HALLOWEEN: its origin and significance

HALLOWEEN dates back from the Celtic festival Samhaim, which was celebrated on October 31^st. That night was considered the beginning of New Celtic Year and the Druids believed that the supernatural world came close to the physical world so human beings were more sensitive to the power and influence of spells (hechizos), and the future could be foreseen and dreams were meaningful.

The word Halloween comes from the word hallow, which means soul and eve, which means the day before. Halloween really means All Hallow’s Eve, which in fact is the day before All Saints’ Day ( November 1^st)

Halloween is a night of magic and mistery and children love dressing up as ghosts, witches, skeletons and scary things and they go around the neighbourhood knocking on doors and by saying Trick or Treat they are asking for sweets.

People usually have a Jack O’Lantern on the porch or other visible place. A Jack O’Lantern is a hollowed out pumpkin which has been carved with the shapes of the eyes, nose and teeth with  a lit candle inside. It is called Jack O’ Lantern from an Irish legend about a man called Jack, who made a deal with the devil ( demonio).

Apple Bobbing is a traditional game on Halloween. Children must bite apples hanging from strings or floating in water.

The story of  JACK O´LANTERN

A stingy drunkard of an Irish blacksmith named Jack had the misfortune to run into the Devil in a pub, some say on Halloween night. Jack had too much to drink and was about to fall into the Devil`s hands, but managed to trick the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack quickly pocketed him in his purse. Because Jack had a silver cross in his purse, the Devil could not change himself back. Jack would not let the Devil go until he promised not to claim his soul for ten years.         The Devil agreed and ten years later Jack came across the Devil while walking on a country road. The Devil wanted to collect but Jack, thinking quickly, said: “I`ll go, but before I go, will you get me an apple from that tree?” The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped on Jack´s shoulders to obtain the apple. Jack pulled out his knife and carved a cross in the trunk of the tree. This left the Devil in the air, unable to obtain Jack or his soul. Jack made him promise to never again ask for his soul. Seeing no way out, the Devil agreed. No one knows how the Devil managed to get back down!         When Jack died years later he was not admitted to Heaven, because of his life of drinking and being tightfisted and deceitful. When he went to apply for entrance to Hell, the Devil had to turn him away because he agreed never to take Jack`s soul. “But where can I go?”, asked Jack. “Back where you came from!”, replied the Devil. The way back was windy and dark. Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him with a light to find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, threw a live coal at Jack straight from the fire of Hell. To light his way and keep it from blowing out in the wind, Jack put it in a turnip he was eating.         Ever since Jack has been doomed to wander in darkness with his lantern until “Judgement Day”. Jack of the lantern (Jack O`Lantern) became known as the symbol of a damned soul.         When the term jack-o`-lantern first appeared in print in 1750, it referred to a night watchman or a man carrying a lantern.         People believed that spirits and ghosts left the grave on Halloween and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits, so they would not destroy their homes or crops, but instead move on down the road. They also began to hollow out turnips with a face either painted or carved into it, and place lighted candles inside, hoping the image of a damned soul would scare the spirits away.         The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 to immigrate to the Americas. These immigrants brought their traditions of Halloween and Jack O`Lanterns with them, but turnips were not readily available as back home. They found the American pumpkin to be an adequate replacement.

Here is an easy video with a sacry story for kids. Make sure you understand the following vocabulary before watching it:

On the steps (escalones)

Make a costume (disfraz)

Scarecrow (espantapájaros)

Swing (columpio)

Paper bats (murciélagos)

Spiders (arañas)

Carve (tallar)

Pull out the seeds (semillas, pepitas)

On the front porch

A big scary bowl of candy (golosinas)

One piece of candy (Candy is an uncountable word)

Grab (agarrar)

A big handful ( puñado) of candy

Scary (siniestro)- sacarier comparative form

Small- smaller comparative form

Sharp (afilado)-sharper comparative form

What happened?

What’s happening?

Whisper ( susurro)

Too much candy (Demaiadas golosinas)

Grammar

                                                  SOME, ANY, NO

Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can be used with 'one', 'body' and 'thing' to form compound pronouns, such as everyone, somebody, anything and nothing.

I know someone who gives piano lessons.

Somebody has obviously made a mistake.

Has anyone got a dictionary?

Can I do anything to help?

Everyone started to clap. (or Everybody …)

Everything closes at the end of the holiday season.
We need to tidy up. There's rubbish everywhere. Nobody knows where it is. No-one came to the party.
He says he knows nothing about the crime.
They are homeless. They have nowhere to live.

Nobody was interested in the talk. (or No one was …)



'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can also be used with 'where' to form adverbs such as everywhere, somewhere and anywhere.

I cannot find my keys anywhere.

I’ve seen you somewhere before.

After everyone/everybody, someone ... , we use they/their/them:
Everyone has to take their shoes off before they come in.
Could everybody please put their names on the list?Everybody enjoyed themselves at the party.
I would really like to ask someone if they knew about this.
Somebody left their umbrella in the office



We use else after indefinite pronouns to refer to people or things in addition to the ones we already mentioned.

All the family came, but no one else.
If Michael can’t come we’ll ask somebody else.
So that's eggs, peas and chips. Do you want anything else?

Any in positive sentences is used to refer to any person, thing or place from a group, so we use any in positive sentences when we mean it doesn't matter which ..:

Anyone could help me: the man or the woman or the child or the old lady.

I will do anything if you help me: I will give you money or I will help you do the washing up ....

You can come and ask for my help any time.

That exercise is very easy, any children here could answer that. (this boy, or that girl, it doesn't matter who you choose, they all know the answer)

REMEMBER that Some can be used in polite requests and offers:

Would you like some cheese? (More natural than ‘Would you like any cheese?’)

