Halloween which is Celtic folklore tradition which originally was called ‘Samhain’ or ‘Summer’s End’ that dates to nearly 2,000 years ago is very much alive and kicking as each year we see an increase in the amount of people choosing to celebrate Halloween in Essex and across the UK, with individuals and families spending lots of money on the best costumes and decorations not to mention the heaps of pumpkins we buy from supermarkets too. But why do we love Halloween so much and why the sudden surge in interest in the last decade?
Halloween Spend
According to data which was shared on finder last week about Halloween, we can see that one in every four Brits is expected to buy at least one pumpkin at a total cost that is just shy of £30 million this year, added to that there are also costumes, decorations and food totalling nearly half a billion pounds. We still have some way to go to try and equal the excessive amounts that are being spent on Halloween across the pond which by now are estimated to be worth $8.8 billion dollars.
Frightening Festivals
Having said that, there are many other countries from around the world that celebrate frightening festivals throughout the year that can rival Halloween on a cold eery night, according to a comprehensive research which was released by Betway earlier this month. One such festival is called ‘The Krampus Parade’ which occurs annually in Tyrol, Austria in early December when a goat-man named Krampus comes alive. Tyrol’s towns and villages play host to wild ceremonies as locals march through the streets dressed as scary half-goat half-demon characters.
Shopping frenzy
It goes without say that the meteoric rise of Halloween in the UK has as much to do with the rise of social media as it is to do with capitalisation. Halloween might still be seen by most as just another side kick to Christmas as some of us start to shop for the festive season even from September. The supermarkets and retail industry have tapped into this shopping frenzy by also offering a wide variety of products for us to purchase to help us celebrate Halloween in style. As we reported last week, even Jägermeister are looking to cash in on Halloween by partnering with Deliveroo to offer a free Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee sample with selected orders placed this week.
Local Events
Another reason why we might love Halloween now more than ever might have to do with Instagram and Facebook, as more and more people start to share their costumes, then others followed by sharing their own pictures of carved pumpkins as well family trips to the local farms to pick pumpkins. Like the one that is run at the Foxes Farm Produce in Basildon & Colchester. Added to that we have the annual Halloween Fest as well as the Spooky Nights at Barleylands Farm in Billericay. There is even a spooky museum search of ‘Where’s Wally’ at Colchester Castle.
Secular Festival
In essence, although Halloween was a pagan festival it has certainly become a secular festival that we have now become to love as the days get darker in this time of year. This is not limited to the UK, US and Canada as more countries from around the world embrace the Celtic festival while at the same time keep their own scary festivals and traditions.
