Bats, spiders, pumkins and ghosts… that’s scary! Halloween is terrifying but also funny! In this video-lesson, you will find out how Italians celebrate and you will surely learn some new words! Don’t miss it!
HALLOWEEN IN ITALY
Now let’s see together some little things and words that (maybe) you don’t know about this celebration.
1. The typical colors of Halloween are ORANGE and BLACK. Do you know why? The first one is the color of strength in addition to being the color of fall. The second one, instead indicates the night and death, main elements of Halloween.
Review colors (and clothes) in Italian with our great video!
2. In the American tradition, during the eve Halloween, you can find out your lifespan by simply peeling an apple. The longest is the cut up peel without interruption, the longest will be our life.
3. Regarding Italy, the children asking for sweets and candies from house to house don’t use the English expression “Trick or Treat” but the Italian formula “Dolcetto o Scherzetto?”. Let us know how it is said in your country.
4. The typical elements of Halloween are:
THE WITCH → The witch is an essential element of this celebration because, according to the legend, the witches make their gatherings during Halloween night, with bonfires, spiders, webs and bats! Moreover, according the tradition, if you wear clothes in reverse and you walk backwards you will see witch. Do you want to try?
THE GHOST → This figure seems to have a major role especially in China. In some Chinese towns as Hong Kong, Halloween is known as Yue La, or the Day of the Dead. It seems that, during the night of October the 31st, Chinese people light fires and offer goods and food to appease the hunger of the ghosts that, otherwise could rage against the living! To all our Chinese friends: if you are there, could you confirm it in the comment section?
The PUMPKIN → This vegetable has always been associated to Halloween. Originally, in fact, the event was celebrated in Ireland and it was associated to the turnip, thanks to the legend of someone named Jack o’ Lantern. This one, after deceiving the devil, was condemned to wander in the dark forever with the only help of hot-rods, placed in ca carved turnip. When this legend crossed the ocean along with the Irish, the turnip became a pumpkin, easier to find in the New Continent and easier to carve. Nowadays Jack o’ Lantern keeps wandering every year in the night of 31st with his lantern, but if you have a carved pumpkin outside the door, he knows that there’s no room for him so he goes away.
In Italy, this celebration is not very felt, despite becoming more and more popular. But there is no lack of decorations with pumpkins and skeletons, some themed events and wandering kids making “Dolcetto o Scherzetto?”
Instead, is this celebration popular in your country?
We people of LearnAmo don’t dislike this celebration, so we recommend you a recipe you can try to prepare in the day of Halloween!
CIAMBELLA ALLA ZUCCA (Pumpkin bound cake)
Ingredients
- 250 g. of pumpkin
- 250 g. of flour
- 150 g. of sugar
- 70 g. of butter
- an egg
- 1 glass of milk
- 1 sachet of yeast
- vanillin
- powdered
Preparation
1. Mix together the sugar and the egg in a bowl, then add the softened butter, the yeast, the flour, the milk and the vanilla flavoring.
2. Wash the pumpkin and cut it in pieces, make it boil in a pot with little water. Make it cool, then press it with a fork.
3. Pour the pumpkin in the mixture, mixing it with energy until you’ll get a homogeneous compound.
4. Butter a round cake pan and pour the compound in it. Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes.
5. When the cake will be baked (do the toothpick test!) make it cool and dust it with abundant powdered sugar.
Enjoy your meal!
You don’t know the imperative mood in Italian? Don’t worry, watch our amazing video-lesson on the Italian imperative and you’ll learn it no time! There’s another recipe for you!
Do you prefer studying the subjunctive? Have a look at our Italian subjunctive course!
Let’s see if you’ve mastered the contents of this class. Have a go at completing the exercises!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:53 — 7.2MB)
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