Spooky Halloween
Halloween is celebrated in the United States on October 31. The name “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows Eve,” or the day before All Saints Day, a traditional holy day for Christians. Halloween originated in Europe but during the 19th century, immigrants brought it to North America, where it spread in popularity and evolved in many ways. According to tradition, the spirits of the dead were able to come back to life to harm people and crops in the physical world. People tried to appease the restless spirits on Halloween, and these practices led to many of today's Halloween traditions. For example, people used to wear costumes of monsters, ghosts, and devils to scare away the harmful spirits.
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People still celebrate by wearing scary costumes. However, today they also dress up like popular celebrities, children's show characters, princesses, superheroes and much more. After dressing up, kids go trick-or-treating. They go from house to house in their neighborhoods and ask for treats such as candies and snacks by saying, “Trick or treat!” According to tradition, if no treat is given, they can play a trick on the homeowners.
