Back in the 1980's, the majority of UK children knew halloween as a time their parents would carve out the innards of a turnip, stick a candle in it, and you'd head out trick or treating.
Trick or treating back then was very much a case of people passing a few copper or silver coins to you. Chocolate treats seemed far less common, although they were given on occasion.
That was halloween for most kids. Today, the halloween period is a very different matter in the UK.
Is halloween popular in the UK in 2024?
To say yes to this question would be an understatement.
20% of the UK population actually prefer halloween to Christmas (in terms of occasions) according to a Censuswide survey, whereas other surveys put that figure as high as 25%!
Almost half of the UK (47%) plan to celebrate halloween in some shape or form this year!
Halloween has long been associated as a big occasion in the USA, and indeed it is, but the UK has well and truly caught halloween fever.
How much is spent on halloween in the UK?
The growth in popularity has been rapid - as has the growth in spend on halloween festivities.
Back in 2019, the amount spent on halloween in the UK was approximately £474 million. In 2024, even with the cost of living crisis, it stands at a whopping £776 million!
Which part of the UK celebrates halloween the most?
That might seem like an odd question, but there are some significant regional differences in respect of how halloween is celebrated across the UK.
We've split these into City popularity and it is clear that some cities see halloween very differently to others.
For example, Belfast celebrates halloween more than anywhere else in the UK - with an incredible 76% of people intending to do so in 2024!
Cardiff is second on the scare-addicted list, with 55% of people doing something to celebrate halloween this year. Just behind it is the first English city on the list, Norwich, on 53%.
London and Plymouth are tied on 52%.
Bottom of the fright list is Brighton on 31%, where halloween appears to be a lot less popular than elsewhere in the country.
What do people enjoy about halloween in the UK?
You might be surprised at what was said when this question was asked, but the answers are typical of the new tech-age we live in and how we spend our time.
Seeing pictures of people celebrating halloween on social media came top of the list, with 27% of participants citing it as the thing they enjoyed most.
If you thought that eating sweets was going to be No.1, you won't be too disappointed to hear that it held the No.2 position with 24% of people putting it as their favourite thing about halloween.
Going to halloween parties was third with 15% of the votes.
Amazingly, being scared came fourth with 14% of people seemingly enjoying being scared witless.
The rise of halloween events in regions (you know the type of thing, where you actually pay to be scared to death by blokes dressed up as clowns!) has become incredibly popular and these type of attractions garnered 13% of vote.
If you add the general point about being scared (14%) to being scared at major attractions (13%), you find that it ties with seeing pictures of people at halloween, so we think it belongs at the top of the list with it.
Are you celebrating halloween in 2024?
If you're organising a party or planning to dress up and go terrify your neighbours (we're sure they'll be delighted!), let us know in the comments section below!
Oh and don't forget that our 360 Orb Air photo booth is the perfect wow factor item to add to any halloween party!
We can set the lights to spooky orange or green too, and if you want our hosts to scare you, ask them!
