We don’t mean to scare you, but Halloween is only round the corner, so now’s the perfect time to stock up on some truly terrifying decorations and novelties…
With just over a month to go before the scariest night of the year, we’ve been taking delivery of some spine-tinglingly fun Halloween stuff. It’s been flying (literally) out of the doors, so every indication is that some of the people of Prestwood rather like this ghoulish time of year!
Our spooky stock is split between the garden centre and the Cook and Gift Shop, so head over to have a look.
Meantime, to get you in the mood, we thought we’d share five fascinating facts you always wanted to know about Halloween…but were afraid to ask?!
We did Halloween first
The roots of Halloween lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in parts of the UK, particularly in Ireland and Scotland, long before the holiday became popular in the USA. It marked the end of the harvest and the start of the ‘dark half’ of the year.
Halloween as we know it now though, with trick-or-treating, costumes, and pumpkin carving, only became widely popular in the UK in the late 20th century, influenced by American movies and TV shows.
Guy Fawkes Night Once Overshadowed Halloween
In the UK, Halloween took a back seat to Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night), celebrated on November 5th, for much of the 17th-19th centuries. Bonfire Night, which commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, involved fireworks, bonfires, and effigies, while Halloween was largely ignored.
Not anymore.
Before trick-or-treating there was guising and souling
Before trick-or-treating became popular, children in Scotland and parts of Northern England would go ‘guising’ (disguising themselves in costumes) and perform songs, poems, or jokes in exchange for treats. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages.
In parts of England, ‘souling’ was another precursor to trick-or-treating. Poor people would visit homes, singing prayers for the dead in exchange for small round cakes known as soul cakes. This practice took place on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, often overlapping with Halloween.
Turnip Lanterns, Not Pumpkins!
In Scotland and Ireland, people originally carved turnips into lanterns, not pumpkins. Turnip carving was believed to scare away evil spirits. Pumpkins, easier to carve and larger, became more popular after being introduced from America.
Halloween…and witches
Halloween has long been associated with witches in the UK, where witch trials were common from the 16th to the 18th centuries. One of the most famous cases was the Pendle Witch Trials in 1612, where 12 people were accused of witchcraft in Lancashire.
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