Would you like some tea?

Could I have some more rice? (Polite request)

Could you give me some advice, please?

Similarly we can also use someone and somebody if requesting or offering something:

Would somebody like to read the next passage?

Can someone help me with this month's report?

Click on the link to do exercises:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

KEEPING UP ON NEWS

Here are some news sites to keep up to date on world events:


If you need some help with vocabulary click HERE

If you want  the BBC click HERE

If you don`t have much time but you still want  the BBC click
HERE
If you want the CNN click HERE
If you want to listen to the radio click HERE

OTHER, ANOTHER, OTHERS, THE OTHER, THE OTHERS

   Here is a chart with the uses of these words and an example sentence                         

OTHER Followed by plural. Used as an adjective:"He was in France and in other European countries" It can be followed by singular when the expression begins with a negative : " There is no other way to do it" ANOTHER Followed by singular. Used as an adjective: "I`m afraid you'll have to wait for another week" Used as a pronoun: "I don't like this book, give me another" It can be followed by plural when the expression begins with a number or "few": "Another three pints of beer, please" Apart from the meaning"additional" as in the examples above, it can have the meaning "different" as in: "Come another day" (any other day,no particular day) OTHERS It is used as a pronoun "Some metals are magnetic and others aren't" THE OTHER It is used when we refer to one of the individual objects or people. Used as a pronoun: "I've got twin brothers, this boy is Tom and the other is John". Used as an adjective: "I've got twin brothers, this boy is Tom and the other boy is John" (followed by singular) "Some children drank water and the other children drank milk" (followed by plural) "The other day" means " a few days ago": "I met your sister the other day" THE OTHERS It is used when we refer to one of the two groups. Used as a pronoun: "Some tourists went shopping, the others went sightseeing, nobody stayed at the hotel"

Here you are more examples:


                Another (adjective)

         We use another with singular nouns: another chair, another day.

                       ·There are six people for dinner but there are 

                    only 5 plates.We need another plate.

·This cake is delicious. Could I have another slice please?

·Please give me another chance. I promise to try harder.

Another can be used before a plural noun when that noun is preceded by a number,or words/phrases such as a couple of, few etc.

·The investigation will take another two weeks/couple of weeks.

·In another 20 years my laptop is going to be obsolete.

·I like this city so much that I’m going to spend another three days

 here.

·We need another three teachers before classes begin.

Another can be used before “one” when the meaning is clear from the preceding text.

·You’ve already had an ice-cream. You can’t have another one.

·I finished eating my sandwich, can I have another one?

Another can also mean ‘an alternative’ or ‘different’

·This place isn’t great. Is there another place we could go to?

·I'm not happy with this product. Next time I'll buy another brand.

Another (pronoun)

We can use another as a pronoun:

·The text is corrected by one person, then edited by another.

·The applications are examined by one committee, then passed on to

  another.

                  Other (adjective)

         Other is used with plural nouns.

·Some children learn quickly but other children need more time.

·Have you got any other questions?

·What other books by Charles Dickens have you read, apart from

 ‘Oliver Twist’?

·This one’s too big. Do you have it in other sizes?

·We have other styles if you are interested.

·Have you got any other dresses, or are these the only ones?

·I have invited some other people.

·I can’t help you because I’m busy with other things.

        Other is also used with uncountable nouns:

·This book has other information.

·Is there other software available?

·Some music calms people; other music has the opposite effect.

·Is there any other bread?

                The other  (determiner)

        It can be used with singular or plural nouns:

·This computer here is new. The other computer is about five

  years old.

·The gift shop is on the other side of the street, directly opposite

  the butcher’s

· Joe and Karen are here, but where are the other kids?

·Where are the other two dinner plates? I can only find four.

·I’m not going to wear this dress. I prefer the other one.

·These shoes don’t go well with the dress. The other ones look

 better.

            We do not use the if there is another determiner / quantifier in the  sentence:

·Do you need any other chairs?

·I have read no other books.

·I've got some other CDs

·Camila has three other children.

·Many other people have said the same.

                The other   (pronoun)

      We can use the other as a pronoun, especially to refer back to something   which has been mentioned already in the sentence:

He had his hat in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other.

She has two kittens, one is black and the other is all white.

There are two cookies left. You have one and I'll have the other.

              Others/ The others  (pronouns)

       They can only be used  as pronouns to refer to people or things.

·Some people like to rest in their free time. Others like to travel.

·This is not the only answer to the question. There are others.

·He has no interest in helping others

·I don’t like these postcards. Let’s ask for others.

·Some of the presidents arrived on Monday. Others arrived on Tuesday.     

·80% of the students arrive on time. The others (the other students) are        always late.

·Only half of the guests have arrived. Where are the others?

·One boy fell off his chair and the others laughed.

Click on the links to do exercises:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

Link 5

Link 6

Link 7

Link 8

COME AWAY WITH ME by Norah Jones

Listen to the song and fill in the blanks.

Come away with me in the ________
Come away with me
And I will write you a ________

Come away with me on a ________
Come away where they can't tempt ________
With their ________

And I ________ walk with you
On a ________ day
In ________ where the yellow ________ grows knee-high
So won't you try to ________

Come away with me and we'll ________
On a mountain ________
Come away with me
And I'll never ________ loving you

I ________ wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin ________
While I'm safe there in your ________
So all I ________ is for you
To come away with me in the ________
Come away with me

Check key at the bottom.

To know about Norah Jones  click here



KEY

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies

And I wanna walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountain top
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

I wanna wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me