Activity: Popular Halloween traditions
Trick-or-treating
Read the first two paragraphs of this website link about the tradition of ’trick-or-treating’:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating and answer the following questions, sharing your answers with a partner.
1. What do children ask for when they travel from house to house? (Note: The answer is an American word. Do you know the British English equivalent?)
2. What question do the children ask?
3. What is usually the ’trick’?
4. Since when has this tradition been practised in North America?
5. What do homeowners who wish to participate usually do to their houses?
6. In what countries did two traditions similar to trick-or-treating already exist and what were they called?
7. What did these two traditions involve?
2. What question do the children ask?
3. What is usually the ’trick’?
4. Since when has this tradition been practised in North America?
5. What do homeowners who wish to participate usually do to their houses?
6. In what countries did two traditions similar to trick-or-treating already exist and what were they called?
7. What did these two traditions involve?
8. Trick-or-treating has become prevalent in countries outside of America – what do the children ask for in Mexico?
Jack-o’-lantern
Read the introductory paragraph at http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history and describe the Jack-o’-lantern tradition to your partner. Then, read the full article entitled The Legend of “Stingy Jack”. Look for the answers to the following questions. Share your answers with your classmates.
1. The Jack-o’-lantern tradition originated from which Irish myth?
2. What did Jack do with the coin instead? Why?
3. Under what condition did Jack free the devil?
4. What trick did Jack play the following year and how did he prevent the devil coming down from the tree?
5. What happened soon after?
6. What problem did Jack then face?
7. What did the Irish call Jack’s ghost?
8. What did the Irish then begin to make and place in their windows and doorways and why?
9. What did the vegetable become in America?
2. What did Jack do with the coin instead? Why?
3. Under what condition did Jack free the devil?
4. What trick did Jack play the following year and how did he prevent the devil coming down from the tree?
5. What happened soon after?
6. What problem did Jack then face?
7. What did the Irish call Jack’s ghost?
8. What did the Irish then begin to make and place in their windows and doorways and why?
9. What did the vegetable become in America?
Apple-bobbing
Read the first paragraph of this website link about the rules of apple-bobbing:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_bobbing. Answer the following questions and share your answers with a partner.
1. How is the game played?
2. Why are apples used?
3. What do players use to catch the apples?
4. What part of your body are you prevented from using?
2. Why are apples used?
3. What do players use to catch the apples?
4. What part of your body are you prevented from using?
Discussion
- Have you ever practised any of these traditions? If your answer is yes, which is your favourite? If your answer is no, what do you think would be your favourite?
- Have you ever seen a real carved-out jack-o’-lantern? Have you ever designed one yourself? Would you like to make one with your classmates?
- Do you think you would be good at apple-bobbing? Would you like to have an apple-bobbing competition with your classmates? Who do you think would win?
- Would you be interested in going trick-or-treating? If yes, what would be your costume of choice? What trick would you play?
If you had some children knocking on your door, would you opt for giving them a treat or accept the trick?
- How do you think people from your country would respond to trick-or-treaters?
If you had some children knocking on your door, would you opt for giving them a treat or accept the trick?
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