Customs and Traditions of English - speaking Countries

Halloween

Part I “Customs and Traditions

TRICK - OR - TREAT RAP The sky is black, the moon is white Do you know tonight’s the night When witches fly above the street And boys and girls say ( Trick or treat).

Trick - or - treat, trick - or - treat This is the rhythm of the street.

Trick - or - treat, trick - or - treat The wind is cold, the stars are bright.

Do you know tonight’s the night While ghosts say ( BOO ), whe.i they meet And boys and girls say, ( Trick or treat ).

Trick - or - treat, tri ck - or - treat This is the rhythm of the street Trick - or - treat, trick - or - treat This is the rap with the spooky beat!

Witch 1. On the 3 1st of October in Great Britain and America there is a nice holiday for children - Halloween .

People put pumpkins on the windowsills. They cut eyes, noses and moths on the pumpkins and put candles into them. So the pumpkin looks lik~ a face.

Devil 1. Children dress up in funny costumes. They go from house to house and say (Trick or treat). People give them sweets, fruit, cakes, cookies and money .This is a nice, funny and tasty holiday.

This is the night of Halloween When all the witches might be seen Some of them black, some of them green Some of them like a turkey bead.

Witches, witches, skeletons and bats,

Scary ghosts and big black cats Woo, woo... What a fright!

It ’ s scary on Hal 1 oween night!

The poem “ October ”

The month is amber,

Gold and brown,

Blue ghosts of smoke Float through the town

Great V’s of geese Honk overhead And maples turn A fiery red.

Frost bites the lawn The stars are slits In a black cat’s eye Before she spits.

At last, small witches,

Goblins, hags,

And pirates armed With pepper bags,

Their costumes hinged On safety pins,

Go haunt a night Of pumpkin grins !

Witches There was a dark wood,

And in that dark, dark wood, thjre was a Dark, dark house,

And in that dark, dark house, there was a Dark, dark room.

And in dark, dark room, there was a Dark, dark cupboard.

And in that dark, dark cupboard, there was A dark, dark shelf,

And on that dark, dark shelf, there was a Dark, dark box,

And in that dark, dark box there was GHOST !

Girl

Granny, I saw a witch go by,

I saw two, I saw three !

I heard their skirts go swish, swish...

Granny

Child, it was leaves against the sky,

And the autumn wind in the tree.

Girl

Granny, broomsticks they bestrode,

Their hats were black as tar,

And buckles twinkled on their shoes.

Granny

You saw but shadows on the road,

The sparkle of a star.

Girl

Granny, all their heels were red,

Their cats were big as sheep.

I heard a bat speak to an owl.

Granny

Child, you must go straight to bed,

It is time for you to be asleep.

Girl

Granny, 1 saw men in green,

Their eyes shone fiery red,

Their heads were yellow pumpkins.

Granny

Now, you’ve told me what you’ve seen.

Will you go to bed ?

Girl. Granny ?

Granny. Well?

Girl. What I’ve seen? Don’t you know?

It’s Halloween!

Granny .Well, my dear! Go to bed!

And I’ll tell you about Halloween.

In the past, hundreds of years before

The birth of Christ the Celtic priests, called Druids,

were the first to celebrate Halloween .They held a

festival at the beginning of eve-y winter. October

31 st was the day when the sun was at its lowest. And it was

believed that the sun entered the underworld for a short time

and, when the gates of the hell were open, evil spirits went out

to the Earth. They also believed that the Lord of Dead ruled

the world in winter.

Lord of the Dead . I am Lord of the Dead. I am king of the world in winter !

Lord of the Dead. My faithful servants - ghosts, come to me, come .

Cats

We race down the mountain We race down the mountain We race down the mountain To see who gets there first.

We chase round the bushes,

We’ll see who gets there first.

Let’s run and jump the river,

Let’s run jump the river,

We’ll see who gets there first.

Witch 2. Celts wanted to chare them

away, and they used big fires to frighten

the ghosts. Such was the beginning of the holiday of Halloween.

Witch 3. The Romans who ruled the British Isles also had a celebration at The beginning of winter. They Drought apples and nuts for the Goddess of Garden.

Witch 4. Later Christians added

their customs to those of the Celts

and Romans. They had a religious holiday

on the 1 of November for the Saints, which they called

All Saints’ Day. The evening before this day was

Halloweens’ Eve (holy evening). Later the name became Halloween.

Devil 1. Long ago people went to wise old women called “witches” to learn about the future.

They believed the witches had the power to tell about the future and use magic words to protect people or change them.

Witch 1. People, do you want to know about your future?

Come to me ! Look here, I always predict your fate With the help of these magic nuts. I know the spell.

If you love me, pop and fly If you me, lay and die !

Witch 2. Dear young girl! Do you

Want to get married ? Then do what I’ll tell you.

Take these magic seeds, put them into the ground and say these magic words:

This seed I set, this seed I sow,

The young man I love, come after me and now.

I sow, I sow, then, my own dear, come hoe, come hoe. And mow and mow.

Witch 3. Dear! Why are you crying?

Don’t you know if your sweetheart loves you?

