Fall in love with learning English｜Halloween you didn’t know

If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween.

——Douglas Coupland

Of all kinds of festivals in East and West, I don’t like Halloween the least. I am naturally timid, and the only ghost film I have ever watched is Karen Mok’s "A Ghost in Office". I watched it with a dozen college students laughing and laughing. Such a lively way of watching movies still has a shadow in my heart for many years. .

I remember working overtime at the law firm until the early hours of the morning, and the floor was empty. The ghost movie scene I watched many years ago clearly reproduced: long black hair spreading under the door cracks in the innermost compartment of the bathroom; when taking the elevator, a woman in white behind I’m falling down and staring at you, don’t look back, otherwise the blood in her eye sockets will just drip into your horrified eyes...

is a serious masochist and fantasist like me, it is indeed not suitable for living in Chicago is such a crazy Halloween place. Since the beginning of October, every family has started decorating their houses. If you are kind, just hang a ghost on the window, or hang some spider webs on the trees in the yard. If you encounter those who are unwilling to die, it is best to stay as far away as possible from his home, and go around the road. .

One year of Halloween, I went out and went home. At that time, the night had fallen, and the temperature in Chicago at the end of October had dropped below zero. There were few pedestrians on the road, and the cold wind from Lake Michigan was screaming, and the baldness was swayed to death. The trunk, the dark black night sky lining the white moonlight, is the best background for horror movies. At this moment, I was passing by a house. There were no lights on the two-story building. Only a small light on the porch illuminated the bushes in the garden as ghosts. I was terrified. I wanted to pass this "haunted house" quickly. I didn't want to kick something at the bottom of my feet. In an instant, a green light like a ghost flashed in the dark bushes, and there were creepy laughter and crying in my ears. With shouts, many tombstones slowly rose up in the garden, and some of the tombstones stretched out boned claws... I broke out the most screaming scream of my life, and then I heard the small building with black lights. There was an uncontrollable burst of laughter. In extreme panic and anger, I threw out all the curses I could think of in both Chinese and English, including a Northeastern dialect that I only learned, "Running the calf", regardless of whether people could understand it or not.

"At Halloween, yards and public spaces may be decorated with traditionally macabre symbols including witches, skeletons, cobwebs, and headstones."——From Wikipedia

Helplessly, I live near Halsted Avenue in Chicago, this street with the annual gay and Halloween parade It is well-known that, in order not to be scared by the sudden "zombies" or "vampires", I only have to hide in bed and watch soap operas on October 31st of each year. Since then, I can be regarded as a bond with Halloween.

Only knowing yourself and the enemy can survive all battles. Others' Halloween is a tricky carnival, but I want to check this Halloween upside down online.

Halloween is actually the abbreviation of "All Hallows’ Evening", also known as Allhalloween, or Halloween’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve. Judging from the name, it has nothing to do with "pretending to be gods and ghosts". It is the night before the Western Christian All Hallows’ Day (October 31). Therefore, the Chinese translation of "Halloween" is not accurate, it should be "Halloween Eve".

Wikipedia says "Halloween origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festivalof the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain", which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end". Samhain was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.” (Halloween’s Eve originated in Rome’s Pomona Festival, Pomona is the goddess of fruits and seeds, or the Death’s Day called Parentalia, but Halloween is more likely to be with Celtic Samhain Festival-related, Samhain means "end of summer" in Old Irish. Samhain is the first and most important festival in the fourth quarter in the Celtic calendar of the Middle Ages, usually in Ireland, Scotland and the British territories. The people of the island will celebrate this holiday.)

In this way, the reason why Halloween is tied to the "Reaper" festival is probably because the end of October happens to be the end of the brilliant golden autumn and the bleak and cold winter comes. For people in the nineteenth century, the arrival of winter inevitably meant hunger, cold, and death. Therefore, everyone must grab the tail of the autumn and have a good carnival before the harsh winter that is filled with death. Suddenly I understood the reasons why some Chicagoans are keen on Halloween. In such a city where winter is half a year old, facing the long cold winter, it really takes some absurd carnivals to gain some courage. When

spreads to the United States, it is inevitable that the Americans will exaggerate their unique atmosphere. This kind of breath is hard to tell. It seems that there is the cynical and timely attitude of young Americans, and the utilitarian that everything in the business society is profitable, but it will reveal that ordinary people must exercise their rights at any opportunity. Of course, there is also a seriousness behind the seeming laughter of the elites... An article on

