万圣节是哪里来的？

万圣节是美国人心中最重要的节日之一，同时也是最有趣的之一。在万圣节的夜晚，你可以看到小孩子们穿着各种各样的奇装异服在街道上走来走去，还有刻成怪物样子的南瓜和电影院中放映的恐怖电影。

Halloween is one of the biggest events on the American holiday calendar, and it’s definitely one of the most fun. On the evening of Halloween, you can see kids wandering around in spooky costumes, pumpkins carved to look like monster faces, and scary movies will show at cinemas.

但是这些都是从哪里来的呢？就像许多现代庆祝方法一样，其历史传统可以追溯到几百年前。“Halloween”字面意思是“神圣的夜晚”，来源于基督教。一些历史学家自从10世纪就认为万圣节是基于基督教传统而来的。10月31日至11月2日，这三天被称为Allhallowtide。这三天最初是用来纪念逝去之人的。另外一些史学家认为，万圣节来源于古来的Samhain凯尔特传统，用来标志着丰收季的结束和冬天的来临。在这个节日了，人们戴上面具拜访每个屋子讨要食物。

But where did all this come from? Like lots of modern celebrations, the traditions go back hundreds of years. The word ‘Halloween’ means ‘holy evening’, and is of a Christian origin. You see, some historians believe that Halloween is based on Christian traditions from the 10th century. October 31st to November 2nd formed a three-day event called Allhallowtide, which was a time to remember the dead. Other historians believe that Halloween comes from the old Celtic tradition of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. During this festival, people would put on masks, visit houses and ask for food.

实际上，两者传统的结合形成了现代万圣节的传统。但孩子们穿着打扮成怪物的样子玩“不给糖就捣蛋”的游戏时，它其实是和关于死者鬼魂联系在一起的。刻南瓜灯和咬苹果游戏是和丰收季联系在一起的。文化传统通常都是这样的，把历史和信仰结合在一起。

In reality, both of these beliefs have shaped the modern traditions of Halloween. When kids dress up as monsters and ghosts and go trick-or-treating, it relates to those old beliefs about dead spirits. Activities like carving jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins and apple bobbing relate to the end of the harvest season. Cultural traditions are often like this, mixing histories and beliefs.

所以现在你知道了关于万圣节的简短介绍。试着了解更多的万圣节风俗吧，其中一些很有趣哦。

So there you have it: a very brief description of Halloween. Try to learn a bit more about Halloween customs this month. Some of them are a lot of fun!