九年级英语万圣节作文（精选20篇）

Halloween is for the "All Hallows Evening". However, due to various reasons, Halloween has become the years most popular and oneof the most popular festivals, and many players with great enthusiasm to celebrate this holiday.

Halloween in the October 31, in fact, praise and autumn festivals like Beltane is the festival of spring like the praise. Of ancient Gaul, Britain and Ireland priest - druid to have a grand festival praise of autumn, from October 31 beginning at midnight the following day, November 1 continued all day. In their view, that night they are a great Death - Salman to that year were all summoned the ghost of dead people, these evil spirits are subject to care for the Livestock Health and punishment. Of course, as long asthe thought of such a gathering of ghosts, it was enough to make fools of those simple-minded understanding of the heart bile war.So they lit the sky of the bonfire, and close surveillance of these evil spirits.

Halloween witches and ghosts everywhere to say is just the beginning. So far in Europe, there are some isolated areas where peoplebelieve it is true. Ancient Rome in November 1 there is also a holiday, which is used to pay tribute to their goddess of Bo Mona. They bear ribs roasted nuts and apples before the bonfire. Our own Halloween seems to be a holiday by the Romans and the druids holiday blend made of. Halloween activities in the original is very simple, and mostly in the church carried out. However, in the whole of Europe, it is regarded as a Halloween enjoy slapstick, Jiangguigushi and a good opportunity to scare each other. So peoplewill no longer be used to praise this Autumn Festival, but it becomes supernatural, witches and ghosts festival.

The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the familys dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

Halloween is for the "All Hallows Evening".However,due to various reasons,Halloween has become the years most popular and one of the most popular festivals,and many players with great enthusiasm to celebrate this holiday.

Halloween in the October 31,in fact,praise and autumn festivals like Beltane is the festival of spring like the praise.Of ancient Gaul,Britain and Ireland priest - druid to have a grand festival praise of autumn,from October 31 beginning at midnight the following day,November 1 continued all day.In their view,that night they are a great Death - Salman to that year were all summoned the ghost of dead people,these evil spirits are subject to care for the Livestock Health and punishment.Of course,as long as the thought of such a gathering of ghosts,it was enough to make fools of those simple-minded understanding of the heart bile war.So they lit the sky of the bonfire,and close surveillance of these evil spirits.

Halloween witches and ghosts everywhere to say is just the beginning.So far in Europe,there are some isolated areas where people believe it is true.Ancient Rome in November 1 there is also a holiday,which is used to pay tribute to their goddess of Bo Mona.They bear ribs roasted nuts and apples before the bonfire.Our own Halloween seems to be a holiday by the Romans and the druids holiday blend made of.Halloween activities in the original is very simple,and mostly in the church carried out.However,in the whole of Europe,it is regarded as a Halloween enjoy slapstick,Jiangguigushi and a good opportunity to scare each other.So people will no longer be used to praise this Autumn Festival,but it becomes supernatural,witches and ghosts festival.

更多热门文章：

I Still Remember That Halloween.

Days and days past, Im not a child any longer. But I still remember that Halloween, 31st October 2001. That was Saturday. I went to study English with an American girl named Debby as usual. We had 5 students altogether. Before that week, Debby had already told us to learn something about Halloween ourselves.

我的暑假(My Summer Vacation)

Summer time is the besttime of the year.There is no school for months I get to do what I want.With no tests no homework,Im as free as a bird.

I do many things during the summer vacation.I relax by reading books watching TV.I also hang out with my friends travel with my family.However,I dont play in summer.I take advantage of the free time to learn more.For example,last summer I learned to swim.This summer I might study computers or English.This summer vacation I got a part-time job in a snack bar. At the beginning, I couldnt do well at all often made mistakes. I was very low-spirited,father mother encouraged me a lot. So I began to try my best. Gradually, I could do a very good job. I felt very excited when I received my pay for the first time. I already made up my mind to find another part-time job in this winter vacation. I believe I can do better next time.

Summer vacation flies by fast,so its important to do as as you can.

作文点拨：

1、There be 句型

2、as free as a bird 像小鸟一样 as...as 像...一样

3、hang out 闲逛

4、take advantage of 利用

We should take advantage of our free time.

我们应该利用好我们的闲暇时间。

5、part-time job 打工

6、 try my best 尽最大努力

I try my best to learn English.

我尽最大努力学习英语。

7、make up ones mind 下决心，打定主意

It is early days yet to make up ones mind.

