[originaltext] Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts, who lived 2 000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. (26)This day marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. (27)In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile (反复无常的) natural world, these prophecies (预言) were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter. (28) To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred camp fires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic gods. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. (29) When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, with the sacred camp fires to help protect them during the coming winter.
26. What did Halloween mean in ancient times?
27. What did Celts think about ghosts’ presence?
28. Why did people burn crops and animals on Halloween day in ancient times?
29. What would the Celts do when they came home after sacrifice?