5 Spooky Traditions for an Unforgettable American Halloween!
Have fun practicing your English while discovering Halloween traditions
As evening falls, the streets come alive with the eerie spirit of Halloween. Homes are decorated with spooky spider webs, and skeletons dangle from porches. Front yards transform into creepy graveyards, creating a thrilling atmosphere. Children dressed as ghosts, witches, and superheroes eagerly prepare to go trick-or-treating, ready to fill their plastic pumpkins with candy.
Halloween is here—my favorite time of year! This special American celebration has roots in ancient Ireland and is full of exciting traditions, creative costumes, and delicious treats. Whether you want to keep it fun or make it as spooky as you dare, let’s look at five traditions to celebrate Halloween the American way!
Carving Pumpkins
One of the most beloved Halloween traditions is carving pumpkins. Families and friends often head to pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect pumpkins together. Once they bring their pumpkins home, the fun begins! They scoop out all the pulp and seeds, making a big mess but enjoying every moment. Then, they carve funny or scary faces into the pumpkins, creating unique designs. After that, they place a light or candle inside, making the pumpkins glow with a creepy face that can be seen at night.
These festive pumpkins are called Jack-O’-Lanterns. This tradition comes from the story of 'Stingy Jack,' a clever man who tricked the devil and was cursed to walk the earth with only a carved turnip to light his way. Today, we carry on this spooky practice by placing Jack-O’-Lanterns on our front porches, adding a festive and eerie touch to our Halloween celebrations.
Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating is a cherished Halloween tradition, especially for children, but parents enjoy it just as much secretly sneaking a piece of their children’s candy! On Halloween night, families get dressed up in creative costumes, and children carry around bags or plastic pumpkins as they excitedly go door to door. They shout "trick or treat!" at each house, and friendly neighbors reward them with delicious candy.
To let trick-or-treaters know they are giving out treats, many homes leave their front porch lights on. If a house has its lights off, it signals that they are not participating and asks kids to please skip their door. Some homes even leave a bowl of candy outside, allowing children to take a handful for themselves while the owners might be out trick-or-treating or attending Halloween parties. However, some rebellious youngsters take advantage of this generous gesture and grab more candy than they should!
Haunted Houses and Home Decorations
In America, Halloween decorations are taken just as seriously as those for Christmas! Many homeowners go all out, decking their houses in spooky attire for the entire month of October. Common decorations include creepy spiders, tangled spider webs, ghostly figures, witches, black cats, skeletons, gravestones, bats, and glowing pumpkins. Some even add flashing lights, eerie music, and other scary symbols to create a truly haunting atmosphere.
If you want to enjoy the Halloween spirit to the fullest, visiting a haunted house is a must! These spooky attractions often feature winding paths filled with surprises, where people and objects jump out to startle you. The sights and sounds are designed to give you a thrill, making it a fun and memorable experience for those brave enough to enter!
Scary Movies
For some, the best way to celebrate Halloween is by staying in and enjoying the spooky spirit from the comfort of their own homes. A great way to do this is by curling up in a blanket with loved ones and watching horror movies. There are endless horror films available, ranging from classic scary stories to new thrillers that can set the perfect mood for Halloween.
Whether you enjoy blood-curdling thrillers like Nightmare on Elm Street or light-hearted Halloween-themed films like Hocus Pocus, movie night is a fun way to get into the spooky spirit. Watching scary movies together can create a memorable experience, filled with laughter, screams, and plenty of popcorn!
Halloween Parties
Another fun Halloween tradition is throwing Halloween parties! Many Americans invite friends and family over to celebrate, often transforming their homes into spooky spaces with decorations and eerie lighting. At these gatherings, you can expect to hear spooky music and famous Halloween songs playing in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Food is also a big part of the celebration, with snacks made in the shapes of Halloween objects like spiders, pumpkins, and ghosts. One popular game played at these parties is bobbing for apples. In this game, a big bucket is filled with water and apples, and players kneel to try to bite an apple with their mouths without using their hands. It’s a hilarious and messy challenge!
Another entertaining game is the mummy race, where participants wrap one person in toilet paper, making them look like a mummy. There are several variations of this game, and it usually leads to lots of laughter and fun. Most Halloween parties also feature a costume contest, where everyone dresses up in their best costumes, hoping to win a prize for their creativity and effort!
Join My Premium Halloween Party
As Halloween night approaches, I want to celebrate my favorite American holiday tradition with you! I invite all of my students and paid subscribers to join my Premium Halloween Party!
DATE: October 31st
TIME: 7:30 PM (Bogota/Lima Time Zone)
WHERE: Zoom Video Call
If you’re not my student or a paid subscriber you can easily become one for just $8 a month. [CLICK HERE TO UPGRADE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION]