Halloween · Worksheet 1
From Turnips to Pumpkins
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1The first jack-o'-lanterns were not made from pumpkins. They were made from turnips, a hard white vegetable. People in Ireland and Scotland carved scary faces into them and put a candle inside. Today, Halloween is on October 31, and people celebrate it all around the world.
2Halloween began with an old festival called Samhain. It marked the end of the harvest and the start of the long, dark winter. On that night, people lit big fires. Many believed that spirits and fairies could visit our world. So they left food and drink outside to keep them happy.
3Later, the church made November 1 a day for all the saints. In old English, a saint was called a hallow. So the night before became All Hallows' Eve. People in Scotland made the name shorter, and it became Halloween.
4In the 1800s, many Irish and Scottish families moved to North America. They brought their Halloween games with them. In their new home, they found the pumpkin, which was big and easy to carve. In 1917, a newspaper in Canada wrote about children who shouted, Tricks or treats! It is the oldest record of those famous words.
5Today, about three out of four Americans join the fun. Children knock on doors in costumes, and adults decorate their yards with ghosts and skeletons. In 2026, Americans are expected to spend 13.5 billion dollars on Halloween. But the heart of the night is still the same as long ago. It is a little fear, a lot of fun, and a small light in the dark.
- turnip カブ
- carve 彫る、刻む
- festival 祭り
- harvest 収穫、取り入れ
- spirit 霊、精霊
- fairy 妖精
- saint 聖人
- costume 仮装、衣装
- decorate 飾る
- skeleton 骸骨、骨格
- celebrate 祝う
- expect 予想する、見込む