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Halloween Informative Essay

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DESCRIPTIVE SPEECH Tanner, Sarah Communication Studies 105 T/Th 8:00am Halloween INTRODUCTION: Attention Getter: ( The Nightmare Before Christmas movie clip) Central Idea: Halloween is a holiday with many traditions that date back thousands of years. Credibility Statement: I grew up in a very strict, religious household and I was not allowed to celebrate Halloween, which is probably what led to my rebellious love for this haunted holiday. Preview Statement: First, I will go into detail about the origins of Halloween. Then, I will talk about how the origins translate into our current Halloween traditions. Lastly, I will talk about safety precautions that must be taken on this holiday. BODY: I. First, let’s look at the origins of Halloween. A. …show more content…

In the 2002 book, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, author Nicholas Rogers points out, “ Halloween is commonly thought to have pagan origins, even though the etymology is Christian. Halloween is, quite literally, the derivative of All Hallow Even, or the eve of All Saints’ Day (1 November). Taken together with All Souls’ Day, which falls on 2 November, it is a time assigned in the Christian calendar for honoring the saints and newly departed.” 1. The name All Hallow Even has evolved over time, it eventually became Hallowe’en, and then to what we know the holiday now as: Halloween. 2. Halloween was a day to celebrate the deceased, followed by a time to pray for them. B. Halloween also comes from the sacred Celtic festival, Samhain. 1. On the eve of Samhain, the Celts believed the dead, both ghosts and demons, were allowed to roam free. 2. TRANSITION: Now that we know where Halloween came from, let’s talk about how these origins translate into current Halloween traditions. II. Now, I will explain how our American Halloween traditions, such as dressing up, trick-or-treating, and carving jack-o-lanterns, came to

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