You mustn’t be upset! 1 know what to do.

Here are two roses and a red ribbon.

Give these roses your names and tie them with the ribbon.

Girl. My name is Polly. Let this rose be Polly.

My sweetheart’s name is Jim. Let that one be Jim.

Now I’ll tie them. Be together forever.

Devil 2 . There were many beliefs about witches, who are a symbol of Halloween for us. People thought that witches flew on broomsticks to big, secret meetings, where they ate, sang and danced.

Witches

The witch told her daughter To fetch her some water,

To pick quick some nettle,

To put it in the kettle,

Then to catch some flies and fleas And boil them tender with green peas.

(The dance of the witches)

Devil 2 . Christians tried to stop people from believing in witches, but many uneducated people held onto their belief.

Witch 4 . When people came to North America from the British Isles, they brought their Halloween customs with them.

Part II “Shapokliak and Witch

Woopy s Games ”

Shapokliak (Sh). Hi, everybody! I’m an old woman Shapokliak and this is my best friend Witch Woopy. She is from Britain.

Witch Woopy (WW). Good afternoon dear Ladies and Gentlemen, dear witches and ghosts, monsters and skeletons.

Game “Broomball”

WW. What a nice broomstick! Do you like playing broomball?

Sh. Yes, J enjoy very much. What about playing a game?

WW. Wow! With a pleasure.

Sh. 1’ m the winner!

WW. No! You are cheating on me. I’m the winner!

Sh. OK! Who wants to play broomball in my team?

WW. In my team?

Game “Make Jack-o' Lanterns”.

Black cats

Orange pumpkin

White ghost

Green-eyed monster

Black, orange, white, green

These are the colours of Halloween!

Black cats!

Witches hats!

Jack-o' Lanterns.

Black, orange, white, green These are the colours of Halloween!

WW. Do you like Jack-o' Lanterns?

Children. Yes!

Sh. But can you make it? Look an this pumpkin. There is no nose, eyes and mouth. I'm going to tie your eyes and one of you are going to pin a nose, eyes and

WW. Who wants to take part in

[endif]-- this game? Hands up, please!

Jack-o' Lanterns, Jack o' Lanternc You are such funny sight.

As you are sitting in a window, Looking out it all night.

You were one e a yellow pumpkin Growing on a steady vine.

Nov you are lack-o' Lanterns. See the candlu light shine.

Game “ Bobbing for apples”

WW. and Sh. Listen! Listen! What’s this?

Trick-or treat, trick-or treat 1 want something good to eat,

Trick-or treat, trick-or treat Give me something nice and sweet.

Give me candy and apple, too And 1 won t play a trick on you

Sh. What are you doing!

WW. I'm eating an apple.

Sh. Give me an apple, I'm very hungry.

WW. No, no. I'm greedy. But you can get the apple. Can you see a tub of water with apples in it? Take a fork and catch apple with it.

Sh. Oh, it's very easy. I'll try.

WW. No, no. You will be blindfolded.

Sh. I don't want any apples.

WW. Who wants apples? You are welcome.

Competition “The best terrib’e laughing”

WW. Look at these children! They are laughihg.

But I can laugh better than they do.

Sh. Who wants to laugh to frighten everybody? Thank you children. You are the best today. Good bye!

Part III “Halloween Adventures ”

Characters:

Story-teller

Children: John, Ann, Maty, Tim.

Evil spirits: Ghoul, 3 Ghosts, 3 Skeletons, Bat, Cat, 3 Withes.

Bird

Mr. Wiseman Scene 1

Story-teller. This story happened long, long ago. There was a special time late in the year before the cold raw night of winter set in, when it was still warm enough to go outside and to enjoy the beauty of fall. People lived happily and knew nothing about evil spirits. One day three friends called Mary; Ann and John played in the old half-ruined castle. Children ran up and down the stairs, shouting and laughing.

The joyful voices are heard and children ran into the yard. There are stones, flowers and an old chest in the comet.

John. Look what I have found.

A n n. It's a chest, very beautiful and so old.

Mary. Just imagine it can be some jewelry or gold inside.

John. It’ll be great! Could you help me to open it?

The children open it, the light changes, hard music sounds, the shouts of children are heard and the evil spirits begin filling the space. They are dancing, the children sitting on the floor.

Ghoul. We are the real power in this crazy world. We have been waiting for so long and at last we are rele-a-sed.

Ghost 1. Our day has come. We’ll ruin everything on our way. Those human creatures will suffer and cry every minute, every second.

G h o s t 2. I like to frighten people at night, to hear their screams, to feel their souls with horror of coming end.

Three skeletons are coming forward dance and sing a song, it also can be read as a poem. At the very end they let out a terrifying and blood-curdling shriek.

Skeletons

A woman in the churchyard sat,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

She was very short and fat,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

She saw three corpses carried in,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

Very tall and very thin,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

Woman to the corpses said,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

Shall I be like you when I 'm dead?

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

Corpses to the woman said,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, ah-ah, ah-ah!

Yes, you'll be like us when you are dead,

WAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!

