Learn English with American Primary School Textbooks

Chapter 50 Custom Custom Culture (3)
Sometimes a black cat would ride away into the sky on the back of the witch's broom. And on Halloween night we'd dress up in Mom or Dad's old shoes and clothes, put on a mask, and be ready to go outside. The little kids (children younger than we were) had to go with their mothers, but we older ones went together to neighbors' houses, ringing their doorbell and yelling, "Trick or treat!" meaning, "Give us a treat (something to eat) or we'll play a trick on you!"

The people inside were supposed to come to the door and comment on our costumes. Oh! here's a ghost. Oh, there's a witch. Oh, here's an old lady. Sometimes they would play along with us and pretend to be scared by some ghost or witch. But they would always have some candy and maybe an apple to put in our “trick or treat bags”. But what if no one come to the door, or if someone chased us away?

Then we'd play a trick on them, usually taking a piece of soap and make marks on their windows. And afterwards we would go home and count who got the most candy. One popular teen-agers' Halloween trick was to unroll a roll of toilet paper and throw it high into a tree again and again until the tree was all wrapped in the white paper. The paper would often stay in the tree for weeks until a heavy snow or rain washed it off. No real harm done, but It made a big mess of both the tree and the yard under it, one kind of Halloween mischief.
Vocabulary
stingy ["stind? i] adj. stingy, stingy, thorny, lacking

Lantern ["l? nt? n] n. Lantern, lantern, lantern skylight

hollow ["h? l? u] adj. empty, empty, concave; hypocritical;
n. hole, valley, hole

Halloween ["h? l? u"i:n] n. Halloween Eve (refers to the night of October 31)
Broomstick ["bru: mstik] n. broomstick, broomstick
yell [jel] vi. shout, shout;
n. Shout;

vt. to shout and say

witch [wit? ] n. Witch, witch;
vt. to bewitch, to confuse
chase [t? eis] vt. chase, hunt down;

vi. to chase, to chase

n. chase, chase
mischief ["mist? if] n. Prank, hurt, naughty, discord
Practice
1. Which decoration is necessary for Halloween?

2. Make designs as scary as you can use black paper.

Translation
There is such a story about Halloween.There was an Irishman named Jack, who was not allowed into heaven because he was stingy with money, and was sent to hell instead.But there he always played tricks on the devil Satan, so he was kicked out of hell and punished to walk in the world forever with a lantern.

On October 31st, Irish children make "Jack's lanterns" from potatoes and turnips.They cut out the middle, punched holes in the surface and lit candles inside.Children carry these lanterns as they go door to door begging for food for the village's Halloween celebration of the Druid god.The Irish name for this lantern is "Jack with the Lantern" or "Jack's Lantern", shortened to Jack-o'-lantern and now spelled jack-o-lantern.

The Halloween you read about in most books these days is just a fun night for kids.In elementary schools, Halloween is celebrated every year starting in October.The kids will make Halloween decorations: orange and orange jack-o-lanterns of all kinds.You can use black paper to make scary figures—a witch with a pointy hat flying across the sky on a broomstick, or black bats flying across the moon.These all represent bad luck.Of course, black cats represent worse luck.

Sometimes there is a black cat riding into the sky on the back of the witch's broom.On Halloween night, we all dressed up in Mom and Dad's old clothes and shoes, put on masks, and planned to go outside.The kids younger than us had to go out with their mother, and the older ones we went to the neighbor's house, rang their doorbell and yelled "trick or treat!" meaning give us something to eat or we'll play tricks you.

People inside should judge our makeup. "Oh! That's a ghost, that's a witch, that's an old woman." Sometimes they would play with us, pretending to be frightened by a ghost or a witch.They usually bring some candy or an apple to put in our "trick or treat" pocket.But what if no one answers or someone chases us away?

We'd play tricks on them, usually by smearing their glass with a bar of soap.Then we go home and count who has the most candy.Another classic Halloween trick is to unroll a roll of toilet paper and keep throwing it up a tree until the tree is completely covered in white paper.The paper will stay on the tree until heavy snow or rain washes it away.Of course, this does no real harm, it's just messing up the tree and yard, kind of a Halloween trick.

Exercise
1.What are the must-have decorations for Halloween?
2.Use black paper to create any scary shape you can think of.

