HalloweeniscelebratedonOctober31.OnHalloween,Americanchildrendressupinfunnyorscarycostumesandgo"trickortreating"byknockingondoorsintheirneighborhood.Theneighborsareexpectedtorespondbygivingthemsmallgiftsofcandyormoney.

　　October31

　　OnOctober31st,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.

　　SymbolsofHalloween

　　Halloweenoriginatedasacelebrationconnectedwithevilspirits.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）