HalloweenOnOctober31st,dozensofchildrendressedincostumes（节日服装）knockontheirneighbors'doorsandyell"TrickorTreat"whenthedooropens.Piratesandprincesses,ghostsandpopularheroesofthedayallholdbagsopentocatchthecandyorothergoodiesthattheneighborsdropin.Astheygiveeachchildatreattheneighborsexclaimoverthecostumesandtrytoguesswhoisunderthemasks.Sincethe800'sNovember1stisareligiousholidayknownasAllSaints'Day（万圣节）.TheMassthatwassaidonthisdaywascalledAllhallowmas.TheeveningbeforebecameknownasAllHakkiwe'en,orHalloween.LikesomeotherAmericancelebrations,itsoriginslieinbothpre-ChristianandChristiancustoms.October31stwastheeveoftheCeltic（凯尔特人的）newyear.TheCeltsweretheancestorsofthepresent-dayIrish,WelshandScottishpeople.Onthisdayghostswalkedandmingledwiththeliving,orsotheCeltsthought.Thetownspeoplebakedfoodallthatdayandwhennightfelltheydressedupandtriedtoresemblethesoulsofthedead.Hopingthattheghostswouldleavepeacefullybeforemidnightofthenewyear.Muchlater,whenChristianityspreadthroughoutIrelandandOctober31wasnolongerthelastdayoftheyear,Halloweenbecameacelebrationmostlyforchildren."Ghosts"wentfromdoortodooraskingfortreats,orelseatrickwouldbeplayedontheownersofthehouse.WhenmillionsofIrishpeopleimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesinthe1840sthetraditioncamewiththem.Today'schooldancesandneighborhoodpartiescalled"blockparties"arepopularamongyoungandoldalike.MoreandmoreadultscelebrateHalloween.Theydressuplikehistoricalorpoliticalfiguresandgotomasqueradeparties（化妆舞会）.Inlargercities,costumedchildrenandtheirparentsgatheratshoppingmallsearlyintheevening.Storesandbusinessesgivepartieswithgamesandtreatsforthechildren.Teenagersenjoycostumedancesattheirschoolsandthemoreoutrageousthecostumethebetter!Certainpranks（恶作剧）suchassoapingcarwindowsandtippingovergarbagecansareexpected.ButpartyingandpranksarenottheonlythingsthatHalloweenersenjoydoing.Somecollectmoneytobuyfoodandmedicineforneedychildrenaroundtheworld.SymbolsofHalloweenHalloweenoriginatedasacelebrationconnectedwithevilspirits.Witchesflyingonbroomstickswithblackcats,ghosts,goblins（小精灵）andskeletonshaveallevolvedassymbolsofHalloween.Theyarepopulartrick-or-treatcostumesanddecorationsforgreetingcardsandwindows.BlackisoneofthetraditionalHalloweencolors,probablybecauseHalloweenfestivalsandtraditionstookplaceatnight.IntheweeksbeforeOctober31,Americansdecoratewindowsofhousesandschoolswithsilhouettes（轮廓）ofwitchesandblackcats.PumpkinsarealsoasymbolofHalloween.Thepumpkinisanorange-coloredsquash,andorangehasbecometheothertraditionalHalloweencolor.Carvingpumpkinsintojack-o'lanternsisaHalloweencustomalsodatingbacktoIreland.AlegendgrewupaboutamannamedJackwhowassostingy（吝啬的）thathewasnotallowedintoheavenwhenhedied,becausehewasamiser（吝啬鬼）.Hecouldn'tenterhelleitherbecausehehadplayedjokesonthedevil.Asaresult,JackhadtowalktheearthwithhislanternuntilJudgementDay（审判日）.TheIrishpeoplecarvedscaryfacesoutofturnips（芜菁根）,beets（甜菜根）orpotatoesrepresenting"JackoftheLantern,"orJack-o'lantern.WhentheIrishbroughttheircustomstotheUnitedStates,theycarvedfacesonpumpkinsbecauseintheautumntheyweremoreplentifulthanturnips.Todayjack-o'-lanternsinthewindowsofahouseonHalloweennightletcostumedchildrenknowthattherearegoodies（糖果）waitingiftheyknockandsay"TrickorTreat!"HalloweenTreatsDriedPumpkinSeedsAftercarvingyourpumpkin,separatethepulpfromtheseeds.Rinse（冲洗）theseedsandspreadthemouttodry.Thenextday,addenoughmeltedbutterormargarine（人造黄油）tocoateachseed.Spreadtheseedsontoacookiesheet（甜酥饼干）andbakefor20minutesina300degreeovenfor20minutesoruntiltheyareslightlybrown.CaramelApplesTakethepaperwrappingoffabout100caramels（饴糖）andputtheminasaucepan（炖锅）.Putthesaucepanoverapanofboilingwater.Boilthewateruntilthecaramelsmelt.Putawoodenstickintothetopofeachapple,diptheappleintothecaramel.Letthemcoolonwaxpaperandenjoy!ScaryStoriesNoHalloweenpartyiscompletewithoutatleastonescarystory.Usuallyonepersontalksinalowvoicewhileeveryoneelsecrowdstogetheronthefloororaroundafire.ThefollowingisaretellingofataletoldinBritainandinNorthCarolinaandVirginia."WhatDoYouComeFor?"Therewasanoldwomanwholivedallbyherself,andshewasverylonely.Sittinginthekitchenonenight,shesaid,"Oh,IwishIhadsomecompany."Nosoonerhadshespokenthandownthechimneytumbledtwofeetfromwhichthefleshhadrotted.Theoldwoman'seyesbulgedwithterror.Thentwolegsdroppedtothehearthandattachedthemselvestothefeet.Thenabodytumbleddown,thentwoarms,andaman'shead.Astheoldwomanwatched,thepartscametogetherintoagreat,tallman.Themandancedaroundandaroundtheroom.Fasterandfasterhewent.Thenhestopped,andhelookedintohereyes."Whatdoyoucomefor?sheaskedinasmallvoicethatshiveredandshook."WhatdoIcomefor?"hesaid."IcomeforYOU!"Thenarratorshoutsandjumpsatthepersonnearhim!
