logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2020
15m 45s

14. What is Halloween? (English Vocabula...

Thomas Wilkinson
About this episode
On today’s episode, we will look at the spookiest holiday in the western world. What are the origins of Halloween? Why do we dress up in costumes, carve pumpkins, and trick or treat? All of these questions, and more, will be discussed on this episode of Thinking in English! FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/10/30/14-what-is-halloween ... Show More
Up next
Today
387. Why Are Some People Always Late? The Cultural Meaning of Time (English Vocabulary Lesson)
You are invited to a party. The invitation says the party starts at 20:00. What time will you arrive? Your answer to this question has a lot to do with your culture. Some of you will have said 20:00 exactly, because that is when the part stats. Others will have said 19:45, becaus ... Show More
24m 17s
May 4
386. Who Was Leonardo Da Vinci? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds in history. He painted some of the most famous works of art ever: the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and more. He was also a scientist, an engineer, an anatomist, and an inventor. He is often described as the perfect example of a “Renaissa ... Show More
20m 59s
Apr 27
385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?” As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of migrant workers who helped build the stadiums. There w ... Show More
22m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
Free English Class! Topic: Halloween! 👻🎃🍬
<p>It is almost October 31st and I thought it would be a good time for an English lesson about Halloween. This is an evening at the end of October where some children in some countries go house to house and as for candy.<br/><br/>In this English lesson I&apos;ll explain what it i ... Show More
59m 44s
Oct 2025
905 - Creepy, Spooky, and Downright Scary - Halloween Words in English
With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it’d be fun to do a little Halloween-themed English. So for the next three weeks, we’re going to dive into some spooky vocabulary, creepy idioms, and even take a look at how Halloween is celebrated in the U.S. Let’s kick it off to ... Show More
8m 27s
Oct 2024
Why do we carve pumpkins on Halloween?
Joy’s ready for some Halloweeny fun, but her jack-o’-lantern pal Lionel wants to skip the whole thing. He doesn’t understand why carving pumpkins is such an important Halloween tradition! Why don’t we just paint faces on bananas and call it a day?Lucky for Lionel, Joy and co-host ... Show More
27m 46s
Oct 2021
*Special* コスチューム　パーティー🥳 with TRANSCRIPT
<p>Mel talks about Halloween. Let's find out what she's talking about. This is a special episode.</p> <p>She's using grammar points from Genki 1,2. Simple and Easy, but some of the sentences would be a little challenging because she combines different grammar points in a sentence ... Show More
2m 8s
Jun 2024
Small Frights: Halloween In Japan
tail spinning
31m 15s
Oct 2024
Small Frights: 5 Little Pumpkins
Today we learn about how Trick-or-Treating can be linked to ancient food sharing traditions and we learn a little French as well! Plus we get a call about vintage Halloween books and an EEEEKmail with another great non-traditional treat offering!Mentioned on Episode:Göbekli TepeL ... Show More
38m 8s
Oct 2025
What’s Your Favorite Holiday?
In this episode of the 5-Minute English Podcast, Jessica and Lisa share their favorite holidays—Halloween and Christmas. You’ll hear them talk about spooky decorations, costumes, family traditions, and the joy of celebrating together.This episode is designed for B1 English learne ... Show More
2m 54s
Nov 2025
Elementary | Trick or Treat!
Halloween is not exactly widely celebrated in China, or at least not the way that your average western observer might recognize. But what if it were? In this lesson, learn the Chinese for "trick or treat" as well as some Chinese attitudes on this special holiday. Episode link: ht ... Show More
20m 10s
Aug 2023
Small Frights: Terror in the Music Room
Small Frights: Terror in the Music Room On this episode, a Lantern calls in to tell us about a disturbing tradition his music teacher embraced every Halloween. We also take a call filled with trick-or-treat memories and read a ghost story from the UK! Mentioned in the episode:Jea ... Show More
36m 54s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami