Halloween night

1. All Hallows’ Eve

Read the text about Halloween. Complete the definitions below with the underlined vocabulary.
Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve. It is a yearly celebration observed in a number of
countries on October 31, the eve of a Western Christian feast. It marks the beginning of the time
of year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows) and martyrs.
According to many scholars, All Hallows’ Eve was initially influenced by Celtic festivals, and it has
possible pagan roots. Other academics maintain that it has solely Christian roots.
Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, decorating,
making pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns, lighting bonfires, dressing up in skeleton or ghost costumes,
playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

1. _________________: people who are killed because of their beliefs

2. _________________: asking for treats and threatening to play tricks on those who refuse
3. _________________: a short form
4. _________________: tricks played on people in order to make them look foolish and to amuse others
5._________________ : the day or period of time immediately before an event or occasion
6.__________________: related to ancient religions that believed in many gods
7. _________________: a large meal celebrating something
8. _________________: origins

2. Things that are popular on Halloween

Choose the correct word for each picture below.
a bat a cauldron a coffin a Jack-o’-lantern a skull a spider’s web costumes sweets
a full moon a ghost evil spirit

1 3 5 7 9

2 6 8
4 10

3. Halloween costumes
Match the costumes to things you might need to make them.
1. a ghost a. a broomstick
2. a witch b. a cape
3. a superhero c. a red nose
4. a clown d. a white sheet
5. a mummy e. bandages
6. a zombie f. plastic horns
7. a devil g. white make-up

4. Put the correct verb into the sentences.

dress go light scare tell watch
1. People like to up on Halloween. Ghost and witch costumes are very popular.
2. It is traditional to people. Some people really enjoy this, but others get very frightened.
3. People candles and put them inside Jack-o’-lanterns.
4. It is exciting to horror movies on Halloween, especially when there is bad weather.
5. People trick or treating to get lots of sweets and chocolate.
6. Adults and children like to ghost stories.

5. Collocations
Match the words on the left with the nouns on the right.
1. a black a. cat
2. a wicked b. house
3. a haunted c. moon
4. evil d. spirits
5. a magic e. wand
6. a full f. witch

6. Halloween facts
Put true (T) or false (F) next to each statement below. Check your answers on the internet.
1. In the UK, black cats bring bad luck.
2. People made the first Jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins.
3. In the US, the 28th of October is the day of the year that people buy the most candy.
4. People believe that Halloween started in Ireland.
5. In the US, people spend $2 billion on Halloween costumes.
6. Halloween is also called Hallow’s Eve.
7. In the United States, more candy (sweets) is sold on October 28 than on any other day of the year.
8. In Hollywood, there’s a $1000 fine for using Silly String on Halloween.
9. It’s very common for a full moon to occur on Halloween.
10. It is believed that Norway is the birthplace of Halloween.
11. In the UK, black cats are thought to bring bad luck.
12. In the United States, Halloween is the most commercial holiday of the year.
13. In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly
commercial American influence.
14. Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween.
15. Jack O’Lanterns are named after a man named Jack.
16. Halloween is thought to have originated around 1000 B.C.

7. Talking Point
Discuss any of the questions below.
1.Is Halloween popular in your country?
2.Do you do any of the things in exercise 2 for Halloween? Which ones?
3. Do you believe in ghosts? Why/why not?
4.Do you have any full moon traditions in your country?
5.Which object is used to keep away evil spirits?
6.Are there any unusual festivals in your country? What do they celebrate?
7. Do you like horror films? Why / Why not?