Halloween Flashcards
When is halloween?
31st october
How did the celebration begin?
as an Irish festival called Samhain (acient celtic celebration)
What time of year did they celebrate Samhain?
at the time of final harvest
What did the do in this festival?
lit big bonfires
fortune telling (believed that there is magic in the air)
time of feasting and celebration (they were expected to eat and drink a lot)
In what did the celts believe?
the veil between 2 worlds (the living and the dead) - on Samhain the dead came out
they believed that the veil thinned on Samhain
Where has the best halloween celebrations?
Derry - Ireland (Europe’s largest halloween festival)
What are the traditional colours of halloweens?
black
red
orange
What does black represent?
darkness, night, death
What does red represent?
blood - life, force
What does orange represent?
Autumn, harvest time, new season)
What are the traditional halloween decorations?
spider webs
skulls
headstones
What kind of lightning do people use?
candlelight
What is the traditional pumpkin decoration called and what does it mean?
Jack-O’-Lantern
Jack of the lantern - based on a story about a trapped, wandering soul
Are the traditional Jack-O’-Lanterns really made of pumpkin?
No, they’re made of turnip, pumpkin is now commonly used because it’s easier to carve and because it’s easier to grow
What does harvest mean?
bringin and storing the crops and fruit that you’ve grown
What is a traditional children activity on halloween?
Trick or treating
What is trick or treating connected to?
adult activity called Guising (Scotland, Ireland)
Wassailing at Christmas
What is a word that came out of Guising?
disguise
What are the main differences between TT and G?
(1) TT is done by children, G by adults
(2) when G you need to do a performance (you get a reward based on it)
What reward do you ususally get when Guising?
alcohol - whiskey
What are the most popular halloween costumes?
TV show and film characters
couples
traditional mosters (vampire, zombie, werewolf)
superheroes
clowns
fashion/styles from decades
references to news stories (political)
What is traditional halloween food and why?
apples (seasonal food)
What activities are connected to apples on halloween?
predicting the future
BOBBING/DUCKING FOR APPLES
connection to magic and old rituals
