Origins of Halloween aangepast
The Story of Halloween
Lesson duration is: 50 minItems in this lesson
The Story of Halloween
Keep the opening calm and predictable. Briefly explain that the lesson will look at where Halloween came from, how it changed over time, and which traditions people recognise today.
Today’s learning goal
I can describe where Halloween comes from and explain how its traditions developed over time.
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What words come to mind when you hear Halloween?
Use this as a calm starter. Accept simple words such as pumpkins, costumes, sweets, spooky, autumn or ghosts. Link responses to the idea that Halloween has both old beliefs and modern fun.
What is Halloween?
31 October.
Dress up, carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating.
Old beliefs and modern fun.
This opening slide sets up the central idea that Halloween did not begin as a modern costume event. Emphasise that traditions can change over time.
Long ago: Samhain
Samhain
Celtic festival
End of the harvest
Start of winter
Boundary between living and dead
Pronounce Samhain clearly for learners: roughly 'sow-in'. Avoid overloading with extra mythology; keep to the idea of seasonal change and belief.
Why Samhain mattered
Winter was darker and colder.
Harvest time had ended.
People lit fires and followed customs for protection.
The festival helped communities face an uncertain season.
Link the customs to people's feelings about winter: less daylight, cold weather and fear of hardship. This helps learners understand the purpose behind the traditions.
Beliefs and customs
Disguises or animal skins
Protection
Unrecognisable
Bonfires
Religious reasons
Stress the contrast between ancient meaning and modern celebration. Learners may assume fancy dress has always been just for fun.
What was Samhain mainly linked to?
A. Spring planting
B. Summer games
C. Winter beginning
D. Sea travel
Stress the contrast between ancient meaning and modern celebration. Learners may assume fancy dress has always been just for fun.
What was Samhain mainly linked to?
A. Spring planting
B. Summer games
C. Winter beginning
D. Sea travel
Stress the contrast between ancient meaning and modern celebration. Learners may assume fancy dress has always been just for fun.
From Samhain to All Hallows
As Christianity spread, older festivals were reshaped.
All Hallows’ Eve was the evening before All Saints’ Day.
Over time, All Hallows’ Eve became Halloween.
Make the language link explicit: Hallows means saints or holy people in this context. This slide explains the name change without needing too much religious detail.
A festival changes
Halloween slowly took shape
Mix of Christian religious days and local customs
Not just scary
This is a key idea slide. Help learners see Halloween as a mixture of influences rather than one single origin.
How Halloween travelled
Irish and Scottish traditions were important.
Migrants took these customs to North America.
There, Halloween grew into a larger public celebration.
Use 'migrants' simply to mean people moving to live in another place. Keep the focus on how traditions spread and change.
Where did Halloween become a bigger celebration?
A. North America
B. Ancient Egypt
C. South America
D. East Asia
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Where did Halloween become a bigger celebration?
A. North America
B. Ancient Egypt
C. South America
D. East Asia
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The story of the pumpkin
People once carved turnips for lanterns.
In North America, pumpkins were easier to find and carve.
Pumpkin lanterns became a famous Halloween symbol.
If useful, mention the name 'jack-o'-lantern' aloud, but keep the slide simple. The main idea is that materials changed when the tradition moved place.
Costumes then and now
Costumes not for protection anymore
Creativity and humour
Not the same meaning
This comparison helps learners practise historical change: same kind of behaviour, different purpose.
Why did pumpkins replace turnips as lanterns?
A. They were brighter
B. They were easier to find and carve
C. They were more expensive
D. They were more ancient
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Why did pumpkins replace turnips as lanterns?
A. They were brighter
B. They were easier to find and carve
C. They were more expensive
D. They were more ancient
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Where trick-or-treating came from
Older customs included visiting homes.
In some places, people asked for food or gifts.
Modern trick-or-treating turned this into a children’s tradition.
Avoid overcomplicating the history with too many separate traditions. Keep the idea broad: older visiting customs influenced the modern practice.
