Prompt: Explain Halloween to someone from another country where Halloween is not celebrated.
Once upon a time, in a country far away, there was a young girl named Lila. Lila had heard about Halloween, but she wasn't quite sure what it was all about. So, one day, she asked her friend from America to explain it to her.
Her friend began by telling her that Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated on October 31st each year. It is a time when people dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating.
"Trick-or-treating?" Lila asked, confused.
"Yes," her friend replied. "People go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods, dressed in costumes, and ask for candy. It's a fun tradition that kids really love."
Lila was intrigued. "What kind of costumes do people wear?" she asked.
"Oh, there are all kinds of costumes," her friend explained. "People dress up as witches, ghosts, vampires, superheroes, and more. It's a chance to be creative and have fun with your friends."
"I see," Lila said. "And what about the decorations? I've seen pictures of pumpkins with faces carved into them. What's that all about?"
"That's called a jack-o'-lantern," her friend said. "People carve pumpkins and put candles inside them to make them glow. It's another fun tradition that adds to the spooky atmosphere of Halloween."
Lila was starting to understand. "And why is it called Halloween?" she asked.
"Well, it actually has its roots in an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain," her friend explained. "It was a time to celebrate the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. People believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, and spirits could come back to haunt the living. Over time, it became associated with All Saints' Day, a Christian holiday, and eventually evolved into the Halloween we know today."
Lila nodded, taking it all in. "It sounds like a fun holiday," she said. "I wish we celebrated it here!"
Her friend smiled. "Maybe one day you can come and visit me in America and experience it for yourself."
And with that, Lila's curiosity about Halloween was satisfied, but she couldn't help feeling a little bit jealous of her friend's spooky celebration.
