Is it as big as it is in the movies and if so why is it so big in America? In England some kids go trick or treating and that’s about it.

36 comments

  2. Because it is fun to dress up and kids love candy. Teens and adults also enjoy their respective halloween parties.

  4. What can I say? We’re better at fun than you.

    In all seriousness…it’s fun. It’s an excuse to watch scary movies, act/dress like a jackass, give kids too much candy and adults too much alcohol. I genuinely don’t understand how the British aren’t on board with this already. Booze? Candy? Spooky shit?

    What are you waiting for?

  5. It is a pretty big deal here. People like to have fun, and enjoy a holiday where you are encouraged to dress up, decorate your home, hold parties and eat sweets.

  6. >Is it as big as it is in the movies

    Yes.

    > if so why is it so big in America?

    It’s fun. Kids get to dress up and get candy. Adults get to dress up and get drunk.

  7. I suspect Guy Fawkes Day in Britain takes away a lot of the celebratory spirit that in the US is channeled to Halloween alone. Many of the customs I’ve heard are associated with GFD sound a lot like Halloween customs in the US.

  8. It’s not as big as other holidays like Thanksgiving but it’s prominent and celebrated all over.

    It’s mostly just a fun holiday. People decorate, kids get to dress up and go trick or treating, some adults go to Halloween parties.

  9. It’s America. Everything is big and ridiculous right? It’s just a very popular holiday.

  10. Why is any holiday in a country big? Because it’s fun for the people who celebrate it.

    >In England some kids go trick or treating and that’s about it.

    Why doesn’t England do more for Halloween?

    In America you have trick or treating but you also have;

    * Town parties (usually hosted at town / city halls or town greens)
    * Trunk or Treat (held at schools or local hubs in towns)
    * Scare attractions (Six Flags Fright Fest, Haunted Houses, Scream Parks, etc.)
    * Horror movie specials (on TV and movie theaters, also the time of year horror movies come out. Some towns will hold horror movie or kids Halloween movies on their local greens.)
    * Halloween Parties (at someone’s home or at a venue. Some towns will host a Halloween block party.)
    * Halloween Parade’s
    * Halloween themed costume events (lots of Anime conventions in America will hold a separate Halloween cosplay event)
    * Concerts (you’ll find many local symphony’s that hold Halloween themed concerts)
    * Ghost tours (usually of abandoned homes or towns)
    * Pumpkin craving and largest pumpkin contest
    * Many zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and museums will hold Halloween nights where they add new attractions and themes
    * Local bars will have horror trivia nights. You can also find Halloween bar crawls.

    Among many other things.

  11. It’s part of the fall harvest time of year. Celebrating the change in weather and darkness and the end of that form of farm work.

  12. Humans are social creatures, Americans take that human trait to the next level. Because of that, when the opportunity arises we take advantage of it. We’re all in it for the same reason so it’s easy for us to over indulge. Can’t do that all the time so you go all out when you can.

    We do this with most holidays.

  14. It’s because the Irish brought it over, and the rest of us thought it was cool.

    And yes, it is very much as big of a deal as it in our movies. It’s awesome!

  15. It’s fun, it’s important. Halloween is all about embracing darkness, shadow, death, rooted in the traditional year cycle. In ancient times people were worried about the dark shorter days and plants dying, it looked like the end of the world. Halloween is an acknowledgment of death and macabre, to confront and make merry of it.

    Its speculated that it developed in Northern Europe because of the impending winter. Warmer climates that don’t have the four seasons didn’t develop this way because they only have two seasons.

    Halloween plays with some mysteries that are deep within the psyche.

  16. Because we like it.

    And yes, its as big as what you see in the movies.

    Adult Costume parties.

    Decorating the house.

    Kids all over dressed up and going door to door in costumes.

  17. It’s fun. It’s a great family holiday that allows kids to enjoy their imaginations and get treats/candy. Parents have a good time.

    And when you’re in college and older, you get to see girls dressed really slutty.

  18. its an excuse to dress up in costumes, go to parties where people can show off their creativity (or lack thereof), do spooky themed events like haunted houses that you don’t do the rest of the year, and give away/eat more candy than you usually would. What’s NOT to love?

  19. This is one of those other things that really is as big a deal as the movies make it out to be. Especially as a kid believe me, but even as a young adult the parties are amazing.

  20. Half American Half English here. Halloween is MUCH bigger here in The UK than OP just made out. We have a shit load of Halloween stuff that goes on through the entire month of October. The decorations even hit the shelves in July.

    Hell, I’m literally going to a seance in London’s oldest cemetery this Sunday put on by a big production company. Then on Halloween itself I’m going to a massive Shocktoberfest with loads of rides and mazes.

    It’s not as big as it is in America, sure. But we definitely see more than just a few kids trick or treating

  22. Oct 1st decorations go up. We now have more Halloween than Christmas. My house looks cool with purple lights everywhere. Our village has a parade with a party at the firehouse. I made a window reservation at the Italian restaurant on main st a week ago. I told my wife I was scaling back since our kids were older. She was having none of it. Mandolorian pumpkins this year.

  24. We Americans LOVE pretty much any excuse to party. My office at work had Halloween decorations up last week. People with kids will send/bring them trick or treating, and most adults get ready for parties or handing out candy to kids.

    As for why? It’s a lot of fun, there doesn’t need to be any more reason why imo.

  27. It was big when I grew up and it’s big in my current neighborhood. Some of us are obsessed.

  28. its the only day of the year where the American Dream is true and you really can be anything you want to be

  34. How is Halloween not big in England is the real question? Its so fun. The fall feeling with the trees and perfect temperatures. The pumpkin everything from coffee to rolls is so good. The dressing up for the kids and for the adults for partying and drinking.

    Like why not? We just like to have fun.

  35. One of my theories is that it’s hugely popular because it’s a low or no expectation holiday, for adults without kids particularly. You’re not obligated to celebrate it. No one would call you a grinch or buzzkill if you “don’t do Halloween.” You don’t have to send cards to friends and family. You don’t have to drive or fly to see relatives you don’t even like. You don’t have to plan, prep, and serve a specific meal or break out the fancy dishes. You don’t have to run around buying gifts for people. You can party hard and get freaky with it without feeling like you’re desecrating a special day that’s supposed to be in honor or memory of someone. Even taking kids trick-or-treating isn’t that difficult or stressful and they can go by themselves at a certain age anyway.

    Halloween is what you make it. That’s why it rocks.

  36. Halloween comes to us from the Irish Diaspora; an enormous amount of our population has Irish roots and they brought their cultural holidays along with them. Of course over time it has changed much from the original small immigrant celebrations which were more authentic to the original Irish holiday to this enormous cultural force it is today. In many places in the US you people celebrating Samhain authentically, trying to recreate the Pagan feast day.
    It also helps that our closest southern neighbor Mexico celebrates Dia de los Muertos on the Catholic holiday of All Souls Day which is like just a few days after halloween. A giant portion of the western states used to be Mexican territory and culturally Mexican so the Dia De los Muertos Holiday was already being celebrated in North America. When the Irish and the Mexican celebrations met and intertwined and then you sprinkle on a bit of mainline US culture, and BAM it becomes it’s own unique thing.

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