Quote Originally Posted by splott parker View Post
Retailers saw an opening a few years back with Hallowe’en, they’d made a killing for years around this time of year selling fireworks until health & safety curtailed that. Hallowe’en stepped in and has become a right earner. When I was a kid about now bangers were going off left, right and centre, young boys were dragging trees around the streets for their bonfire. The bonfires had to be guarded from rogue arsonists from other gangs, it was a yearly ritual. I s’pose the killer was that there was no money to be made from us cutting down trees, dragging old mattresses and furniture to our patch whereas just the fancy dress alone for Hallowe’en must be a right industry that goes on for over a week. Haven’t seen a penny for the guy kid for ages, in fact do people still make guys?
The difference between bonfire night and halloween, apart from the obvious tradition v non-tradition Yank influence, is that bonfire night was when you made the night by doing things - making a guy, gathering stuff for the bonfire etc. As you say halloween is just an excuse to sell cheap plastic junk to parents and kids for rip off prices..