要下决心现在还为时过早。

a western festival

Halloween is a western festival. It’s on Oct.31st. It’s a happy time for children because at night they put on the masks to attend the party. After the party, they knock at someone’s door and say: “trick or tread”. It means if you don’t give me the candies, I will play trick on you! At last kids can get enough candies for one year.

[万圣节初中英语作文

Halloween always falls on 31 October.Its a holiday for children.On that day,children always wear fancy clothes and masks.And then,they go from house to house to say "Trick or Treat",so that people will treat them with candies.If they dont receive any candies,theyll play a trick on people.But sometimes if the people are going out,when the children come,theyll put the candies in a carved pumpkin lanterns.Children will take the candies themselves.All of the children enjoy this holiday very much.

Halloween is for the "All Hallows Evening".

However,due to various reasons, Halloween has become the years most popular and one of the most popular festivals,and many players with great enthusiasm to celebrate this holiday.

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.

Halloween Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means "holy evening," and it comes every October 31, the even

ing before All Saints Day. However, it is not really a church holiday, it is a holiday for children mainly.

Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put a burning candle inside. It looks as if there were a person looking out of the pumpkin! These lights are called jack-o-lanterns, which means "Jack of the lantern".

The children also put on strange masks and frightening costumes every Halloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters. Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house. Every time they come to a new house, they say,"Trick or treat! Money or eat!" The grown-ups put treat-money or candy in their bags.

Not only children, but most grown-ups also love Halloween and Halloween parties because on this day,they can disguise themselves as personages or ghost as their imaginations will lead them. This bring them the satisfaction of being young.

万圣节前夕

万圣节前夕是美国人年年都会庆祝的秋季节日。它的意思是“神圣的夜晚”，在每年的10月31日，也就是万圣节前夜。但实际上这不是一个真正的宗教节日，而主要是孩子们的节日。

每年秋天蔬菜成熟可以食用的时候，孩子们就会挑出大个儿的橙色南瓜。然后在南瓜上刻上一张脸，把一根点燃的蜡烛放在里面。看起来就好像有人在向南瓜外面张望。这些灯就叫做“iack-o-lantems”，意思也就是“杰克的灯”。

每年万圣节前夕孩子们还戴上奇怪的面具，穿上吓人的服装。有些孩子把脸刷成怪物。然后他们拿着盒子或袋子挨家挨户串门。每来到一个新房子他们就说：“不款待就捣乱!给钱还是吃的!”大人们就会把用来招待的钱或糖放在他们的袋子里了。

不仅孩子，许多成年人也喜欢万圣节前夕和万圣节前夕晚会。因为这一天他们可以根据自己的想象把自己装扮成名流或幽灵。这会带给他们年轻的快感。

Every November 1 is the western traditional "ghost festival" -- Halloween. Halloween is on October 31. Often called Halloween. But the mood of the day far dont let a person sounds like its name is "creeps". When Halloween came, the children cant wait to wear colorful costumes, wearing strange masks, carrying a lamp that "jack-o-lanterns" go home channeling households and adults for holiday gifts. The most visible symbol of Halloween is what both - fantastic "jack light" and "performing magic or candies" prank.

"Jack light" looks very cute, very simple also. Will be hollowed pumpkin, and then on the outside to the smiling eyes and a big mouth, and then in the melon with a candle, lit it, people in the far away place to see the smiling face of materials. This is the childrens favorite plaything.

Halloween concentrates primarily on the table, however, you should be ready to food to serve those who come to rock the boat "kid", even more in this special holiday table something up for you. Dont let your guests think you oh!

A year the most "haunted" night, all kinds of monsters, pirates, alien visitors and witches are set off. Before the Christian era, the celtics at a ceremony in summer not grateful to god and the grace of the sun. At the time of Nostradamus lit and sorcery to ward off evil monster is said to be wandering around. The Romans later with nuts and apples to celebrate the harvest festival on October 31, amalgamation with Celtic. In the middle ages, people put on the animal model of clothes, put on scary masks to on Halloween drive away the ghost in the dark night. Although later Christian replaces the Celtic and Roman religion, the custom of the early still preserved. Now, the children with serious psychological wear various costumes and masks for Halloween party, the ball often hung on the wall around the paper covering the witches, black cats, ghosts and skeletons, out of the window and the door was hanging grin crack mouth or repulsive-looking pumpkin lanterns. The children also hanging often try to bite the apple.

