IV. Read the passage, and then answer the questions.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter wear full of constant worry. On Halloween, when is was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would were marks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

1. What is the origin of the tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween?

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2. What happened in winter hundreds of years ago?

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3. What would people encounter if they left their homes on Halloween in the past?

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4. What would people do to avoid being recognized by the ghosts?

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5. What would people do to keep ghosts away from their houses?

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