导读:万圣节又快到了，关于万圣节你了解多少？

In the United States, it’s that time of year when children dress in costume and parade the neighborhood, asking for sugary treats. Families may share scary stories around a bonfire, or curl up with popcorn to watch horror movies.

在美国，每年的这个时候，孩子们都会穿上盛装，在社区里游行并索要糖果。家庭成员可以围坐在篝火旁分享恐怖故事，或者蜷缩在爆米花旁边看恐怖电影。

Halloween is upon us, with more than 175 million Americans planning to partake in festivities this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

万圣节快到了，据美国零售联合会统计，今年有超过1.75亿美国人计划参加万圣节庆祝活动。

Yet in other countries around the world, there are some very different celebrations that occur during the last week of October or first days of November.

然而，在世界其他国家，在10月的最后一周或11月的第一天会有一些非常不同的庆祝活动。

Halloween is pretty much a North American holiday, as we celebrate it now, said Regina Hansen, a master lecturer at Boston University’s College of General Studies, who has expertise in Halloween-related practices throughout history and popular culture.

波士顿大学普通研究学院(Boston University’s College of General Studies)的硕士讲师里贾纳汉森(Regina Hansen)说:“万圣节基本上是北美的节日，我们现在也在庆祝。”

There are countries that have All Saints’ celebrations or Day of the Dead or All Souls Day type of celebrations that are not Halloween, she said. "They are different things that happen to occur at the same time."

她说:“有些国家会举行万圣节、亡灵节或万灵节之类的非万圣节庆祝活动。”“虽然是在同一天，但是主题却不太一样。”

As American children delight in Halloween celebrations, here is just a sampling of some other fall festivities that families may be engaging in around the world.

相比美国孩子喜欢的万圣节庆祝活动，我们下面会说一些其他关于世界各地的家庭在这一天所要做的事。

Remembering ancestors and lives lost

缅怀祖先和逝者

Around the same time as Halloween, some families in Mexico gather to remember deceased friends and family members for a holiday known as Day of the Dead, on November 2nd. Celebrations typically begin two days before.

在11月2日，和万圣节日期相近，墨西哥的一些家庭会聚集在一起纪念已故的朋友和家人，这就是亡灵节，这个活动一般是从10月31日开始。

Halloween’s spooky origins

万圣节的幽灵起源

Probably the first thing we have that is related to Halloween is this Irish Celtic festival known as Samhain, which occurred at the end of October and this is often thought of as a new year celebration, Hansen said.

汉森说:“可能与万圣节有关的第一件事就是爱尔兰的凯尔特节日夏末节，它一般是在10月底，通常被认为是为了庆祝新年。”

The word Halloween is an abbreviated version of the phrases All Hallows’ Eve or All Hallows’ Evening, but the celebration is believed to have come from that ancient festival celebrated by Celtic people more than 2,000 years ago.

Halloween这个词是All Hallows’ Eve或All Hallows’ night的缩写，但是这个节日据说来自于两千多年前凯尔特人庆祝的古老节日。

（来源：爱语吧）