萬聖節是每年西方國家的傳統節日。這一夜是一年中人們認為會“鬧鬼”的一夜，所以也叫“鬼節”。下面就由yjbys小編來給大家介紹一下吧!
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.
【萬聖節習俗】萬聖節前一天夜裡是一年中最“鬧鬼”的時候，各種妖魔鬼怪、海盜、外星來客和巫婆們紛紛出動。在基督紀元以前，凱爾特人在夏末舉行儀式感激上蒼和太陽的恩惠。
當時的占卜者點燃並施巫術以驅趕據說在四周遊蕩的妖魔鬼怪。後來羅馬人用果仁和蘋果來慶祝的豐收節與凱爾特人的10月31日融合了。在中世紀，人們穿上動物造型的服飾、戴上可怕的面具是想在萬聖節前夜驅趕黑夜中的`鬼怪。
儘管後來基督教代替了凱爾特和羅馬的宗教活動，早期的習俗還是保留下來了。孩子們帶著開玩笑的心理穿戴上各種服飾和麵具參加萬聖夜舞會，這些舞會四周的牆上往往懸掛著用紙糊的巫婆、黑貓、鬼怪和屍骨，窗前和門口則吊著齜牙咧嘴或是面目可憎的南瓜燈籠。
萬聖節前夕，孩子們會提著南瓜燈，穿著各式各樣的稀奇古怪的服裝，挨家挨戶地去索要糖果，不停地說：“trick or treat."(意思是：‘給不給，不給就搗蛋’)要是你不肯給糖果的話，孩子們就會很生氣，用各種方法去懲罰你，例如：把垃圾倒在你家裡等等的方法去懲罰你，直到你肯給他們糖果為止。
自17世紀起，慶祝萬聖節的傳統在南部英格蘭逐漸消失，代之以在11月5日舉行的火藥陰謀(Gunpowder Plot)紀念會。但在蘇格蘭，愛爾蘭和北部英格蘭萬聖節依然盛行。直到21世紀初，南部英格蘭人才重新開始慶祝萬聖節，只是方式完全美國化了。
萬聖節前夜最流行的遊戲是“咬蘋果”。遊戲時，人們讓蘋果漂浮在裝滿水的盆裡，然後讓孩子們在不用手的條件下用嘴去咬蘋果，誰先咬到，誰就是優勝者。
萬聖節源自古代凱爾特民族(Celtic)的新年節慶，此時也是祭祀亡魂的時刻，在避免惡靈干擾的同時，也以食物祭拜祖靈及善靈以祈平安渡過嚴冬。當晚小孩會穿上化妝服，戴上面具，挨家挨戶收集糖果。