National Radio said "For Halloween 2014, the National Retail Federation predicts, some 75 million adults will put on costumes. Adults have hijacked Halloween. Two in three adults feel Halloween is a holiday for them and not just kids.” (The American Retail Federation predicts that in 2014 Halloween, 75 million adults will wear Halloween costumes. Adults kidnapped Halloween. Three Both adults will think this is their holiday, not just a child’s holiday.) Looking back on the years in Chicago, I did find that carrying a pumpkin basket and wearing Peter Pan or little monster costumes went door to door "trick or treating" "There are fewer and fewer children who want candy. On the contrary, there are more and more adults who make up all kinds of weird, horrible and realistic ghosts. It’s no wonder that an American friend of mine has to admit that in the eyes of young Americans, any holiday is just an excuse to "have fun and drink" ". The article says "Adults have hijacked Halloween", and the word hijack (kidnapping) is used appropriately.

Halloween has also caused trouble to Americans. "The pranks turned more sinister, and by the 1930s, young people of many origins were threatening to vandalize stores andhomes. On Halloween in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, hundreds of young men overturned automobiles, sawed down telephone poles, and taunted police. "(By the 1930s, pranks became sinister, young men from many places People threatened to destroy shops and homes. Halloween in 1933, at the worst of the Great Depression, hundreds of young people overturned cars, saw off telephone poles, and mocked the police.)

Halloween’s classic slogan "trick" "or treating" ("Trick or Treat if you don't give sweets") is ironic here. From the perspective of learning English, there are two words worth memorizing. "prank" means "a playful but foolish trick, not intended to harm" "" means innocent pranks; "taunt" means "try to make someone angry or upset by making unkind remarks, laughing at faults or failures", which means deliberately making trouble, mocking, or irritating someone. If prank is said to be harmless That’s a joke, then taunt is deliberately looking for twitching provocation.

"Twentieth-century consumerism — candy and costumes and decorations — helped reduce the vandalism. So Halloween became less of an adolescent night and more of a kiddie night." Look like this In the past, 20th century consumerism (candy, clothing and decorations) helped reduce the previous vandalism, so now Halloween is less angry and youthful, but it is more childish.

Chicago in 1962 A Halloween masquerade attracted 600 adults, who wore fancy costumes and danced to jazz music (A 1962 Halloween bal masque in Chicago drew 600 adults, decked out in costumes and dancing to jazz music).

Ha lloween in Chicago.--Pic from Interet

Halloween in Chicago.--Pic from Interet

Halloween in Chicago.--Pic from Interet

Halloween in Chicago.--Pic from Interet

And Halloween in Washington DC is full of bantering politicians due to its special political status Ridicule. I remember when I was an intern in Washington D.C., the window of the office was facing Pennsylvania Ave., the main road. On this avenue, there are various parades all year round. Although sometimes they are serious demonstrations, most of the time I think that those colorful and colorful and holding various strange appeal slogans are more like carnivals. carnival. "Washington, D.C., has a long tradition of otherwise mature people hiding behind goofy masks and expecting free stuff. One memorable Halloween, in 1997,adults dressed in costume and stood outside the White House as the President Bill Clinton "Investigation Committee". Outfitted as ghouls, prisoners and the first couple, the group members gave out candy and fake money and posed for bemused tourists." (Washington DC The tradition is that mature adults hide themselves behind funny masks and look forward to the so-called freedom. Halloween in 1997 is unforgettable. Adults dress up and stand in front of the White House as investigating President Bill Clinton. "Investigation Committee." They pretend to be zombies, prisoners, and presidential couples. These people distribute candy and fake money everywhere, posing wild in front of confused tourists.)

White House's Halloween Decorations.---Pic from Internet.

White House's Halloween Decorations .---Pic from Internet.

White House's Halloween Decorations.---Pic from Internet.

Perhaps, as Douglas Coupland said, it is because of lack of courage that we are passionate about Halloween, hiding behind the mask of terror, by Alcohol carnivals and absurd pranks dare to reveal that true self.