BBC Travelwise: Halloweens past and present - 31 October 2011 On the last night of the autumn harvest, the

world changes from the sunny warmth of summer to the cold dark of winter, the land from fertile to barren. The ancient Celts believed this transition gave supernatural forces a chance to break through into the world of the living, and their evil mischief to flourish. They came to celebrate the night leading into winter as Samhain (s:wn, sa:n/) (meaning summers end), the festival widely considered to be the precursor of Halloween. On Samhain night, the Celts believed, the spirits of people who had died in the past year would walk among the living, so. villagers put out food and sweets to pacify these spirits a ritual that may have preceded trick-or-treating. There is no hard evidence, however, that Samhain was indeed a festival of the dead, points out historian Nicholas Rogers, in his book Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Boasting a rich, complex history rooted in Celtic and Christian ritual, Halloween has evolved from ethnic celebration to a blend of street festival, fright night, and vast commercial enterprise. Although Halloween has pagan origins, its name is derived from the Christian holiday All Hallows Eve, or the evening before All Saints Day (1 November). The holiday itself was adapted by Christians who hoped to stamp out paganism, and over the years, some of the darker aspects of Halloween have been replaced by more light-hearted, family-friendly festivities. But Halloweens ties with the scary and supernatural still hold strong today, in celebrations all over the world. Ireland - In Ireland, arguably the holidays birthplace, Halloween is still greeted with excitement each year, and it is celebrated with fireworks, monkey nuts and barnbrack, a fruitcake with different charms baked inside. If your piece has the ring, romantic fortune is in your future; if you get the coin, its piles of money for you but if you get the rag, youd better start tightening your purse strings. Mexico - Cemeteries are also big attractions during Da de los Muertos in Mexico. The Day of the Dead is an indigenous holiday dating back thousands of years that honours deceased ancestors. When the Spanish spread Catholicism throughout Mexico, the day was moved to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day (2 November), hence the close connection with Halloween. Common rituals involve wearing skull masks the Aztecs originally kept and displayed loved ones skulls and making shrines adorned with flowers, candles, pictures and food for the dead. Currently, the city of Aguascalientes is hosting the Festival Cultural de Calaveras, or the Festival of Skulls, from 28 October to 6 November. It is a colourful festival of art, theatre, music, dance and food, since Da de los Muertos is meant to celebrate death as a joyous part of life. Romania - In Romania, Halloween is a major draw for tourists seeking a Dracula themed scare. Several Halloween tours take visitors to Transylvanias vampire haunts, and you can also go in search of the real Dracula in Wallachia [wlek]. United States - In the United States, Halloween means costume parties, trick-or-treating, harvest festivals, haunted houses, pranks and more, with both young and the old getting in on the fun. The Punkin Chunkin World championship (also called Pumpkin Chucking) is a pumpkin-launching competition held every year in Delaware. For a fantastically frightful experience, head to the Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison in Philadelphia, which recreates a creepy atmosphere for its annual Terror Behind the Walls haunted house. Bonfire Night - 5th November Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason, and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. Bonfire Night has a very long tradition involving plots and treason. Today it is celebrated with elaborate fireworks and bonfires across the country. Guy Fawkes [fks]Night which is also referred to as Bonfire Night is a celebration held annually in the United Kingdom, on the evening of November 5th. This celebration represents the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot on November 5th, 1605. The story involved a group of

five English Catholics who conspired to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland (who was a protestant) in order to replace him with a Catholic Head of State. The plan was to blow up the House of Lords and in doing so, assassinate the King. Guy Fawkes, who was one of the conspirators, was in charge of lighting the gun powder. However he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London where he was tortured, hanged, drawn and quartered. Nowadays, the British mark Guy Fawkes' Day (or simply Bonfire Night) by building bonfires and letting off fireworks. Traditionally, children made effigies of Guy Fawkes from old clothes stuffed with newspaper or hay, and would take their guy out on the streets and ask for a 'penny for the guy' to pay for fireworks. At night the guys were placed on the top of bonfires. Big firework displays are organised in public playing fields and open areas, usually with huge bonfires. The bonfires often take weeks to build, and in small communities and villages everyone brings some wood to add to the pile. There are many types of fireworks. Rockets are fireworks that shoot up into the sky and explode into colourful shapes. Catherine Wheels are fireworks that spin around like a wheel, and are very bright and noisy. The name comes from a Medieval form of torture that was inflicted on St Catherine. Sparklers are metal sticks which can be held at one end. When lit they sparkle and hiss. GLOSSARY Travel-wise - wise = with respect to. "Safety-wise" = With respect to safety. Halloween - a contracted portmanteau of All Hallows Evening All Saints' Day is the day after All Hallows Eve (Halloween). It is a feast day celebrated on 1st November by Anglicans and Roman Catholics to remember all saints and martyrs. All Souls' Day, 2nd November (or the 3rd if the 2nd is a Sunday), is a time to pray for departed souls. harvest [hvst] one seasons yield [ji:ld] of any natural product. The gathering of a ripened crop. Crop, yield, = the amount produced, year's growth, produce barren [brn] incapable of producing offspring, seed, or fruit; sterile, dry, unproductive, fruitless. desolate, empty, desert, bare, waste Celt [klt - slt], a member of a European people who once occupied Britain, Spain and Gaul [gl] prior to Roman times. mischief [mstf] disobedient but not malicious behaviour, usually of children, that causes trouble, irritation, etc.- a playful inclination to behave in this way or to tease or disturb flourish [flr] to thrive; prosper - to be at the peak of condition Samhain (s:wn, sa:n) The correct pronunciation depends on where you are from: 'sow-in' (rhymes with 'cow' in) in Ireland, or 'sow-een' in Wales, or 'sav-en' in Scotland. trick or treat - a request by children on Halloween; they pass from door to door asking for goodies and threatening to play tricks on those who refuse hard evidence. Real and unassailable - Definite; firm: a hard commitment. - Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation - Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion. - Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences. fright [frat] sudden intense fear or alarm - a sudden alarming shock - Informal a horrifying, grotesque, or ludicrous person or thing she looks a fright in that hat To get a fright to become frightened stage fright Acute nervousness associated with performing or speaking before an audience Stamp out to put out or extinguish by stamping to stamp out a fire - to crush or suppress by force to stamp out a rebellion to kill, terminate, bring to an end lighthearted - carefree and happy, cheerful. Not being burdened by trouble, worry, or care; arguably [gjbl] You can use arguably when you are stating your opinion or belief, as a way of giving more authority to it.

