Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.
Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts (凯尔特人), who worshipped (崇拜) nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. They celebrated their New Year on November 1st which was made every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished (消失). The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). They would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin.
When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.
The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.
The Celtics would carry a lantern (灯笼) when they walked on the eve of October 31. These lanterns were carved out of big turnips (大头菜) and the lights were believed to keep the evil spirits away. Children would carve faces in the turnips. These carved turnips were called "jack-o-lanterns.
It is said that the "jack-o-lantern" got its name from a stingy (吝啬的) and mean old man, named Jack, who when he died was too mean to get into heaven. When Jack went to hell he was meet by the Devil who gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack placed the burning coal in a turnip to use as a lantern to light his way. The legends claim that Jack is still walking with the lantern looking for a place to stay.
When the early settlers came to America they found the big round orange pumpkin. Being larger and much more colorful than turnips, the pumpkin made great "jack-o-lanterns". Eventually the pumpkin would replace the turnip. Eventually the Pumpkin would become the most widely recognized symbol(象征)of the Halloween holiday.
The history of "Trick'O'Treating" can be traced back (追溯) to the early celebrations of All Soul's Day in Britain. The poor would go begging and the housewives would give them special treats called "soulcakes". This was called "going a-souling", and the "soulers" would promise to say a prayer for the dead.
Over time the custom changed and the town's children became the beggars. As they went from house to house they would be given apples, buns (圆形的小甜面包), and money. During the Pioneer days of the American West, the housewives would give the children candy to keep from being tricked. The children would shout "Trick or Treat!".
【万圣节的黑猫】
Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil。
But it seems that not only do people treat black cats badly in October -- they shun them for the rest of the year too。
但似乎人们不仅在十月份虐待黑猫,其它时候也是避之不及。
Black cats at animal shelters take longer than others to find homes, probably because of all the superstitions surrounding them, the charity said。
该慈善机构称,动物收容所里的黑猫等待领养的时间比其它猫都要长,这或许是因为那些与之相关的迷信说法。
"Unfortunately, black cats often do spend longer in our rehoming centres than others as they are frequently overlooked by potential owners," said shelter manager Beverly Leavy。
"But their fur color makes no difference to how much love they have to give," she added. "The cats are ready to make wonderful pets."
她说:“但它们皮毛的颜色和它们给予人们的爱的多少没有关系。它们可以成为很好的宠物。”
The image problem varies from country to country and often involves black cats crossing people's paths。
各国有关黑猫的迷信说法各不相同,但一般都有忌讳看见黑猫从自己面前走过这一说。
Historians differ about the origins of the superstitions。
历史学家对这些迷信说法的起源看法各异。
Some point to the ancient Celts, some to folklore tales that liken cats to snakes and cast them as the constant companions of witches, others to a Medieval belief that they caused the black plague in Europe。
The view that they bring bad luck has also woven its way into art and popular culture。
黑猫会带来厄运的说法在艺术和流行文化中也有所体现。
American writer of macabre tales, Edgar Alan Poe, published a short story "The Black Cat" in 1843 and in the late 19th century a shady cabaret called Le Chat Noir welcomed guests in the Bohemian Montmartre district of Paris。
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31. By tradition, Halloween begins after sunset. Long ago, people believed that witches gathered together and ghosts roamed the world on Halloween. Today, most people no longer believe in ghosts and witches. But these supernatural beings are still a part of Halloween.
The colors black and orange are also a part of Halloween. Black is a symbol for night and orange is the color of pumpkins. A jack-o’-lantern is a hollowed-out pumpkin with a face carved on one side. Candles are usually placed inside, giving the face a spooky glow.
Dressing up in costumes is one of the most popular Halloween customs, especially among children. According to tradition, people would dress up in costumes (wear special clothing, masks or disguises) to frighten the spirits away.
Popular Halloween costumes include vampires (creatures that drink blood), ghosts (spirits of the dead) and werewolves (people that turn into wolves when the moon is full).
Trick or Treating is a modern Halloween custom where children go from house to house dressed in costume, asking for treats like candy or toys. If they don't get any treats, they might play a trick (mischief or prank) on the owners of the house.
The tradition of the Jack o' Lantern comes from a folktale about a man named Jack who tricked the devil and had to wander the Earth with a lantern. The Jack o' Lantern is made by placing a candle inside a hollowed-out pumpkin, which is carved to look like a face.
There are many other superstitions associated with Halloween. A superstition is an irrational idea, like believing that the number 13 is unlucky!
和万圣节有关的迷信还有很多。迷信是一种不合常理的.想法,比如认为13是不吉利的数字!
Halloween is also associated with supernatural creatures like ghosts and vampires. These creatures are not part of the natural world. They don't really exist... or do they?