Halloween isn’t originally an Italian tradition, but it has gradually found its way into Italy, borrowed from abroad and adapted in its own quiet way. These days you’ll spot carved pumpkins in shop windows and children going door to door in costume, even in towns that never used to mark the occasion.
This puzzle brings together some of the words that come with Halloween: ghosts and witches, treats and tricks, candles and darkness. Match each Italian word on the left to its English counterpart on the right.
Download the puzzle below, and if you’d like to see a few of these words used in real Italian sentences, you’ll find some further down the page.
Divertiti! 😊
Learning a word is one thing; seeing it used naturally is another.
Once you've completed the puzzle, take a look at these simple Italian sentences featuring a few of the words you've just matched, each with an English translation.
Mostro
C'è un mostro sotto il letto.
There's a monster under the bed.
Buio
Non mi piace camminare al buio.
I don't like walking in the dark.
Cimitero
Il cimitero è all'uscita del paese.
The cemetery is on the outskirts of the village.
Strega
La strega prepara una pozione magica.
The witch is preparing a magic potion.
A candle, a storm... and one very mischievous brother ðŸŽ
Halloween wasn't something we celebrated when I was growing up in Sardinia. But that didn't stop my younger brother from finding his own ways to frighten us.
One stormy evening the electricity went out, as it often did back then, and our bedroom plunged into complete darkness. My younger sister and I were sitting on the bed when the door slowly opened. We couldn't see who had come in. All we could make out was the eerie face of one of our traditional Sardinian masks, lit from behind by a flickering candle. We screamed before we even had time to think. Then my brother burst out laughing, and we realised we'd been thoroughly fooled.
Looking back now, I have to admit it was a brilliant prank. The storm, the darkness and that mysterious mask did most of the work for him. We may not have celebrated Halloween, but thanks to my little brother, we still had our fair share of spooky moments.
If masks and mischief are your thing, La festa di carnevale is a word scramble you might like to try.