每年的11月01日是西方传统的“鬼节”——万圣节。10月31日是万圣节前夕.通常叫做万圣节前夜.不过这一天的气氛却远不像它的名称那样让人听上去就“毛骨悚然”。每当万圣节到来，孩子们都会迫不及待地穿上五颜六色的化妆服，戴上千奇百怪的面具，提着一盏“杰克灯”走家窜户，向大人们索要节日的礼物。万圣节最广为人知的象征也正是这两样——奇异的“杰克灯”和“表演魔术或者给糖果”的恶作剧。

“杰克灯”的样子十分可爱，做法也极为简单。将南瓜掏空，然后在外面刻上笑眯眯的眼睛和大嘴巴，再在瓜中插上一支蜡烛，把它点燃，人们在很远的地方便能看到这张憨态可掬的笑脸。这可是孩子们最喜欢的玩物了。

然而万圣节的重头戏还是在餐桌上，你既要准备好美食来招待那些前来捣乱的“小鬼”，更要在这个特别的节日为你的餐桌装扮一番。千万不要让你的客人们小瞧了你哦!

一年中最“闹鬼”这天夜里，各种妖魔鬼怪、海盗、外星来客和巫婆们纷纷出动。在基督纪元以前，凯尔特人在夏未举行仪式感激上苍和太阳的恩惠。当时的占卜者点燃并施巫术以驱赶据说在四周游荡的妖魔怪。后来罗马人用果仁和苹果来庆祝的丰收节与凯尔特人的10月31日溶合了。在中世纪，人们穿上动物造型的服饰、戴上可怕的面具是想在万圣节前夜驱赶黑夜中的鬼怪。尽管后来基督教代替了凯尔特和罗马的宗教活动，早期的习俗还是保留下来了。现在，孩子们带着开玩笑的心理穿戴上各种服饰和面具参加万圣节舞会，这些舞会四周的墙上往往悬挂着用纸糊的巫婆、黑猫、鬼怪和尸骨，窗前和门口则吊着龇牙裂嘴或是面目可憎的南瓜灯笼。孩子们还常常试图咬住悬挂着的苹果。

down there he played tricks on the Devil (Satan), so he was kicked out of Hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern.

Well, Irish children made Jacks lanterns on October 31st from a large potato or turnip, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside. And Irish children would carry them as they went from house to house begging for food for the village Halloween festival that honored the Druid god Muck Olla. The Irish name for these lanterns was "Jack with the lantern" or "Jack of the lantern," abbreviated as " Jack-o-lantern" and now spelled "jack-o-lantern."

The traditional Halloween you can read about in most books was just childrens fun night. Halloween celebrations would start in October in every elementary school.

关于万圣节有这样一个故事。是说有一个叫杰克的爱尔兰人，因为他对钱特别的吝啬，就不允许他进入天堂，而被打入地狱。但是在那里他老是捉弄魔鬼撒旦，所以被踢出地狱，罚他提着灯笼永远在人世里行走。

在十月三十一日爱尔兰的孩子们用土豆和萝卜制作“杰克的灯笼”，他们把中间挖掉、表面上打洞并在里边点上蜡烛。为村里庆祝督伊德神的万圣节，孩子们提着这种灯笼挨家挨户乞讨食物。这种灯笼的爱尔兰名字是“拿灯笼的杰克”或者“杰克的灯笼”，缩写为Jack-o-lantern 。

现在你在大多数书里读到的万圣节只是孩子们开心的夜晚。在小学校里，万圣节是每年十月份开始庆祝的。孩子们会制作万圣节的装饰品：各种各样桔红色的南瓜灯。

This evening we went to Happy Valley, the day it was Halloween.

There is a sea of people, almost everyone with masks, some long teeth, some hair all white, and the lotus flower.

First we went to a small house, each go after the cloth are written on the front of the project. I saw a mummy hopping in front of a horror, and I was scared to close my eyes. Im scared, but I still laugh at those ghosts that look ugly. There is a piece of cloth without writing, we go in, a hand to come over, a look at a person, still walk to the head.

We are going to see a man holding the painted face, with a knife, I see that it is fake. I made a face at him, with a hand on his hand. I saw a few steps back as soon as I saw it.

We went to a butcher branch of a street, but now Im not nervous, also jokingly asked: "boss, how much is it?"......

We saw a doctor and I approached. She had four blood on her face, and she was scary all over with a doll in her hand.

Today I am very high heart, but also improve my courage, one day too fast!

