Suffolk Tourist Guide - Articles
Halloween
Halloween – What is it and why you can blame Suffolk for it!
Halloween is now the second largest sales period in the UK for retailers, behind Christmas, and growth of this rather frightening festival has been exponential in the last few years. Pumpkins are all over the place, pumpkin rustlers abound, and even that good old British institution, John Lewis, has succumbed to the demand with Halloween merchandise in its stores since mid September.
WHY?
We could blame American owned Asda for promoting the American-style celebration of Halloween. They have seen sales of Halloween good increase 20 fold in the last 10 years, so they can spot a good thing when they see it. Last year Americans spent $5bn on Halloween; the UK is a long way behind at £120m, but that’s increasing dramatically year on year.
Halloween is cheaper than bonfire night as there are no expensive (or dangerous) fireworks to be bought, so consumers are understandably keen to encourage their children to focus on Halloween rather than Guy Fawkes Night.
As for the children, trick or treating. If they’re lucky they’ll end the evening with a bag full of sweets, and if they can trick people, well that’s fun too. So there’s a lot in it for them, and with Mum or Dad in tow too, it’s an opportunity for family fun.
What’s it all about?
Halloween and bonfire night were part of what was one known as Hallowtide – a cluster of customs arising from the Celtic celebration called Samhain. Samhain marked the turning of their year and the beginning of winter. In defiance of the onset of winter, fires and lanterns were lit. Still with me? Samhain was associated with lighting fires also to honour the dead and to defy evil spirits. The Church wasn’t keen on these pagan celebrations so they came up with their own alternatives – All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day the next day, to honour the sanctified ie Christian souls. But of course when the establishment doesn’t like something and tries to put it down, it tends to result in making it much popular.
In some parts of the North they still have Mischief Night, usually around November 4th, which is a part of the Halloween tradition of rituals of naughtiness. So I suppose we should be grateful we don’t have that too.
Why blame Suffolk?
Well, here’s the thing. According to Doc Rowe, a folklorist, back in the ‘70s there was a documentary programme on BBC2 called 'Look Stranger' about the Woodbridge Airbase here in Suffolk. It showed children doing trick or treating and within 2 years the tabloids had adopted the festival and were promoting it. So, despite our predecessors in Scotland and Ireland taking Halloween traditions to America in the mid 19C in all good faith, our American friends brought them back to that Airbase in Suffolk, and the rest is history...
Halloween is now the second largest sales period in the UK for retailers, behind Christmas, and growth of this rather frightening festival has been exponential in the last few years. Pumpkins are all over the place, pumpkin rustlers abound, and even that good old British institution, John Lewis, has succumbed to the demand with Halloween merchandise in its stores since mid September.
WHY?
We could blame American owned Asda for promoting the American-style celebration of Halloween. They have seen sales of Halloween good increase 20 fold in the last 10 years, so they can spot a good thing when they see it. Last year Americans spent $5bn on Halloween; the UK is a long way behind at £120m, but that’s increasing dramatically year on year.
Halloween is cheaper than bonfire night as there are no expensive (or dangerous) fireworks to be bought, so consumers are understandably keen to encourage their children to focus on Halloween rather than Guy Fawkes Night.
As for the children, trick or treating. If they’re lucky they’ll end the evening with a bag full of sweets, and if they can trick people, well that’s fun too. So there’s a lot in it for them, and with Mum or Dad in tow too, it’s an opportunity for family fun.
What’s it all about?
Halloween and bonfire night were part of what was one known as Hallowtide – a cluster of customs arising from the Celtic celebration called Samhain. Samhain marked the turning of their year and the beginning of winter. In defiance of the onset of winter, fires and lanterns were lit. Still with me? Samhain was associated with lighting fires also to honour the dead and to defy evil spirits. The Church wasn’t keen on these pagan celebrations so they came up with their own alternatives – All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day the next day, to honour the sanctified ie Christian souls. But of course when the establishment doesn’t like something and tries to put it down, it tends to result in making it much popular.
In some parts of the North they still have Mischief Night, usually around November 4th, which is a part of the Halloween tradition of rituals of naughtiness. So I suppose we should be grateful we don’t have that too.
Why blame Suffolk?
Well, here’s the thing. According to Doc Rowe, a folklorist, back in the ‘70s there was a documentary programme on BBC2 called 'Look Stranger' about the Woodbridge Airbase here in Suffolk. It showed children doing trick or treating and within 2 years the tabloids had adopted the festival and were promoting it. So, despite our predecessors in Scotland and Ireland taking Halloween traditions to America in the mid 19C in all good faith, our American friends brought them back to that Airbase in Suffolk, and the rest is history...