Hi, I'm Georgiana, your English teacher.

Thanks for joining me for a new episode of the Speak English Now podcast.

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Before we start, visit my website, speak Englishpodcast.com, and subscribe to my free mini-course. Okay, let's start. In today's episode, I'll be talking about one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, Halloween.

After that, you'll practice your speaking with a new mini story.

Very well, let's get started.

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the last day of October.

I would say it's very popular because everybody's excited about it, especially children.

The word Halloween comes from an old English expression,

All Hallows Eve, and it means the day before All Saints Day. Children of all ages really love

Halloween because they can dress up in funny costumes and knock on their neighbor's doors shouting,

Trick or Treat. The neighbors usually give them candies. The meaning of the phrase trick or treat is

interesting. In this context, treat means getting the candies and trick is interesting. In this context, treat means getting the candies, and trick implies the

consequence of not getting the sweets. It's like an innocent threat children make. Of course, kids get

really excited when they knock on strangers' doors in their neighborhood.

Since Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits,

the most common symbols are witches flying on broomsticks, ghosts, skeletons, black cats, etc.

And the black color is one of the traditional Halloween colors.

Of course, pumpkins are also a Halloween symbol.

I'm sure you've seen them in movies.

People empty pumpkin and put a candle inside to make a lamp.

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