Halloween In Britain
Have you ever wondered what Halloween in Britain is like?
I'll start with a disclaimer, that of course not all British people celebrate Halloween in this way (or at all), but here are some common things that you are likely to see in the UK at this time of year:
Trick- or-Treating
This is the most common activity , especially for young children. It takes place on the evening of October the 31st, but you may also notice people doing it a day before or after. Trick-or-treating involves groups of children (and often parents) dressed in fancy dress knocking on people's doors saying "trick or treat?" in the hope that they will be given a "treat" in the form of sweets or money.
For some extra vocabulary, here are some common fancy dress costumes that you might see people wearing: ghosts, vampires, skeletons, spiders, bats, zombies, mummies, monsters, witches.
Pumpkin Carving
A carved pumpkin or a jack-o-lantern is another common sight around Halloween time in Britain. Again, it is especially common in families with children. Often children will choose a scary or funny face to carve out of a pumpkin, and the parents will cut it and put a light inside. This pumpkin is then often displayed in the window, or outside in the garden.
There are many variations of this carving, and now you are likely to see many complex designs that not only resemble faces.
So as to avoid waste, a lot of people choose to make a pumpkin soup, or
some other seasonal dish, with the insides of the pumpkin. This is a great way
to add to the autumnal atmosphere.
House Decorating
This is becoming an increasingly common sight during "spooky season". It is similar to what you might find at Christmas, just with a much more scary theme! It has always been popular to put jack-o-lanterns outside, but now, more and more people are choosing to add other, more elaborate decorations.
These may include: lights, inflatables, garlands, or artificial spider webs.
Apple Bobbing
While there are strong historical roots to apple bobbing, it is still a common game at Halloween parties in Britain. The rules of apple bobbing include filling a large bowl with water, and adding several whole apples to it, so that they are floating (or "bobbing") at the surface. It is best to cover most of the surface, by adding more rather than less apples, because it makes it more challenging.
Players then have to lean over the bowl and bite into an apple to pick it out of the water, using only their teeth, with their hands tied behind their back!
Vocabulary List:
Trick-or-treating
Fancy Dress
Pumpkin Carving
Jack-o-lantern
Ghost
Vampire
Skeleton
Bats
Zombie
Mummy
Monster
Witches
Apple Bobbing
Spooky Season
Inflatables
Garlands
Amy Smith