In Ireland, they originally also used turnips for their "Jack Lanterns", but upon arriving in the new world, they discovered that pumpkins were abundant and easier to carve out.
萬圣節(jié)前夕
萬圣節(jié)前夕是美國人年年都會慶祝的秋季節(jié)日。它的意思是“神圣的夜晚”，在每年的10月31日，也就是萬圣節(jié)前夜。但實際上這不是一個真正的宗教節(jié)日，而主要是孩子們的節(jié)日。
每年秋天蔬菜成熟可以食用的時候，孩子們就會挑出大個兒的橙色南瓜。然后在南瓜上刻上一張臉，把一根點燃的蠟燭放在里面。看起來就好像有人在向南瓜外面張望。這些燈就叫做“iack-o'-lantems”，意思也就是“杰克的燈”。
每年萬圣節(jié)前夕孩子們還戴上奇怪的面具，穿上嚇人的服裝。有些孩子把臉?biāo)⒊晒治铩Ｈ缓笏麄兡弥凶踊虼影ぜ野舸T。每來到一個新房子他們就說：“不款待就搗亂!給錢還是吃的!”大人們就會把用來招待的錢或糖放在他們的袋子里了。
不僅孩子，許多成年人也喜歡萬圣節(jié)前夕和萬圣節(jié)前夕晚會。因為這一天他們可以根據(jù)自己的想象把自己裝扮成名流或幽靈。這會帶給他們年輕的快感。
萬圣節(jié)的英文介紹：
Halloween
Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means "holy evening," and it comes every October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day. However, it is not really a church holiday, it is a holiday for children mainly.
Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put a burning candle inside. It looks as if there were a person looking out of the pumpkin! These lights are called jack-o'-lanterns, which means "Jack of the lantern".
The children also put on strange masks and frightening costumes every Halloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters. Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house. Every time they come to a new house, they say,"Trick or treat! Money or eat!" The grown-ups put treat-money or candy in their bags.
Not only children, but most grown-ups also love Halloween and Halloween parties because on this day,they can disguise themselves as personages or ghost as their imaginations will lead them. This bring them the satisfaction of being young.
更多關(guān)于萬圣節(jié)的英文資料：
October 31
On October 31st, dozens of children dressed in costumes（節(jié)日服裝）knock on their neighbors' doors and yell "Trick or Treat" when the door opens. Pirates and princesses, ghosts and popular heroes of the day all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in. As they give each child a treat the neighbors exclaim over the costumes and try to guess who is under the masks.
Since the 800's November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints' Day（萬圣節(jié)）. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hakkiw e'en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.
October 31 st was the eve of the Celtic（凱爾特人的）new year. The Celts were the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh and Scottish people. On this day ghosts walked and mingled with the living, or so the Celts thought. The townspeople baked food all that day and when night fell they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. Hoping that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the new year.