yes, what did you do?
2. What costume would you choose if you could dress up for Halloween?
3. Do you have any similar holidays or festivals in your country?
