關于萬圣節有這樣一個故事。是說有一個叫杰克的愛爾半蘭人,因為他對錢特別的吝嗇,就不允許他進入天堂,而被打入地獄。但是在那里他老是捉弄魔鬼撒旦,所以被踢出地獄,罰他提著燈籠永遠在人世里行走。在十月三十一日愛爾蘭的孩子們用土豆和羅卜制作“杰克的燈籠”,他們把中間挖掉、表面上打洞并在里邊點上蠟燭。為村里慶祝督伊德神的萬圣節,孩子們提著這種燈籠挨家挨戶乞計食物。?這種燈籠的愛爾蘭名字是“拿燈籠的杰克”或者“杰克的燈籠”,縮寫為 Jack-o'-lantern ?在拼寫為jack-o-lantern。 現在你在大多數書里讀到的萬圣節只是孩子們開心的夜晚。在小學校里,萬圣節是每年十月份開始慶祝的。孩子們會制作萬圣節的裝飾品:各種各樣桔紅色的南瓜燈。你可以用黑色的紙做一個可怕的造形??一個騎在掃帚把上戴著尖尖帽子的女巫飛過天空,或者是黑蝙蝠飛過月亮。這些都代表惡運。當然黑貓代表運氣更差。有時候會出現黑貓騎在女巫掃帚后面飛向天空的造形。在萬圣節的晚上,我們都穿著爸爸媽媽的舊衣服和舊鞋子,戴上面具,打算外出。比我們小的孩子必須和他們的母親一塊出去,我們大一點的就一起哄到領居家,按他們的門鈴并大聲喊道:“惡作劇還是招待!”意思是給我們吃的,要不我們就捉弄你。里邊的人們應該出? 評價我們的化裝。 “噢!這是鬼,那是女巫,這是個老太婆。” 有時候他們會跟我們一起玩,假裝被鬼或者女巫嚇著了。但是他們通常會帶一些糖果或者蘋果放進我們的“惡作劇還是招待”的口袋里?墒且菦]人回答門鈴或者是有人把我們趕開該怎么辦呢?我們就捉弄他們,通常是拿一塊肥皂把他們的玻璃涂得亂七八糟。然后我們回家,數數誰的糖果最多。還有一個典型的萬圣節花招是把一卷手紙拉開,不停地往樹上扔,直到樹全被白紙裹起?。除非下大雪或大雨把紙沖掉,紙會一直呆在樹上。這并不造成真正的傷害,只是把樹和院子搞亂,一種萬圣節的惡作劇。
英譯:Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts, who worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. They celebrated their New Year on November 1st which was made every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold." On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished . The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). They would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin. When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits. The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween. The Celtics would carry a lantern when they walked on the eve of October 31. These lanterns were carved out of big turnips and the lights were believed to keep the evil spirits away. Children would carve faces in the turnips. These carved turnips were called "jack-o-lanterns".