Halloween: UK

Mischief night, Guy Fawkes and fireworks. These are basically what “Halloween” consists of in United Kingdom. Sorry to burst some other people’s bubble (i.e. the ones who love to dress up and eat candies) but Halloween is probably the most infamous holiday of the entire year here in UK. In fact, no one even roughly knows its origin. But according to colleagues whom I’ve asked, Halloween is an “American bandwagon” that some people here jumped on and is still currently making its way to popularization. So, at the moment, Halloween is currently just another ordinary day to most people here in UK. [Sorry, trick-or-treaters!]

MISCHIEF NIGHT
This is basically another name for Halloween, I guess. But this doesn’t happen until the 4^th of November. It’s an annual tradition where primarily teenagers and preteens do mischievous things and play pranks in the neighborhood. Dress up as ghouls, ghosts, monsters, witches, zombies and whatever tickles their fancy, they go out and knock on neighbors’ door asking for either money or sweets in exchange of not playing pranks on them. Although not a lot of people had come and do this tradition nowadays since Americanized Halloween is sweeping over.

GUY FAWKES NIGHT OR BONFIRE NIGHT
On the 5^th of November, people mainly in Great Britain commemorates this night as a failed attempt of a bomb threat at the House of Lords, by a man named Guy Fawkes who is a member of a Gunpowder Plot. People around Great Britain would make effigies of Guy Fawkes using tree branches and use it as a bonfire. From the later year, people would gather at the bonfire and sing “Remember, remember the Fifth of November” song. Though a lot of people have been declining the said holiday, due to losing its connection with politics and religion, some still does makes time to preserve it nonetheless.

FIREWORKS
At the same time bonfire night is celebrated, people would have a firework display in their own backyards as part of the commemoration. Not only because of that, but this is also a part of Halloween legend to drive away bad spirits using loud noises and bright lights.

If you are devastated that dressing up, trick-or-treating and the whole caboodle aren’t that famous here in UK, you could still experience a spook-tacular day during Halloween. If you’re thirsty for horrific events and a wicked time during the holiday, London Dungeon is the right place to go! The London Dungeon is a famous walk-in tour that takes you back to history’s macabre times. It doesn’t only offers scream filled experience but also a fun way to learn dark and bleak moments of the horrible history here in United Kingdom. A word of advice, this is definitely not suitable for the faint-hearted.

This is probably one of the many proof that every country is different. Some people enjoy Halloween and some doesn’t even know it exists. Some follows the trends and some makes their own. It may mean fun games, pranks and spooky nights for some while on the other side of the world, it’s the best moment of visiting graves and reminiscing memories of loved-ones whom had passed away. In whatever way we celebrate Halloween it’s best that we respect different traditions of other people and to always give time remembering the people who have been a part of our lives. 

PHOTO CREDITS (L-R) ©JennySevilla, aconitum-napellus, ©JennySevilla