'Spooky Season'. I just can't.

[Fordian]

Why is even the BBC calling Halloween 'Spooky Season'? What is wrong with 'Halloween'?

Will we be celebrating 'Thanksgiving' next? Wishing each other 'Happy Holidays'?

And what with all the adults dressing up on US media? I mean, getting into Halloween, considering it's about spirituality, the idea that the 'veil' between the living and the dead is thinned on the evening before All Hallows. It hardly fits with a Christian fundamentalism belief system!

Am I an old curmudgeon?

Don't answer that, it's rhetorical! 🤣

Errrm...... Halloween is over?

Dont forget Cosy Season! Eurggghhh

You're somewhat missing the point.

The BBC used the term 'spooky season' an hour ago.

I think you've sort of answered your own question. If they said "Halloween" then that's one night and over. Calling it "Spooky Season" means they can run with it until it's time to fire up the Christmas themed programming.

I don't know what context they used the phrase in but considering they used it today and Halloween was yesterday, presumably they wanted a catch-all phrase to encompass the time of year that has other events in apart from Halloween, such as Guy Fawkes etc.
Autumn probably would've been fine but I don't think I'd be offended by the use of 'spooky season'.

If you just can't, then don't. But let the rest of us.

How can it be a season when it’s literally one day. One evening really!

This

My mum was saying something similar about The Archers. That they wouldn't call Halloween Halloween.

Many schools use Spooky Day or something similar so that the children of some Christian families can take part.

Actually apparently a lot of the beliefs around Halloween come from Ireland and Scotland and was brought over the pond with the settlers.

See im okay with ‘spooky season’ but ‘Cosy Season’ absolutely not. 😂

Yes, gets round the fact that some don't like Hallowe'en. When my DCs were at primary school they used to have a disco on the Friday before half term and couldn't call it a Hallowe'en themed one because some families then wouldn't let their DCs go but it was ok to call it a spooky theme.

Yes, this is extremely well known. It's a Celtic tradition. All over the world there are festivals that celebrate this time of year when the leaves fall, the days get shorter, the nights longer, the temperature falls and winter is round the corner. It's no coincidence that Diwali falls around this time too, and that British people found an excuse for having bonfires and letting off fireworks on the pretence of celebrating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot.

Spooky season, though. What a stupid childish name. Autumn will do!

PS Re The Archers - it was a plotline about the local school having a disco that was quite obviously for Halloween but to placate some families who didn't want Halloween mentioned the PTA named it the Spooky Disco. Equally pathetic, but clearly the production team is more tuned into the zeitgeist than I am, and knew this is a Thing now.

That's interesting! I wonder why?

Maybe, but it doesn't explain why 'Halloween' is now referred to as 'spooky season' in the UK!

Well it’s not though is it? You heard the phrase once. Elsewhere, including the BBC, they referred to Halloween by its name (when it was actually Halloween, not after). See below for many many references to Halloween by the BBC

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20241030-samhain-to-soulmass-the-pagan-origins-of-familiar-halloween-rituals

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cjg3k09dr2kt

I guess they could t get their mouth around samhain which is the original Celtic name.

The Christians rolled out All Saints Day much later, also known as All Hallows and the day before became known as Hallows Eve/ Halloween.

Exactly. It’s a tv decision.

I work in a C of E primary school. We are not allowed to acknowledge Halloween in any way at all.

Most people don’t believe in Christian fundamentalism, so there’s that. And your attitude is a big part of why.

Bit it does have Christian connections. All Hallow's Day /All Saint's Day is in the church year

That's odd, because it's the eve of All Saint's/Hallow's Day, which is definitely a date in the liturgical calendar.

Well, it isn't generally referred to that though, is it?

Same, I'm amazed Spooky Season is acceptable. We have an autumn disco, not a Halloween one.