firework [fawk] usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc. monkey nuts another name for peanuts charm [tm] The power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness - An item worn for its supposed magical benefit, as in warding off evil; an amulet - An action or formula thought to have magical power - The chanting of a magic word or verse; incantation. rag [rg] A scrap of cloth.- A piece of cloth used for cleaning, washing, or dusting. (in) rags Threadbare or tattered clothing, in tatters.- Slang A newspaper, especially one specializing in sensationalism or gossip, tabloid - lose your rag become angry, lose it (informal), fly into a rage, lose your temper, blow a fuse, fly off the handle, throw a wobbly (informal), hit the ceiling, tighten the purse strings eliminate unnecessary spending, (hold: control, loose [lu:s] free) ancestor [nsst] (often plural) a person from whom another is directly descended, esp someone more distant than a grandparent; forefather hence [hns] sentence connector for this reason; following from this; therefore Aztec [ztk] a member of a Mexican Indian people who established a great empire, centred on the valley of Mexico shrine [ran] a place of worship hallowed by association with a sacred person or object - container for sacred relics - the tomb of a saint or other holy person draw [dr] attraction, appeal, interest, pull seek [si:k] (sought sought) to try to find, get or achieve themed [i:md] Involving a particular topic or motif. Often used in combination: a colonial-themed tourist attraction. Perhaps because of the spectacular success of theme parks, the noun theme has recently developed the adjectival form, themed, which is used in combination with an adjective or noun to mean "designed around a particular theme." haunt [hnt] inhabited by ghosts - visit, or appear to in the form of a ghost or other supernatural being. prank [prk] A mischievous trick or practical joke - a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement antic, practical joke Get in on be included in an activity, participate pumpkin [pmpkn] large pulpy deep-yellow round fruit of the squash family maturing in late summer or early autumn chuck [tk] To throw or toss - Informal To throw out; discard - To force out; eject - To give up; quit: chucked her job - its chucking it down: raining heavily, raining cats and dogs Delaware (dlw) A state of the eastern United States on the Atlantic Ocean frightful [fratfl] terrible, shocking, alarming, awful, appalling, horrible, dreadful, ghastly, godawful (slang) former [fm] Having been in the past: a former ambassador - earlier, previous occurring earlier in time - Being the first of two mentioned (the former and the latter) creepy [kri:p] Informal having or causing a sensation of repulsion, horror, or fear, as of creatures crawling on the skin bonfire [bnfa] a large outdoor fire, often built to celebrate something plot a secret plan to achieve some purpose, esp one that is illegal or underhand, intrigue, machination - a small piece of land, allotment a vegetable plot, a plot of land/ground - the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc, storyline treason [tri:zn] violation or betrayal of the loyalty a person owes his sovereign or his country, esp by attempting to overthrow the government; high treason To be hanged, drawn and quartered (To dismember a human body into four parts) was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason let off to allow to disembark or leave - to explode or fire (a bomb, gun, etc.) - to excuse from (work or other responsibilities) I'll let you off for a week - to allow to get away without the expected punishment, work, etc - let off steam Informal to release pent-up energy or emotions

effigy [efidi] a portrait of a person, esp as a monument or architectural decoration - a crude representation of someone, used as a focus for contempt or ridicule and often hung up or burnt in public stuffed [stft] filled with something - (Cookery) filled with something, esp (of poultry and other food) filled with stuffing - (foll by up) (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus Hay [he] grass, clover, etc., cut and dried as fodder (Feed for livestock, especially coarsely chopped hay or straw) penny [pn] n (pennies or pence (pl)) (Brit)bronze coin having a value equal to one hundredth of a pound Symbol p - a bronze or copper coin having a value equal to one twelfth of a shilling or one two-hundred-and-fortieth of a pound Abbreviation d - the penny dropped Informal chiefly Brit the explanation of something was finally realized two (or ten) a penny very common, plentiful but of little value - a penny for your thoughts What are you thinking about?; I would give you a penny if you tell me your thoughts pile [pal] (of) heap, of books, records, large amount to make a pile (accumulate a large fortune) the yarns in a fabric that stand up or out from the weave, as in carpeting, velvet, etc (soft fine hair, fur, or wool) pile fabric, fleece jacket spin [spn] (spun, spun) to rotate or cause to rotate rapidly, turn, - spin-drier a machine which dries clothes by spinning them round and round and forcing the water out of them - to go for a spin to go for a ride - spin off To derive (a company or product, for example) from something larger. - spin doctor a person who publicizes favourable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure, especially a politician. sparkle [spkl] To give off or reflect flashes of light; glitter, flash shine, flash, gleam, spark, dazzle - sparkling (of wines - ) giving off bubbles of gas, fizzy. hiss [hs] A sharp sibilant sound similar to a sustained s - An expression of disapproval, contempt, or dissatisfaction conveyed by use of this sound. whoosh, sibilate