1. Orange-paper jack-o-lanterns
05 Mysterious Witch Mysterious Witch
Witchcraft, also called black magic, is the power or practices of witches. Western people used to believe that witches had supernatural powers. They were supposed to be able to call up spirits and make them do evil things. Their special helping spirits are called " familiars”, who take the form of animals, particularly cats, snakes, owls, and dogs.
Some people believed witches had the power to change into animals. This power enabled them to travel about secretly. Witches also were said to be able to fly. They flew by riding brooms or rakes, or riding magical animals. Witches had great knowledge of how to make magical potions and charms, which were used to change people's behavior. Witches were believed to be able to see into the future. They were also believed to have the evil eye—that is, the ability to harm or kill by looking. crops failed, horses ran away, cattle sickened, wagon broke, women miscarried, or storms destroyed house, a witch was always found to blame. Some of these reputed witches were thought to hold yearly ceremonies called “Witches Sabbath”, a midnight meeting of 12 witches and the Devil.
Nearly all those who were suspected of practicing witchcraft were women, especially old women who were lean and ugly, looking pale and melancholy, or with red hair. In many witch trials of the 17th century in Europe and colonial America, a suspected witch was tied up and thrown into water. If she sank, she was considered a witch and was executed.
In the early Christian centuries, the church was relatively tolerant of magical practices. But in the late Middle Ages European people began to look upon those women who tried to cure diseases by using magic as witches, or the followers of Satan. Many women accused of practicing witchcraft were tortured or even burned to death. Most of them were obviously innocent. The belief in witchcraft declined at the beginning of the 18th century when people began to examine their old beliefs again with a skeptical eye.
Vocabulary
Witchcraft ["wit? krɑ: ft, -kr? ft] n. magic, witchcraft

Potion ["p?u??n] n. One dose, one dose, drink
wagon ["w?ɡ?n] n. truck;

vt. to transport goods in a wagon

Ceremony ["serim? uni] n. Ceremony, ceremony, etiquette, courtesy, virtual ceremony
melancholy ["mel?nk?li] adj. melancholy, sad;
n. melancholy, sorrow
execute ["eksikju:t] vt. execute, execute, execute
Torture ["t?: t??] vt. torture, torture, distortion;

n. torture, torture

innocent ["in? s? nt] adj. innocent, innocent, ignorant

Practice
1. Which animals are always regarded as familiars?

2. How does witches fly?

3. What kind of women were suspected of practicing witchcraft?

Translation
Witchcraft, also known as black magic, is the spell performed by wizards, especially witches.Westerners once believed that witches had supernatural powers and could call on demons to assist them in doing evil.The demons who follow them are called "witches" and usually appear in the form of animals such as cats, snakes, owls and dogs.

Some believe that witches can also transform into animals so they can wander around unnoticed.Witches are said to be able to fly.Fly either on a broom or a rake, or on the back of some magical animal.Witches know how to brew potions and make talismans to confuse others.Witches also have the ability to predict the future.They are also said to have magic eyes, the ability to hurt or kill others with their eyes.In the Middle Ages, whenever crops failed, horses were lost, cattle were plagued by plague, vehicles were damaged, women had miscarriages, or houses were destroyed by storms, a witch was always found to take the blame.It is also believed that certain witches hold an annual witch's Sabbath.There were twelve witches and devils in attendance.

Almost all those suspected of witchcraft were women, especially thin, misshapen old women, pale and melancholy, or red-haired.In the European and North American colonies in the 17th century, a person suspected of being a witch was often tied up and thrown into the water. If she sank, she would be proved innocent; if she floated, she would be judged as a witch and sentenced to death.

The early European Christian church was tolerant of witchcraft, but by the end of the Middle Ages, people began to regard women who used magic to heal people as witches or disciples of the devil.Many women were accused of witchcraft, tortured and then burned at the stake.Most of them are clearly innocent.Since the Enlightenment in the 18th century, people began to be skeptical about witchcraft, and superstition about witchcraft has fallen out of fashion.

Exercise
1.What animal is often used as a "witch"?
2.How do witches fly?
3.What kind of women are often suspected of being witches?

1. Cats, snakes, owls, and dogs
2. By riding brooms or rakes, or riding magical animals
3. Old women who were lean and ugly, looking pale and
melancholy, or with red hair
06 Saint Lucia's Day Sweden's Saint Lucia Festival
Saint Lucia's Day is a Swedish traditional holiday. On December 13th, one of the shortest, darkest days in the long and cold winter, Sweden celebrates the holiday, in honor of Saint Lucia, the Queen of Lights.
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