By Claire Heald BBC News Magazine The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly?
By Claire Heald BBC News Magazine The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly?
Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right?
Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right?
Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side.
Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side.
The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival.
The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival.
A time to have fun?"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says.
A time to have fun?"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says.
Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some.
Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some.
Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes.
Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes.
"Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness?
"Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness?
"It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices.
"It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices.
Creepy cash
Creepy cash
Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets.
Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets.
Is cute Halloween the way forward?UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like.
Is cute Halloween the way forward?UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like.
The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween?
The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween?
Or too much commercialism?At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident.
Or too much commercialism?At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident.
But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already.
But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already.
Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling.
Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling.
We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says.
We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says.
"It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil.
"It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil.
"People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way."
"People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way."
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
Halloween is over commercialised, and trick-or-treaters are annoying. It's predominately an American secular celebration of commercial greed, the third largest such event in the western world today.
For me, today is the far older celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-ain), which was celebrated by the Celts as new-year, and is also observed as such by many Pagans today.It's not a light celebration, it's about the start of the dark season from now until Beltaine in the spring, sixth months from now. The death of summer and the coming of winter.
The reverend seems to miss this point, he also seems not to understand that light and dark are a natural balance and have nothing to do with evil and good. Faye, Leeds, UK
Halloween is supposed to be scary. Some of my best memories as a child are of when I was scared. They can have their fluffy bunnies at Easter, and their cutesy reindeers at Christmas. But let's keep Halloween as it's meant to be and scare the bejeezus out of them. It's fun.Julian Burrett, Gloucester
