Thread: Halloween in the USA and UK

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Hello Everybody,

I thought I would ask a question which I'm interested in. I'm from the UK have noted that there is, generally speaking, quite a difference between the way UK and US participants dress on Halloween evening.

Over here in the UK, adult and kids tend to dress up in horror themed and ghoulish outfits, with lots of splashings of fake blood, vampire teeth etc.

From what I have seen from US news items, movies etc. the range of costumes worn in the US seems to be much wider to include superheros etc. as well as horror themed ones.

I think this is really interesting. I suppose a lot comes down to personal preference as to what you want to have fun in. But does anyone have any views / ideas as to differences between the approaches? It is more than personal preferences do you think?

Mr G

I've often wondered what Halloween is like in the UK. In the US, when it comes to costumes, anything goes. You'll see scary ones, lots of blood-and-guts sort of thing, but you'll also see a big influence from TV and the movies. You'll see cartoon characters, movie stars, movie characters, TV characters, political figures, etc. But people (especially the adults) can get really creative when it comes to being original. I've seen costumes ranging from inanimate objects such as furniture, to a box of French Fries (chips to you). You'll see a lot of animal costumes, especially among the children. Adult women seem to use this time as an excuse to dress in sexy and revealing clothes that they could never get away with at any other time of the year. Some of the larger, more metropolitan cities hold an annual parade for people to just get out there and show off their creativity. It can be really wild. I would love to know what all goes on in the UK on Halloween. Is it a big deal over there? Do children Trick-or-Treat the way they do over here? I realize that Halloween has it's roots in Europe, but to be honest, I wasn't even sure if Halloween was still observed in the UK. Let me know. Oh. and Happy Halloween!

Hi Smokey - sorry for the slightly late reply - I was on a camping trip (and, yes, it being the UK, rain did form part of the weekend).

Yes, Halloween is still observed over here but I think it is fair to say not to the same extent as the US.

As I see it, in the UK the general idea is that children (sometimes accompanied by adults) will go round local areas and trick or treat and probably for the same rewards too. The range of costumes tends to be horror influenced with vampires, witches, zombies, blood & guts etc. To see someone dressed up as a furniture, food item or non horror related film character would be unusual.

I've certainly heard comments from UK people in the past expressing some confusion as to why the US seems approach seems to incorporate a much wider expression of ideas and costumes.

Lots of people also do Halloween parties but the ones I have been to have featured people wearing similar costumes rather than the wider US variety.

I think a Halloween Parade is a great idea - would love to see one of those in London!

I would venture to say that the simple answer is Halloween in America is Commercialized. Once a major Company, Network, or Film Studios realized that they could sell their rights to costume designers to make outfits out of their top products the ball began rolling

America is basically birthplace of Modern Capitalism .. if there is a way to take something and make a buck off of it. 'We' find a way to do it.

Much like anything else, we have found a way to commercialize traditions like Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, ETC. And that is not to say that I disagree with any of this, I actually welcome the commercialization of Holidays because it tends to make the Holiday large and more accessible and people friendly to those who want to partake in it.

I have been noticing this more and more in St. Patrick's Day. That Holiday has seemed to Explode over the past couple years. You see parades in almost every city, commercials and specials on TV, and attendances to these functions as more than doubled.

But, not to get side-tracked, I would say that is why Halloween is different in America than the UK.. but I wouldn't be surprised if it does start to grow and become more 'commercial' as the years pass.

Children of my Fathers generation dressed up mostly as Ghosts, Goblins, and Witches. I was a little mix of both (Frankenstein one year, Rambo the next). And my children, year in and year out, almost exclusively want to dress as their favorite cartoon character. (another SHREK year!!)



Oh speaking of the Parades, I found a need video of the one in New York City I go to every year. It doesn't do it too much justice as its mostly just costumes but the parade has a lot more than that. Bands, Art Students build floats and Giant Paper Mache (spelling?) skeletons. Its really neat.

YouTube- ‪New York's Village 36th Annual Halloween Parade 2009‬‎

I agree with Dullahan. Halloween has become more watered down in the US.

I don't know about US and UK, but here in Canada, Halloween is a great excuse for teenagers girls to dress like sluts! Yay!

(Actually, I petty thoses parents... Mom! It's Halloween! That is why I am dressed up as a Dominatrix! It's scary! Look at my whip! Scary!)

Originally Posted by osenator

I don't know about US and UK, but here in Canada, Halloween is a great excuse for teenagers girls to dress like sluts! Yay!

I think this is true here in the US too, only it's usually adult females that are dressed up as "sexy firefighter" or "sexy nurse," it's almost hard to find an adult, pre-made female costume that isn't "sexy" this or that.

If you can think of a costume, there's usually a "sexy" mass market version of it, whether it's Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz or a zombie.

If I was limited to just this I wouldn't be very interested in Halloween.

Originally Posted by Mr Ghoul

horror themed and ghoulish outfits, with lots of splashings of fake blood, vampire teeth etc.

Mr G

I incorporate the traditional themes: Ghost, Vampires, Ghouls and such, but add a bit of grandeur that Hollywood has produced. Before the age of CGI someone had to make everything that went into the movies and the ideas start flowing when you have a limited budget and supplies (Classics B movies) and realize that there are an overwhelming amount of personal phobias to take inspiration from and finally your own personal touch.

Yes movies has brooding the spectrum here in the US, fun out of the box scary with Beetlejuice, the creepy but romance of a candlelight catacomb with Interview with a Vampire, the simplicity of inhabited woods, rural areas and corn fields with Blair Witch Project, Texas Chainsaw Mascara and Children of the Corn.

But as read this forum here you will see that most, if not all of us are use to the question "Why Halloween?" is some shape of form. It's just the matter of setting aside the comments & puzzled looks and do what makes you feel good. Then it inspires one and they inspire one and then you have a wonderful Halloween.

My house is the only house that screams Halloween indoors and out, in a neighborhood of 35+ homes and I am proud of it and hope to at least inspire one person.

And for costumes I can't not help but smile as a cute kid comes up to ring the doorbell as a Hot Dog, Fairy, Movie/TV Character, Monster or the best - Homemade costumes. Always surprised and amazed.

Anyone have Halloween experience in any other countries? I would be interested to hear some input from Europe, Asia, Australia, etc.

The true meaning of Halloween has been somewhat shrouded here in the US. We have gone astray from the roots of the holiday and it's been going on for a very long time now, heck I remember donning an Ultra Man costume when I was kid about 35 yrs ago. I have since seen the error of my ways and am trying to inspire my kids generation to go back to scary costumes. But I still have to argue with my 13 yr old daughter about the costumes that they have online. It's a constant "What about this one, No . What that one, NO" and so on and so on. I'm sick of the over sexualization if that is even a word, of our children today. The costumes even for little girls are skimpy.