Children in costumes race from house to house asking for treats。 A carved pumpkin， called a jack-o-lantern， grins from a porch as the children pass。 According to legend， jack-o-lanterns protect people in their homes from ghostly spirits。

Its all part of the fun on Halloween! The roots of Halloween stretch back thousands of years and borrow customs from several parts of the world。

The Taditional Halloween

Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. Witches flying on broomsticks with ghosts, goblins and skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. Bats, owls and other nocturnal animals are also popular symbols of Halloween. They were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.

Black cats are also symbols of Halloween and have religious origins as well. Black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future. During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise. All these are popular trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and windows.

Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night.

Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack- o-lanterns is a Halloween custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named Jack who was so stingy that he was not allowed into heaven when he died, because he was a miser. He couldnt enter hell either because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk on the earth with his lantern until Judgement Day. So Jack and his lantern became the symbol of a lost or damned soul. To scare these souls away on Halloween, the Irish people carved scary faces out of turnips, beets or potatoes representing "Jack of the Lantern", or Jack-o-lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that there are goodies waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"

更多热门文章：

Today is Halloween, we put on all kinds of masks, dressed in colorful clothes, go to school to participate in the activities.

There, the foreign language teacher came in like a ghost, dressed in white and flawless clothes, with white powder on his face. The foreign language teacher flounced like a beast, and frightened us around. The foreign language teacher saw us so scared that we could not help laughing. The foreign language teacher also showed us the dishes. When I was talking about it, the foreign language teacher ran behind me and screamed "ah..." I am scared pale.

In the afternoon, the foreign teacher introduced two people to us, one is Millie, she dressed up like a little witch. There is a white ratio, he dressed as a doctor. They took out a large bag of sugar, spilled it, and fell down like a raindrop, and we rushed through the lightning speed to grab the sugar.

Time flies, in the twinkling of an eye on the school, looking at the filled pocket, I thought: This Halloween can be really happy ah!

Currently,my school is launching an activity whose theme is that actions change the world to advocate the low carbon living.

目前，我校正在发起一项活动，其主题是：改变世界的行动倡导低碳生活。

In the activity,we are required to go to school or some other place by bike or by foot as much as possible instead of by bus.And when the Christmas comes,sending e-greeting cards instead of tridional cards of which are made of wood as we know.Besides,we should use both sides of every piece of paper and we should save water as well as electricity.

在活动中，要求我们去学校或其他地方的一些骑自行车或步行尽可能而不是乘公共汽车。当圣诞来临，发送电子贺卡而不是以传统的卡片是用木头做的像我们所知道的。此外，我们应利用每一张纸的两面我们应该节约用水用电。

I believe that only we do thus can we have a better living environment.

我相信，只有这样我们才能有一个更好的生活环境。

Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31， most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting candy。 It is celebrated in much of the Western world， though most common in the United States，Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century。

万圣节是纪念庆祝10月31日晚，尤其是在服饰打扮儿童和挨家挨户上门收集糖果。这是在庆祝西方世界很多，不过大多数在美国，大多数其他西方国家接受，作为美国流行文化在20世纪后期的一部分万圣节。

So， although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday，" the day itself did not grow out of evil practices。 It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year， and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans。 And today， even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids。 After all， the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it。

因此，尽管有些邪教可能采用为他们最喜爱的“节日万圣节，”这一天本身却没有增加邪恶的作法。它的前身是在庆祝新年凯尔特人仪式，并指出欧洲中世纪的祈祷仪式。今天，甚至很多教会万圣节南瓜雕刻政党或为孩子们的活动。毕竟，这一天本身是邪恶的，只是作为一个关心使然。

Do you love a good fright? ThenHalloween is the holiday for you! This eerie festivity is observed in America and Europeon October 31。 You can share in the fun by learning some Halloween Englishlingo and customs。 These hair-raising Halloween treats are sure to spook you!

你喜欢恐怖吗?那万圣节就是你的节日了!这是被美国和欧洲视10月31日为阴森的节庆。藉由学习万圣节英文术语与习俗你可以分享其中的乐趣。这些毛骨悚然的万圣节把戏肯定会吓坏你!

The legend of the origin of Halloween, there are many versions, the most common view, that is before the birth of Christ from the Medieval Western Europe countries, including Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This person called several of the Medieval Western Europe Druitt people. Druitt in the November 1 New Year, New Years Eve, young people who set druid team, wearing all kinds of weird mask, carrying a carved radish good light (the late custom pumpkin light system, Medieval Western Europe first there is no pumpkin), they walk in the villages between. This was actually a kind of harvest celebration; also said to be "Halloween", the legend who died that year, the eve of Halloween spirit will visit the world, said that people should be allowed to visit the ghost that the ghost of a successful harvest and to render a hearty welcome. All fire and lights, the one to frighten away the ghost, but also for the ghost light line, to guide their return.

