Halloween（万圣节）

OnOctober31st,dozensofchildrendressedincostumes（节日服装）knockontheirneighbors"doorsandyell"TrickorTreat"whenthedooropens.Piratesandprincesses,ghostsandpopularheroesofthedayallholdbagsopentocatchthecandyorothergoodiesthattheneighborsdropin.Astheygiveeachchildatreattheneighborsexclaimoverthecostumesandtrytoguesswhoisunderthemasks.

Sincethe800"sNovember1stisareligiousholidayknownasAllSaints"Day（万圣节）.TheMassthatwassaidonthisdaywascalledAllhallowmas.TheeveningbeforebecameknownasAllHakkiwe"en,orHalloween.LikesomeotherAmericancelebrations,itsoriginslieinbothpre-ChristianandChristiancustoms.

October31stwastheeveoftheCeltic（凯尔特人的）newyear.TheCeltsweretheancestorsofthepresent-dayIrish,WelshandScottishpeople.Onthisdayghostswalkedandmingledwiththeliving,orsotheCeltsthought.Thetownspeoplebakedfoodallthatdayandwhennightfelltheydressedupandtriedtoresemblethesoulsofthedead.Hopingthattheghostswouldleavepeacefullybeforemidnightofthenewyear.

Muchlater,whenChristianityspreadthroughoutIrelandandOctober31wasnolongerthelastdayoftheyear,Halloweenbecameacelebrationmostlyforchildren."Ghosts"wentfromdoortodooraskingfortreats,orelseatrickwouldbeplayedontheownersofthehouse.WhenmillionsofIrishpeopleimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesinthe1840sthetraditioncamewiththem.

Today"schooldancesandneighborhoodpartiescalled"blockparties"arepopularamongyoungandoldalike.MoreandmoreadultscelebrateHalloween.Theydressuplikehistoricalorpoliticalfiguresandgotomasqueradeparties（化妆舞会）.Inlargercities,costumedchildrenandtheirparentsgatheratshoppingmallsearlyintheevening.Storesandbusinessesgivepartieswithgamesandtreatsforthechildren.Teenagersenjoycostumedancesattheirschoolsandthemoreoutrageousthecostumethebetter!

Certainpranks（恶作剧）suchassoapingcarwindowsandtippingovergarbagecansareexpected.ButpartyingandpranksarenottheonlythingsthatHalloweenersenjoydoing.Somecollectmoneytobuyfoodandmedicineforneedychildrenaroundtheworld.

SymbolsofHalloween

Halloweenoriginatedasacelebrationconnectedwithevilspirits.Witchesflyingonbroomstickswithblackcats,ghosts,goblins（小精灵）andskeletonshaveallevolvedassymbolsofHalloween.Theyarepopulartrick-or-treatcostumesanddecorationsforgreetingcardsandwindows.BlackisoneofthetraditionalHalloweencolors,probablybecauseHalloweenfestivalsandtraditionstookplaceatnight.IntheweeksbeforeOctober31,Americansdecoratewindowsofhousesandschoolswithsilhouettes（轮廓）ofwitchesandblackcats.

PumpkinsarealsoasymbolofHalloween.Thepumpkinisanorange-coloredsquash,andorangehasbecometheothertraditionalHalloweencolor.Carvingpumpkinsintojack-o"lanternsisaHalloweencustomalsodatingbacktoIreland.AlegendgrewupaboutamannamedJackwhowassostingy（吝啬的）thathewasnotallowedintoheavenwhenhedied,becausehewasamiser（吝啬鬼）.Hecouldn"tenterhelleitherbecausehehadplayedjokesonthedevil.Asaresult,JackhadtowalktheearthwithhislanternuntilJudgementDay（审判日）.TheIrishpeoplecarvedscaryfacesoutofturnips（芜菁根）,beets（甜菜根）orpotatoesrepresenting"JackoftheLantern,"orJack-o"lantern.WhentheIrishbroughttheircustomstotheUnitedStates,theycarvedfacesonpumpkinsbecauseintheautumntheyweremoreplentifulthanturnips.Todayjack-o"-lanternsinthewindowsofahouseonHalloweennightletcostumedchildrenknowthattherearegoodies（糖果）waitingiftheyknockandsay"TrickorTreat!"

HalloweenTreats

DriedPumpkinSeeds

Aftercarvingyourpumpkin,separatethepulpfromtheseeds.Rinse（冲洗）theseedsandspreadthemouttodry.Thenextday,addenoughmeltedbutterormargarine（人造黄油）tocoateachseed.Spreadtheseedsontoacookiesheet（甜酥饼干）andbakefor20minutesina300degreeovenfor20minutesoruntiltheyareslightlybrown.

CaramelApples

Takethepaperwrappingoffabout100caramels（饴糖）andputtheminasaucepan（炖锅）.Putthesaucepanoverapanofboilingwater.Boilthewateruntilthecaramelsmelt.Putawoodenstickintothetopofeachapple,diptheappleintothecaramel.Letthemcoolonwaxpaperandenjoy!

ScaryStories

NoHalloweenpartyiscompletewithoutatleastonescarystory.Usuallyonepersontalksinalowvoicewhileeveryoneelsecrowdstogetheronthefloororaroundafire.ThefollowingisaretellingofataletoldinBritainandinNorthCarolinaandVirginia.

"WhatDoYouComeFor?"

Therewasanoldwomanwholivedallbyherself,andshewasverylonely.Sittinginthekitchenonenight,shesaid,"Oh,IwishIhadsomecompany."

Nosoonerhadshespokenthandownthechimneytumbledtwofeetfromwhichthefleshhadrotted.Theoldwoman"seyesbulgedwithterror.

Thentwolegsdroppedtothehearthandattachedthemselvestothefeet.

Thenabodytumbleddown,thentwoarms,andaman"shead.

Astheoldwomanwatched,thepartscametogetherintoagreat,tallman.Themandancedaroundandaroundtheroom.Fasterandfasterhewent.Thenhestopped,andhelookedintohereyes.

"Whatdoyoucomefor?sheaskedinasmallvoicethatshiveredandshook.

"WhatdoIcomefor?"hesaid."IcomeforYOU!"

Thenarratorshoutsandjumpsatthepersonnearhim!