Halloween has been looked down on as an American tradition but it is one that continues to grow in the UK. This is partly because the celebration has British roots.
Halloween originally came into being under the name of Samhain as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain and was exported from here to the US.
All Saints Day (All Hallows Day) became fixed on November 1, 835. On All Souls Eve, families stayed up late, and little "soul cakes" were eaten by everyone. At the stroke of midnight there was solemn silence among households, which had candles burning in every room to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes, and a glass of wine on the table to refresh them. The tradition continued in areas of northern England as late as the 1930s, with children going from door-to-door "souling" (i.e., singing songs) for cakes or money. The English Reformation in the 16th century de-emphasised holidays like All Hallows Day and its associated eve. This changed in the 1980's however, when the festival was reimported from the US.
In the UK Halloween is now growing fast in the UK. In 2001, £12m was spent on Halloween costumes & accessories but by 2006, that figure was more like £120m.
The popularity of trick-or-treating is rising too, as is the severity of the "trick" in many areas. Last year, police in Jersey warned parents that they face prosecution for any damage or intimidation carried out by their children over Halloween, while West Mercia police advised householders to put a sign in their window if they wanted to be left alone.
My own company has seen a huge growth in the demand for Halloween costumes & accessories over the last ten years and we now dedicate a section of our website to it. Halloween is now the third most profitable occasion for supermarkets and has provided a much-needed boon in the quiet October priod.
Thus Halloween is a 'trick' for some who fear hoardes of uncontrollable teenagers but a 'treat' for retailers. It is an extremely big deal and one which we should try our best to enjoy.
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