University Koblenz-Landau Department Koblenz English department IFA Area studies 21st of November 2003 Course leader: Dr. Isabel Martin Presentation: Christina Hoffmann, Martina Stoffel
HalloweenHalloween
The History of Halloween
The word itself, “Halloween” actually has its origins in the catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, “All Hollows Day” (or “All Saints Day”), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. For most of the general population Halloween is known as a night for dressing up, telling ghost stories, having spooky parties, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving. What people don ´t know is that Halloween is actually based on an ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced “sow wan”), which means “summer´s end”. The Celtic people lived about 2,000 years ago in an area which we now call Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France. The festival of Samhain marked the end of summer, the harvest season, and the beginning of their next year. The Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31st, the ghosts of the dead re- turned to earth. They built huge bonfires and dressed in costumes to frighten the ghost. The Celtics also offered the ghosts good things to eat. One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living. Naturally, the still-living didn´t want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31st, villa- gers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghouldish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. Celebrated for centuries by the Celts of old, Witches and many other nature based religions, it is the most magical night of the year. It is the Witches´ New Year, and the Last Harvest. Al- though the religious significance of it has passed for the general public, Halloween is a “ma- gical” night for all! On this magical night, glowing Jack-o-lanterns, carved from pumpkins, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deseased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be re- placed by candles. The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840´s by Irish immigrants. Halloween in America is celebrated on October 31st. The celebrations are held in towns, schools, churches, and homes. Most children still dress in costumes and continue to trick or treat in safe neighbourhoods or attend festivals at churches or schools.
“ Trick or Treat“
The history of trick or treat goes back to the early celebrations of All Soul´s Day in Great Bri- tain. On November the 2nd early Christians had gone begging for “soul cakes“ from village to village. Those were made of a square pieces of bread with currents. The more soul cakes the beggars received, the more prayers they promised to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At that time , it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by stranger, could expedite a soul`s passage to heaven.
Today children are the beggars. The children shout “ Trick or Treat!“. They knock on doors and the house owners either have to give them a treat (money, sweets, cookies) or the children play a trick on them. Typical „tricks“ are putting something horrible on the doorstep or smear- ing soap on the door handle. Unfortunately tricks are not always harmless fun. „Trick or treat- ing“ has been known to reach dramatic proportions, with dangerous and harmful tricks being played and poisonous treats being given.
“Trick or Treat, smell my feet give me something good to eat!“ The legend of Jack O´Lantern
The Irish brought Jake O´Lantern to America. Jack was a legendary, stinky drunkard. He tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree for a juicy apple and than quickly cut the sign of the cross into the tree trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. Jack dealed with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he promise to let him down the tree. After his death, Jack was denied entrance to heaven because of his evil ways. He was also denied access to hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single em- ber to light his way through the frigid darkness. Jack placed the ember inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer. Since that day he has travelled the world over with his Jack O´Lantern in search of a place to rest. Irish children used turnips as their Jack O´Lanterns. But when the immigrants came to Amer- ica, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips.
Games
Memory First all the cards lay on a table with their faces down. The first child can select two of the cards and turn it round. If you have uncovered one card with vocabulary and another with the accompanying picture you can keep these cards and pick the next two cards. If this is not the case, you have to turn the two cards round and the next child can continue. The game is over when all cards are gone. The child who has collected most of the cards is the winner.
Bingo Every pupil gets one Bingo-Card. There are different pictures of things concerning Hal- loween on it. Now the teacher forms a sentence including a vocabulary which you can find on the Bingo-Card. Each pupil who finds the corresponding picture on his Bingo- Card can cross out this field. The first who has three cross in one line is the winner. To simplify the game the teacher can only say the vocabulary and not a whole sentence in- cluding the vocabulary.
Changing places All pupils sit in a circle and each of them gets a picture card. Every picture card must be found three times at least. One child is left. It´s in the centre of the circle. Now it shouts out the vocabulary of one of the things on the picture cards, for example “witch“. All pu- pils with this picture card must change the seats very quickly. The child in the middle tries to get hold of one of these seats. Now a new child is in the centre. All pupils pass their picture card to their neighbour on the right side. The game starts again.
Remember things Put ten or twelve different pictures on the overhead projector. The pupils look at them for some seconds. Now the teachers says: “Head down!“ He takes one picture away. Than he says: “Head up!“ The pupils have to say witch picture is vanished. The game has to be played very fast.
The Tell-Tale Tale Send scary messages around the circle and listen to the funny way they change from per- son to person. The larger the group for this game, the better. Get everyone to sit in a large circle. Have one person pre-picked to start the game and start the original message going. Have the “originator” whisper a short scary message into the ear of the person sitting to the right of them. They are only allowed to whisper the message one time. That person then whispers it to the person on their right. When the message reaches the person sitting to the left of the “originator”, the message is spoken aloud. The original message seldom arrives at the end in the same form that it started. Start the game again using the person to the right of the originating story teller.
Poems Some ideas how to present a poem: Ask pupils to make up actions of their own to go with the text. Alternatively, tell them what to do. Poems can be read by the teacher and / or pupils in a deep, low or whispered voice.
JACK-O´-LANTERN I am a pumpkin, big and round. Once upon a time I grew on the ground. Now I have a mouth , two eyes and a nose. What are they for do you suppose? With a candle inside, shining bright, I´ll be a jack-o´-lanternon Hallowe´en night. Dark In the dark, dark, wood, there was a dark, dark house. And in that dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark room. And in that dark, dark room, there was a dark, dark shelf. And on that dark, dark shelf, there was a dark, dark box. And in that dark, dark box, there was a GHOST!
Halloween The last day of October is Halloween. Skeletons dance and ghosts scream. Witches fly with their cats, Broomsticks and pointed hats. Spiders climb up and down Bats fly all around. And in the shadows I can see, Pumpkin lantern smiling at me.
Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pumpkin, pumpkin nice and round, Lying on the cool, soft ground. Once you were a seed so small Now you are a big, round ball.
Hey ho for Hallowe´en Hey-ho for Hallowe´en All the witches can be seen Some are black and some are green Hey-ho for Hallowe´en
Hey-ho for Hallowe´en All the ghosts can be seen They´re all white and not green Hey-ho for Hallowe´en
Other subjects Art Envelope ghost puppet What you need: White envelope, scissors, pen What you do: 1. Seal the envelope. 2. Draw a ghost lengthwise on the envelope. The ghost can just be a flat-bottemed oval with two circels for eyes. 3. Cut of the bottom edge of the envelope. 4. Put the ghost puppet on your hand and go scare somebody.
Mathematics Example: “In einem Geisterschloss leben drei Geister. Am Abend findet eine Party statt. Vier Vampire kommen zu Besuch. Jeder trinkt zwei Gläser Blutorangensaft: Wieviele Gläser Blutorangensaft wurden getrunken?“
Sports: Example: Playing catch: The catcher is for exampel a vampire, ghost etc.
SU: Example: Informations about pumpkins, cooking a soup etc.
Pumpkin soup
4C chiken broth H
Y 1 onion, chopped
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2C pumpkin E 3/4C green onions, white part, chopped R
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bay leaf I
N 1/8ts nutmeg
K 1/2ts curry powder
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2C milk h
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1/2ts sugar t
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salt and pepper to taste /
/ Saute onions. Add other ingredients and cook uncovered 15 minutes. Puree. w
w Add milk and cook another 5 minutes. Do not boil.
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