Central Europe in the Middle Ages, there had been destroyed by the pagan history of Christianity. However, before the ritual celebration of New Years Eve never really eliminated, but in the form of witchcraft. This is why we are Halloween, but are also left witches broom, black cat, spells and other marks.

Halloween always falls on 31 October. It’s a holiday for children. On that day, children always wear fancy clothes and masks. And then, they go from house to house to say “Trick or Treat”, so that people will treat them with candies. If they don’t receive any candies, they’ll play a trick on people. But sometimes if the people are going out, when the children come, they’ll put the candies in a carved pumpkin lanterns. Children will take the candies themselves. All of the children enjoy this holiday very much.

万圣节总是在10月31日。这是一个属于孩子们的节日。在那天，孩子们总是穿奇装异服而且带上面具。然后，他们会挨家挨户地说“不招待就使坏”，所以人们都会用糖果招待他们。如果他们不接受糖果，他们就会对人们恶作剧。但有时，如果人们外出了，而孩子们来了，他们会把糖果放在雕刻好的南瓜灯笼里。孩子们会自己拿糖果。所有的孩子都很享受这个节日。

Many years ago, I saw a very impressive movie. The protagonist asked

another character about what was the most precious thing in the new era and the

answer was talent. Indeed, today, the talents are favored by the job market,

because technology industry develops very fast and the talents can create new

products.

So we need to have open minded and see more things around the world,

only in this way can we find more ideas, thus comes the creative thoughts. Since

we are young , we need to learn more knowledge and equip ourselves with all

kinds of skills, then we can make more creative idea into practical.

Children in costumes race from house to house asking for treats. A carved pumpkin, called a jack-o-lantern, grins from a porch as the children pass. According to legend, jack-o-lanterns protect people in their homes from ghostly spirits.

Its all part of the fun on Halloween! The roots of Halloween stretch back thousands of years and borrow customs from several parts of the world.

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 in masks and costumes is a popular Halloween activity. Costumes can be traditional and scary, such as a witchs pointy hat and black gown. Costumes may also have a modern flavor. Many children dress up as movie characters or a favorite superhero.

But Halloween is not just for children. Many adults enjoy showing off their costumes at Halloween parties!

Once in costume, children go from house to house saying Trick or treat! In the past, children might play a trick on people who did not give treats. They might pelt houses with eggs or old tomatoes, or play other pranks. Today, childrens cries of Trick or treat! are usually rewarded with candy.

One of the oldest Halloween traditions comes from the ancient Celts, who lived in western and central Europe long ago. The Celts celebrated a holiday

y called Sa amhain on October 31. After sunset that day, people believed that spirits of the dead would rise and walk the earth. The Celts made offerings of food and drink to keep the spirits away.

Beginning about 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire conquered many Celtic peoples. But Celtic traditions, including Samhain, remained strong in areas such as Ireland and Scotland, even after the Roman conquest.

The Roman Catholic Church tried to replace Samhain in 835 with All Saints Day, a day to honor saints of the Church. The eve of All Saints Day is October 31. It is called Allhallows or Hallowmas by the Church.

Halloween first came to America with early settlers from Celtic areas in Europe, such as Ireland and Scotland. But other American settlers with strict religious beliefs, including the Puritans from England, rejected Halloween. The arrival of many Irish immigrants during the 1800s helped spread Halloweens popularity.

But by the late 1800s, fewer people believed in ancient superstitions of ghosts and witches. Halloween became more a holiday for children to receive treats and dress in costume.

[万圣节的习俗英语作文

halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. it began as a celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. for these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.

todays halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. we avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. this idea has its roots in the middle ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats. we try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. this superstition may have come from the ancient egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe. and around halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt.

but what about the halloween traditions and beliefs that todays trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about? many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead. in particular, many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday--with luck, by next halloween!--be married.

in 18th-century ireland, a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it. in scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. the nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girls future husband. (in some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: the nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.) another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on halloween night, she would dream about her future husband. young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands faces.

other rituals were more competitive. at some halloween parties, the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; at others, the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle.

of course, whether were asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid seven years of bad luck, each one of these halloween superstitions relies on the good will of the very same "spirits" whose presence the early celts felt so keenly. ours is not such a different holiday after all!

[以万圣节为话题英语作文