Unmasking Halloween: Unveiling the History behind the Festivity

Unmasking Halloween: Unveiling the History behind the Festivity

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will have learned the fascinating history of Halloween.

What do you already know about the history of Halloween?

Slide 1: Origins of Halloween

Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

Slide 2: Samhain

Samhain was a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred. They would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

Slide 3: Christian Influence

In the 9th century, the Catholic Church established All Saints' Day on November 1st to honor saints and martyrs. The evening before became known as All Hallows' Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.

Slide 4: Halloween in America

Halloween was brought to America by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century. Over time, it evolved into a community-centered holiday with costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating.

Slide 5: Commercialization of Halloween

In the early 20th century, Halloween became more commercialized with the mass production of costumes and the rise of Halloween-themed decorations and candies.

Slide 6: Halloween Symbols

Symbols associated with Halloween include jack-o'-lanterns, black cats, witches, ghosts, and bats. These symbols have different origins and meanings.

Slide 7: Halloween Traditions

Popular Halloween traditions include trick-or-treating, costume parties, haunted houses, bobbing for apples, and carving pumpkins.

Slide 8: Watching Activity - The History of Halloween

Watch a short video on the history of Halloween and take notes on the key points mentioned.

Slide 9: Discussion

Engage in a class discussion to share the key points learned from the video and address any questions or misconceptions.

Slide 10: Recap and Conclusion

Recap the main points learned about the history of Halloween and emphasize the cultural significance and evolution of the holiday.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.