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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

WHY IS HALLOWEEN STILL SO POPULAR?


The National Retail Federation reckons that Americans will pay

a record $3 billion-plus this season on hairy spiders, blowup Draculas and plastic maggots that glow in the dark.

Millennials are characterized by a desire for a prolonged adolescence so it is no surprise that they cling to the idea of dressing up.

In fact, two in three adults feel Halloween is a holiday for them and not just kids.


But I think it goes deeper:

The books and then movies in the 50's of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and WHO GOES THERE? (THE THING)

did not just tap into the paranoia of the Cold War

but also the paranoia of adulthood when aging children realized that their parents, their leaders, and those around them were not who they posed as being:

In essence those children lost their innocence in that they realized they were surrounded by people wearing masks ...

and that the real monsters lay BENEATH those masks.

Especially since September 11, 2001, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and endless school shootings,

it seems all too easy to imagine a murderer sitting in the aisle next to you.


Of course, that is not the only reason for the surging popularity of Halloween --

There’s no stress to it. You don’t have to travel or deal with relatives. There’s not the holiday pressure to find a date if you are single.

You can wear whatever you want and not be judged. There’s the fantasy, role-play element.

 If you think about it, it’s surprising that 90% of people don’t feel it’s their favorite holiday.


My friend, Darren Comeaux,

tells me that Halloween is quite an even in Japan, a country from which he has just returned.

In Japan, Halloween is not simply an end-of October event.

1.)  It is celebrated more in the form of masquerade parties and parades for adults.


2.) Halloween season in Japan runs for quite a long time.

 In amusement parks like Disneyland, Halloween-themed performances start from early September.

In schools and offices, Halloween parties and related events fill up their calendars for two months.


(While in American Politics, Trick or Treat lasts all year!)


3.) Halloween is still a growing market in Japan.


DEVIL'S NIGHT

Devil's Night is a name associated with October 30, the night before HALLOWEEN in Detroit, Michigan

(a city that both Victor Standish and I have highly violent memories of)

Devil's Night dates from as early as the 1930's.

Traditionally, city youths engaged in a night of mischievous or petty criminal behavior, usually consisting of minor pranks.

However, in the early 1970s, the vandalism escalated to more destructive acts such as arson.

The crimes became more destructive in Detroit's inner-city neighborhoods, and included hundreds of acts of arson and vandalism every year.

The destruction reached a peak in the mid- to late-1980s,

with more than 800 fires set in 1984, and 500 to 800 fires in the three days and nights before Halloween in a typical year.


ANGEL'S NIGHT

Let us resolve to counter-act the darkness a bit and make of Halloween season a time of Angel Nights where we do random acts of kindness.

Now, that's a real treat to a night of tricks, right?

Look for my collection of Halloween tales later on today (the lucky 13th!)

 

12 comments:

  1. Hi Roland - most celebratory days are retail oriented sadly ... hooking anyone in to spend more money. Still they can be fun for the family. The history dates back to pagan times ... but your collection of Halloween tales - looks great ... good luck with them: lucky 13 for me.

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. I hope it is Lucky 13 for my collection, too! :-) Yes, it seems profits are the basis for most of our holidays sadly. Have a lovely start to your week.

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  2. Well Stated Mnn Ami. Thought provoking always; a treat to read for breakfast, with fresh ground beans for a cup of coffee, Sitting on the rim of the well of my balcony, Reflecting and Self-Reflecting. A tasty, a treat for the heart, soul, and mind, in the midst of a cool Mojave pre-sun early morn, fresh as it gets. Merci Beaucoup.. ....... Happy 13th, ....!

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    1. My own terrace is either too hot, too cold, too rainy, or too visited by mosquitoes to enjoy for too many days! A Happy 13th to you, too. :-)

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  3. I like to be scared and I am not alone... we are not alone. Look behind you, you are not alone. :)

    Jeremy

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    1. No, I have my ghost friends to keep me company! Happy 13th, Jeremy!

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  4. Halloween is so popular because it's awesome! I treat everyday in October like it's Halloween. ;)

    Congratulations on your collection!!!! I love Halloween stories. :D

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    1. I treat every day in October as if it's Halloween, too. Except my birthday -- no tricks allowed on that day!!

      I used your idea of bits of my stories on photos I own as you can see Wish me luck. So far no takers on my book. :-(

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  5. I think we like Halloween, especially when we're younger, because we like to be frightened. Now I like the thought of being scared, but I don't really want to be.

    Just bought your collection. However, it didn't let me completely update my cc so I'm not sure it even worked. I will check my Kindle when I get home. Yay.

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    1. Teresa, thank you so much for even wanting to buy my collection. I hope Amazon didn't give us both a Halloween trick! :-)

      I think as children we like to dress up as beings who we would like to be: boys as super-heroes or monsters scary enough to spook the girl next door! As adults we still love to dress up as those beings who tickle our imaginations, senses of humor, or let us live out our fantasies.

      Old or young, we like to be scared by things we know can't really get us and we can laugh off like we wish we could laugh off the all-too-real terrors of modern life.

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  6. The thirteenth is lucky for me. I Was born on the thirteenth. I look forward to your stories.

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    1. Well Happy 13th to you! :-)

      I hope you enjoy my little collection of stories of horror with heart. Have a great mid-week.

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