Bat. We’ll drink their blood, we’ll make the world change.

Ghoul. People, tremble!

All together. We are coming. {Suddenly they notice the children)

Bat. Oh! Look! What luck! We have something for dinner!

Ghoul. Take them for our feast.

The evil spirits capture the children and go away shouting. The bird who was watching everything appears on the stage.

B i r d. A great trouble. The evil spirits are released and can capture our land. They will kill little children. I should hurry up and warn people. (She flies away)

At the house. The boy is reading. The bird appears.

Bird. Tim, Tim, something awful has happened. When John, Ann and Mary were playing in the ruined castle they found a chest. Your friends opened it and released the evil spirits. They captured your friends and promised to kill all people.

T i m. It’s impossible! I should help them but I don’t know how.

B i r d, I guess, you should visit an old wise man. He knows everything. He’ll advise you something.

T i m. Yes, you are right. I can’t waste time, my friends are in trouble, they can die. I’ll go right now.

Scene 3

At the old man’s house. Tim enters the room.

T i m. Good afternoon Mr. Wiseman.

Mr. Wiseman. Afternoon Tim. Something happened?

Tim. Oh, yes. A really great disaster has come to our land. My friends opened an old chest and released a horde of terrifying evil spirit. They can kill people, poison our lands, the lives of my friends are in danger now. I don’t know what to do.

Mr. Wiseman. I can help you. Your friends opened the gates to the underworld, it allowed evil spirits to roam freely. To save your friends and to drive away all unpleasant spirits you need to make a huge bonfire. But remember you should lit this bonfire with some light from jack-o'-lantern.

T i m. Where can I get this jack-o’-lantem?

Mr. Wiseman. Tonight at the forest it will be the witches' Sabbath and all bats, skeletons, devils will be there. You'll find your friends there, your main aim is to take a jack-o'-lantern and to light a huge bonfire not far from that place.

T i m. Thank you, Mr. Wiseman. I'll do my best to help my friends.

Mr. Wiseman. The bird will show you the way. Be careful. It’s very dangerous. Good luck.

Tim. Thank you. Good-bye.

The place at the forest. The children are tied up. The black cat brews some mixture.

C a t (at the pot). I'll brew the best mixture, there we have (adding): six bat wings, worms in brine, ears of toads, eight or nine slugs and bugs, snake skins dried, buzzard innards, pickled, fried. Qh, what a smell!

The witches enter on broomsticks. The dance of the witches.

Witch 1. Hey! Cackle! Hey! Let's I have fun today All shoelaces will have \ knots. No knots will untie.

Witch 2. Every glass of milk will spill.Nothing wet will dry

Witch 3. Every pencil point will break. And everywhere in town peanut-I buttered bread will drop upside down!

Together. Hey! Hey! Hey! Have a pleasant day!

Witch 1. What a nice smell! My favourite drink!

Witch 2. Our dinner is not bad too. (points at the children).

Witch 3. Hey! I hear the guests are coming. Welcome, dear!

Spirits come out.

Ghoul. How are our little children? Ready to be cooked for dinner?

Maiy^. Oh! Mr Ghoul, please, d^n't eat us. We can sing a lovely song for you. Just listen!

(They are singing a song.)

Ann. Let us go, please. We are not tasty at all.

Witch. Don't talk any more. Though let's have fun today. We'll play a little bit. The rules are as following: one of you and the cat have to throw the bones into the basket.

Each of you will have 10 bones. The creature with more bones in the basket is a winner. If you babies win, you'll be eaten tomorrow not today.

Bone game begins. Players have to throw bones in their own baskets from a 2 meter distance. The rest of the actors should loudly support the players. It must be a quick game. The winner really doesn't matter. Meanwhile Tim should take jack- o'-lantern, which must be on stage and then he goes away. In the middle of the game Ghoul notices jack-o'-lantern has disappeared.

Ghoul. Stop! Stop it! {Nobody moves.) Our jack-o'-lantern has disappeared. Someone has stolen it. We should find it. Let's go.

All spirits go away. Only children stay.

Scene 5

Tim appears on the stage with jack-o’-lantern and hurries up to the bonfire. Evil spirits appear then.

Ghoul. We'll eat you right now, nasty boy. Give that jack-o'-lantern back.

Tim. No, 1 want to save my friends. (He lights the fire. Music sounds. Some spirits go away, some of them fall down.)

Mary. Oh, thank you, Tim, you saved our lives.

Ann. I'm so happy to be free again. You are very brave.

John. Thank you. You are a real friend.

Tim. Together, we can defeat even the evil spirits. Friendship is a real power worth to exist.

Friendship is a dream, which comes true,

Only when you believe in it Friendship is a sun, which rises,

Only when your heart has set on it Friendship is a throne, on which you can sit,

Only when you share your kingdom with it Friendship is a path, which you will find,

Only when you know you are lost,

Friendship is a hand that holds yours,

Only when you extend yours.

Story-teller. So, my dear friends. That is the happy end of my story about four friends and evil spirits. The truth is simple: if you have real friends, you can overcome everything. Even the spirits can't capture you.

![endif]--