Costumes Directory - United Kingdom In Scotland, c

United Kingdom

In Scotland, children or guisers are more likely to recite "The sky is blue, the grass is green, may we have our Halloween" instead of "trick or treat!" Walking in groups, the children visit neighbors and must impress them with a song, poem, trick, joke or dance in order to earn treats. Traditionally, nuts, oranges, apples and dried fruit were offered, though children might earn a small amount of cash, usually a sixpence. (Participation was also open to very young children, for whom the experience of performing could be more terrifying than ghosts and goblins).

In England, trick-or-treating does occur, particularly in working class neighborhoods. In general, however, the practice is regarded as a nuisance at best and a menacing form of begging at worst.[21] In some areas, households have started to put decorations on the front door to indicate that 'trick-or-treaters' are welcome, the idea being that 'trick-or-treaters' avoid a house not 'participating' in the custom. Tricks currently play a less prominent role, though Halloween night is often marked by vandalism such as soaping windows, egging houses or stringing toilet paper through trees. Before indoor plumbing was ubiquitous, tipping over or displacing outhouses was a popular form of vandalism. Casting flour into the faces of feared neighbors was also common practice at one time.

[edit] Popular costumes
Traditional Halloween costumes of a witch and a skeleton's head
Traditional Halloween costumes of a witch and a skeleton's head

Typical Halloween costumes have traditionally been those of monsters such as vampires, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. In recent years, it has become common for costumes to be based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from TV shows or movie, or choosing a recognizable face from the public sphere, such as a politician. (In 2004, for example, George W. Bush and John Kerry were popular costumes in America).[citation needed] In 2001, after the September 11 attacks, for example, costumes of, firefighters, police officers, and United States military personnel became popular.[citation needed]