Unit 14

UNIT 14 SUPERSTITIONS coffin n. A coffin is a long box in which a person who has died is buried. They are carrying the coffin at the funeral. costume n. A costume is clothing worn by someone to make them look like something else. They are wearing costumes for Halloween. creed n. A creed is a set of beliefs held by a person or group. Belief in life after death is part of the creed of many religions. creepy adj. Creepy means causing people to feel nervous and afraid. She is telling her sister a creepy ghost story. dead adj. Dead means no longer alive. She is paying her respects to her dead grandmother. gloomy adj. Gloomy means causing a sad or dreary feeling. It is a wet and gloomy day. graveyard n. A graveyard is an area of ground where people are buried. The graveyard has been in our town for hundreds of years. haunted adj. Haunted means lived in or visited by ghosts. People stay away from the old, haunted house. myth n. A myth is a story that many people believe, but which is not true. There are many Greek myths about ancient gods and heroes. pray v. To pray is to speak to a god in order to ask for help or to give thanks. Let us pray for peace.

religion n. Religion is the belief in a god or a group of gods. The Muslim woman is studying her religion of Islam. ritual n. A ritual is a series of actions that are always performed in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony. The priest will perform the ritual. sorrow n. Sorrow is a feeling of great sadness. The boy felt a lot of sorrow when his dog died. spooky adj. Spooky means strange and frightening. The girls had trouble watching the spooky movie. tomb n. A tomb is a structure above or below the ground where a dead person is buried. Some ancient tombs are where kings and queens are buried. voodoo n. Voodoo is magical beliefs and practices that are a form of religion. Some voodoo rituals involve dolls and other objects. unlucky adj. Unlucky means causing bad luck. Some people think the number 13 is unlucky. werewolf n. A werewolf is a person who changes into a wolf every month when there's a full moon. He dressed up as a werewolf for Halloween. witch n. A witch is a woman who is thought to have magic powers. The witch is casting a powerful spell. worship v. To worship is to show love and respect for a god. They are worshipping their god by praying.

Halloween Night Trick or treat! Come on, let's go to the party! Where is your costume? Wait! I'll dress up as a witch. I'll go to the party as a werewolf. I'll be a zombie. Ohhh, zombies are creepy! They are dead people who are able to move because of magic, according to some religions. Well, according to voodoo belief and legend, a spell can enter a dead body, return it to life, and then control its actions. Some say zombies eat human brains! Yuck! I hope I never actually see one. Let's go through the graveyard. It's a shortcut to the party. That graveyard is spooky at night. Some people say it's haunted by ghosts. Oh, maybe we'll see one! The graveyard is gloomy during the day, and creepy at night. It's full of old tombs and coffins. It's the perfect place to be on Halloween! Uh, it's really spooky here right now. What was that?! Did you hear something? I heard a strange noise, too. I think I just saw a ghost. RUN!