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ElevatEdHalloween, occurring annually on October 31st, is a festive occasion filled with excitement, thrills, and delightful treats. Rooted in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where individuals kindled campfires and adorned themselves in traditional costumes to fend off malevolent spirits, the celebration has transformed over time. Nowadays, Halloween is marked by a variety of activities, including the exchange of spooky stories to tell in the dark, the creation of coloring book pumpkins, and the enjoyment of Halloween coloring book printables. The festivities extend to trick-or-treating, lantern carving, themed parties, donning elaborate costumes, and indulging in sweet treats.
History of Halloween
The origins of Halloween might get traced back to the Celtic celebration of Samhain. On November 1st, two thousand years ago, the Celts celebrated their new year. This day represented the end of summer and harvesting. It also depicts the long, harsh winter, which lined historically to human death. The line between the living and the dead, according to the Celts, disappeared. They celebrated Samhain on October 31st when they thought the spirits of the dead rose from the grave.
In addition to creating havoc and destroying crops, Celts believed that the existence of unearthly spirits made it possible for Druids, or Celtic priests, to foresee the future. These prophecies were a sort of consolation throughout the long, bitter winter for a people who were entirely dependent on the unpredictable natural environment. Druids created massive holy bonfires to mark the festival, where people came to destroy crops and livestock as offerings to the Celtic spirits. During the festival, the Celts dressed up in stuffed animals and robes. They also used to tell others fates.
Because of the strict Protestant religious systems in colonial New England, the celebration of Halloween got severely constrained. In Maryland and the southern colonies, Halloween was considerably more frequent. As the beliefs and practices of various European ethnicities and American Indians merged, a uniquely American form of Halloween emerged. The early harvest festivities were like play parties which were public gatherings organized to commemorate the harvest. Neighbors would give each other ghost stories, augury, and sing, and dance.
Few grade-wise (Halloween) books
Halloween is one of the most popular events and revolving that there is ample no. of movies, books, and songs written on it. Since books give children a space to build their imagination, we have listed some grade-wise Halloween books:
Grade 1 and 2:
- Creepy Carrots ~ Aaron Reynolds
- Ghosts In the House a Lift-the-Flap Book b ~ A. J. Paquette
- Room On The Broom ~ J. Donaldson
- The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin ~ S. Fry
- Bonaparte Falls Apart ~ M. Cuyler
Grade 3 and 4:
- Took: A Ghost Story ~ Mary Downing Hahn
- Nate the Great the Halloween Hunt ~ M. W. Sharmat
- Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise ~ K. DiCamillo
- Jenny's Moonlight Adventure ~ E. Averill
- The Best Halloween Ever ~ B. Robinson
Grade 5 and 6:
- Harry Potter Series ~ J.k.Rowling
- Funnybones ~ Janet & A. Ahlberg
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Creepy-Crawly Halloween ~ E. Carle
- Frankenstein ~ M. Shelley
- Daisy and the Trouble with Vampires ~ K. Gray
Can Halloween books enhance and promote reading?
In general, reading books is enjoyable, stimulates the imagination, and expands vocabulary. Similarly, reading books with a Halloween theme in the background thrills youngsters in a new way. Here are some notions of how these books enhance and promote reading among children.
- When their imaginations become engrossed in illusions of ghostlands and pumpkins, they envisage another universe. They also begin to question the content of these stories, their protagonists. They also understand how much of the storyline is genuine.
- Such books foster thinking and raise a slew of intriguing questions, giving parents an excellent opportunity to discuss key topics with their children.
- Reading may be the starting point for so many other activities, such as writing or painting.
- Through Halloween literature, children also get imbued with societal ideas. Children learn to negotiate, listen, share, and understand how others feel via pretend play. When kids go trick-or-treating, they know how to say thank you and please.
Trick or Treat Kahoot
This Halloween, 98thPercentile has planned to host Trick or Treat Kahoot on November 6th and 7th to encourage youngsters to read. Students in grades 1–6 will need to register first to participate in this event. Children will be required to read one of three Halloween-themed novels as part of the goal of instilling reading habits through the event. Then, as part of the Kahoot session, they must go through a question-and-answer round. It will be a fun event with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire exceptional reading and analytical abilities. Winners of this competition will get cash prizes of up to $1000 as well as outstanding scholarships.
Click here to register for this event.
Halloween is one of the oldest annual festivities, going to take place on October 31st. Because Halloween is nearing, 98thPercentile is using Trick and Treat Kahoot to encourage children to read. This event will be entertaining and informative for students, providing them with a unique experience.
Try 98thPercentile now by booking a free trial session here!
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