This month's newsletter will have links to watch videos about Halloween

Two men were walking home after a Halloween party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery just for laughs. Right in the middle of the cemetery they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.


Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones.
"Holy cow, Mister," one of them said after catching his breath, "You scared us half to death -- we thought you were a ghost! What are you doing working here so late at night?"


"Those fools!" the old man grumbled. "They misspelled my name!"

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Watch a classic horror movie about a vampire, called "Nosferatu." Click here to watch video.
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Welcome to our newsletter for October. Topic is festivals - Halloween.
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Halloween is a festival celebrating harvest and the connection between the physical world and the spirit world. The American version is the loudest and most fun. It is celebrated on the night of 31 October.
It is a day mainly for having fun, and the theme is about ghosts, monsters and superstitions.
Countries in the southern hemisphere may not celebrate this day as much as countries in the northern hemisphere. Due to the time of the year, day light is longer. Halloween is best to celebrate in the dark.
This is the best time to dress up as anything you want.
How well do you know Western superstitions? Why is a black cat considered bad luck? Click here to watch video.
Day of the Dead is a festival closely related to Halloween. It is celebrated in Mexico on the first and second of November. Other countries such as the Philippines also celebrate this day. Click here for more information.
The Celts were nomadic people who wandered all over Europe, and were conquered by the Romans. They believed that, just before harvest, the world of the living and the dead became one. This was called Samhain.
Click here to watch video.
Paganism is a set of countryside beliefs left over from pre-Roman times, and rely heavily on Celtic beliefs.
The Celts had a ritual for the harvest. They believed that the spirits would walk around with the living. To confuse the spirits, the Celts would wear masks so the spirits would think the people were spirits also.
When the pagans (countryside old-believers) were introduced to Christianity, the church didn't want them participating in Pagan rituals. So they made a day to honour the saints called "All Saints' Day." The old word for saints was "Hallow." People still wanted their old customs so the night before which is "eve" became "Hallows' Eve." Over time, this word became Halloween, and is now separated from both pagan and Christian rituals.
In America, Puritans were early settlers who were very religious and extremely afraid of spirits, so they didn't celebrate Halloween. They were so afraid of witches and evil spirits that people who were accused of witchcraft were burnt at the stake.
During the Great Potato Famine (1845-1849) in Ireland, there was a large influx of Irish immigrants to America. They brought with them a lot of their culture and customs. This included Halloween, and now it is a popular American festival.
Most common Halloween costumes
Satan or the devil: The enemy of God, the source of all evil and just simply a bad guy.
Cyclops: this is from Greek Mythology, Homer's Odyssey. A monster with one eye in his forehead. Click here to watch video.
Count Dracula: the most famous of all vampires. Needs to drink human blood, and only comes out at night. Click here to watch video.
Bats: are associated with horror films, especially with vampires because Count Dracula will change into one.
Frankenstein: is a monster created by Dr Frankenstein who made him from dead body parts. This is from the book by Mary Shelley in 1831. Click here to watch video.
Goblin: is a mischievous creature of folklore. Always unhappy and very ugly.
Grim Reaper or Death: this creature is the one you will meet when you die. A skeleton in a black cloak that carries a scythe. Click here to watch video.
Headless horseman: is a fictional character from the short story, "the Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Click here to watch video.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: from the story by Victor Hugo, Quasimodo was the bell ringer in the cathedral in Paris called Notre Dame. Click here to watch video.
Mummy: the ancient Egyptians preserved their dead using the method of mummification. Click here to watch video.
Skeleton: a classic Halloween costume as skeletons represent death.
Trolls and ogres: giants from folklore, they're normally depicted as big, stupid and violent. Click here to watch video.
Werewolf or wolf man: is someone who turns into a wolf when there is a full moon. The man is good but he will shape shift into something bad. Click here to watch video.
Witch: an ugly wicked woman who flies on a broomstick. Click here to watch video.
Wizard and sorcerer: a magician who is old and wise. Click here to watch video.
Zombie: the walking dead, a mindless body that needs to eat people's brains. Click here to watch video.
Trick or Treat
Especially in America, children will go knocking on neighbours' doors and ask for candy. They will say "trick or treat," and the origins of this started many years ago when people would play prank on their neighbours. They would steal their gates, throw toilet paper all over their house. To stop children from doing this, people would bribe them with candy.
"Trick," we will do something to your house, "or treat," give us candy instead. Click here to watch another video about the history of Halloween.
Fancy dress or costume party is common for Halloween. This comes from people dressing up as spirits to fool ghosts.
Bonfires are traditionally for warding away bad spirits. Click here to watch video
Nowadays you can dress up as anything you want. Click here to watch video
Carving a Jack O' lantern from a pumpkin. This comes from a folklore of a lazy farmer who trapped the devil. Click here to watch video.
Haunted house tours, people like to visit a place that is haunted by a ghost. Click here to watch video
Pet costumes: people now dress up their pets in Halloween costumes. Click here to watch video
Bopping for apples, this is a traditional game where you have to use only your mouth to get apples out of the water.
Given up the ghost - "My computer has given up the ghost" - My computer is no longer working.
Blood sucking vampire - "His lawyer was a blood sucking vampire" - His lawyer was very ruthless.
Mean old witch - "My high school teacher was a mean old witch" - My high school teacher was not very nice.
Skeletons in his closet - "There are many skeletons in his closet" - He has many secrets.
Wizard - "She is a computer wizard" - "She is a maths wizard" - She is very good at computers - she is very good at maths
Zombie - He's been sitting on the couch watching TV all day, just like a zombie" - He hasn't moved from the couch as if he has no life in him.