Halloween - Scarefest or Funfest?
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by: Tuning
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Word Count: 625
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Every night on 31st October the streets of Britain are full of little 'monsters' avidly clutching bags of collected goodies as they make their way from door to door trick or treating. Dressed as witches, warlocks and an assortment of mythical monsters the kids aim to amass a few months worth of sweets and goodies in exchange for a little dressing up on the night known as Halloween. Although widely accepted throughout the USA for decades, the 'dressing up for Halloween to go trick or treating' phenomenon in the UK can be traced back to the 1982 Hollywood blockbuster 'ET'. The American film featured hilarious scenes when the little alien was taken out trick and treating by the film's young heroes. However, once children in the UK witnessed the potential to accumulate huge bags full of sweets the US tradition quickly spread to this side of the Atlantic. In addition to trick and treating, carved pumpkins are probably the most prominent symbol of Halloween; along with the colours orange and black which feature heavily in most 'hellish' celebrations. Treats too, have a Halloween theme with toffee apples being very symbolic of the occasion and many a homemade version is often found in goodie bags alongside the stacks of manufactured candy and sweets. But, what really sets Halloween apart is participants dressing up in very elaborate and diabolical looking costumes such as skeletons, vampires, ghosts and, of course a plethora of little devils. However, Halloween is not just for the kids, adults most definitely get in on the act these days as witnessed by the pubs and clubs throughout the UK. They are literally crammed with witches, vampires, werewolves and other assorted monsters on Halloween evening all supping their ale and downing 'spirits' - please excuse the pun! Haunting, and particularly haunted houses feature large on Halloween. Where better to discover the ghostly apparition of a lost soul on All Hallows Eve than in haunted premises? From specially constructed attractions at theme parks to 'real' haunted houses in historic cities such as York, all can be found doing brisk business on the nights around 31st October. Indeed, many venues extend Halloween into a period of a week or longer, offering themed fun throughout the entire period with special scary extras added on the night of the 31st October. The ghoulish delights can vary from the elaborate where theme parks such as Alton Towers invest heavily on an annual Scarefest that features frights and delights throughout the park, to the local pub putting on a fancy dress disco and serving various coloured 'potions' otherwise known as ales and spirits with bizarre food colourings added! Indeed, guests at Alton Towers can be assured an action-packed Halloween period which runs for almost three weeks each year and offers such fabulous delights as; Dance with the Devil show, or for younger guests the popular Haunting of Algenon's Attic; especially suited to the under-10s. For older kids there's the opportunity to take a spooky short-cut through Gloomy Wood, but beware of the special scary guests lurking in the shadows for the duration of the Scarefest! But, there's a whole lot more on the agenda for Halloween at Alton Towers, including the opportunity to host some wicked parties, and anyone thinking of staying there should make sure they book early. Mainly celebrated in the Western World there are some critics of Halloween who do not join in the annual representation of the darker side of the afterlife, but for most it is a night of harmless and enjoyable fun. It has certainly developed a long way from its origins as an ancient Celtic festival, held at the end of the harvest season, and is now considered one of the highlights of the calendar for most kids, of all ages! |
About the Author
Celebrate Halloween at Alton Towers Resort where things can get a little ghoulish, making it a cracking place to go for a memorable trick or treat experience!
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