Halloween in popular culture
Scary movies
Shops
Social media
More about parties and horror
This slide explains why Halloween feels so visible today. It is a modern cultural event as well as a tradition with a long past.
Different meanings today
Some people celebrate for fun.
Some avoid it for personal or religious reasons.
Some focus on community events or autumn traditions.
Halloween can mean different things to different people.
Include this to support respectful discussion. It helps learners understand that traditions are experienced in different ways.
The big idea
Began with ancient beliefs
Changed throughout time
Traditions can survive
Not everyone celebrates it for the tradition anymore
Just a party to most
Use this as the lesson landing point. It directly answers the central question of how Halloween's traditions developed over time.
Complete the change over time
Irish and Scottish traditions travelled with migrants to North America. There, pumpkins became popular for lanterns. Earlier disguises were linked to protection, but modern costumes are often worn for play or humour.
This reviews several connected ideas from the second subtopic: travel, materials and changing meaning.
What is modern trick-or-treating mostly described as?
a farming job
a church service
a children's tradition
a winter warning
From slide 12. Keep the wording simple for Entry Level 3 learners.
What do many people connect with Halloween today?
Parties
Decorations
Sweets
Horror themes
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Complete the summary
Halloween began with ancient seasonal beliefs, changed through Christian influence, travelled with migrants, and grew into a modern celebration.
This mirrors the 'big idea' slide and checks whether learners can recall the main stages in order.
On what date is Halloween celebrated?
31 October
1 November
5 November
25 December
Simple recall question from slide 2.
What did All Hallows' Eve later become?
Harvest Home
Bonfire Night
Saints' Morning
Halloween
Checks the name change from slide 6.
Complete the history text
Halloween has roots in an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. It marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter. People lit large bonfires and sometimes wore disguises for protection.
All answers come directly from the first history block. Read the whole paragraph aloud if learners need support.
What did some people wear long ago to avoid spirits?
school uniforms
animal skins
gold crowns
red scarves
Based on slide 5. A concrete recall item suitable for the target group.
Which country group is named as important in Halloween's travel?
Irish and Scottish
French and Spanish
Indian and Chinese
Greek and Roman
Checks travel of traditions from slide 8.
True or False?
Halloween was first celebrated for end of the harvest and the start of winter.
True
False
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How long ago was
Halloween first celebrated?
Around 100 years ago
Around 200 years ago
Around 1000 years ago
Around 2000 years ago
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What is not a Halloween tradition?
Trick or treat!
Decorating a tree
Costumes
Carving pumpkings
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Halloween comes from All Hallow's Eve.
What does Hallow mean?
Scary
Strange
Empty
Holy
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What does 'Trick or treat' mean?
'Give me treats or I'll play a trick on you!'
'Give me treats or you are mean!'
'Give me treats or I won't come back !'
'Give me treats for Halloween!'
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Exit Card: What did you think of this spooky lesson?
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Exit Card: What is one thing you learned about Halloween?
Encourage one short idea. Good answers may mention Samhain, migrants, pumpkins, costumes, trick-or-treating, or that traditions changed over time.
Glossary
Halloween - A festival celebrated on 31 October.
Samhain - An ancient Celtic festival linked to the end of harvest and start of winter.
Celtic - Relating to the ancient peoples and cultures of parts of Britain and Ireland.
harvest - The time when crops are gathered from the fields.
custom - A usual way of behaving or a traditional practice.
bonfire - A large outdoor fire.
spirits - In traditional belief, beings connected with the dead or the unseen world.
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Glossary
All Hallows’ Eve - The evening before All Saints’ Day.
Halloween - The later short form of All Hallows’ Eve.
migrants - People who move from one place to another to live.
tradition - A belief or custom passed from one generation to the next.
turnip lantern - A hollowed turnip carved to hold light.
pumpkin lantern - A carved pumpkin used as a Halloween decoration.
popular culture - Ideas and activities spread widely through entertainment and media.
The repeated Halloween entry here clarifies the link between the older name and the modern word.
