ga_halloween_7_14.pdfVIP

vC H A P T E R O N E The Origins of Halloween T he origins of Halloween are very old. In fact, thisfestivity started in Celtic 1 Britain. The Celts lived inthe British Isles during ancient times. They werepagans. They believed in the gods of nature. There were two important festivals on the Celtic calendar, Beltane and Samhain. 2 Beltane celebrated the beginning of summer and Samhain the start of winter, on November 1. Samhain was also the first day of the year on the Celtic calendar. The festival of Samhain started on October 31 and finished on November 1. The Celts were afraid of winter. The days were short and cold, and the nights were very long. They associated 3 winter with death and evil spirits. 1. Celtic : American English [′selt?k], British English [′kelt?k]. 2. Samhain : [saυn]. 3. associated : linked, connected. 2 7 The Celts believed that on the night of October 31 the spirits of the dead came out of their tombs. The Celts made big fires to frighten 1 the ghosts. They also wore scary costumes. The Celts played games on October 31 to bring good luck in the year. They ate nuts and apples because they were lucky foods. The Druids were Celtic priests 2 and teachers. They were very HALL WEEN MAGIC, WITCHES AND VAMPIRES 1. frighten : scare, terrify. 2. priests : these people perform religious ceremonies in some religions. END 8 important in Celtic society. They practiced magic and religious rituals. Everyone respected the Druids. At Samhain the Druids talked about the future and led the celebrations. There are still some Druids today. They believe in the ancient Celtic religion called Druidism. They love and respect nature. They meet and celebrate some Celtic festivities at Stonehenge and in other places. The colors of Halloween are of Celtic origin. Black was the color of winter and long nights. Orange was the color of the harvest. The black cat is another symbol of Halloween. The Celts believed that th