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Britain Embraces Halloween and Cashes In on Ghoulish Celebration

LONDONThis Halloween, skintight full-body leotards are a sellout in Britain.

Morphsuits,the Scottish company behind the goofy, often garish bodysuits, transformed a drunken prank at a sta

party into a multimillion-dollar costume phenomenon, thanks in part to the growing popularity here of celebrati

All Hallows Eve each Oct. 31.

Much to the consternation of some, Halloween, with all its silliness, is even eclipsing Guy Fawkes Day, the 40

year-old British festival on Nov. 5.

We are very much in the throes of Halloween mayhem at the moment, said Gregor Lawson, one of three founde

of Morphsuits, a unit of AFG Media based in Edinburgh. Halloween seems to just get bigger and bigger an

bigger, in more and more countries and the United Kingdom is certainly catching up.

Halloween in Britain has eclipsed even Valentines Day to become the third -biggest event after Christmas aEaster in terms of consumer spending, according to Sophie Carroll, an associate analyst at Planet Retail, consultin

firm. Despite a weak economy, the holiday has been a boon for British business.

While sales of Halloween items in the United States are expected to slip by 6 percent this year to $6.9 billion, sal

in Britain are forecast to grow 12 percent to 325 million pounds, or $525 million, from a year earlier, Ms. Carro

said. In 2001, British Halloween sales were just 12 million.

Retailers and theme parks have jumped on the bandwagon, although some perhaps too eagerly, with some of the

products backfiring.

Asda, a supermarket chain owned by Walmart Stores, and the grocery giant Tesco withdrew two costumes aft

complaints that they made light of mental illness. One of the costumes featured a mock meat cleaver and a fak

blood-stained straitjacket.

In Lancashire, a county in northwestern England, Scare Kingdom Scream Park was accused of simulating rape

one of its scary entertainment attractions, involving visitors who were strapped to a bed with a cushion held ov

their faces as a man with a sex toy threatened them.

Widespread marketing efforts by retailers and the influx of American movies and television series like ThWalking Dead have added to the enthusiasm for Halloween in the last decade. Britains large community

Americans has also helped popularize the holiday.

At the same time, strict rules governing fireworks and bonfires pushed revelers away from Guy Fawkes Day, whic

originally had a strong anti-Catholic taint. For centuries, the British observed the death of Guy Fawkes

Catholic and a participant in the failed plot in 1605 to assassinate King James I and blow up the House of Lords

by burning his effigy, and in more modern times, by setting bonfires, eating sausages and watching firewor

displays.
http://www.morphsuits.co.uk/http://www.morphsuits.co.uk/


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I find it rather sad that Guy Fawkes Day is edged out by Halloween, said the Guy Fawkes historian and auth

James Sharpe.

It was something unique in England, and even celebrated in the American colonies in the 18th century, he sai

Its a pity that its gone.

But Britains adoption of the American holiday is perhaps not a surprise. Halloween was originally an ancie

Celtic celebration in Ireland and Scotland, exported to the United States by immigrants. The Irish and Scots point

older Halloween traditions. The jack-o-lantern was originally a squash, not a pumpkin; apple-bobbing began as

matchmaking ritual; and people wore costumes to ward off evil spirits.

More significantly, the British love costumes, and costume dramas are a staple of British television. To dress u

and to be observed is almost a national sport, whether at horse races, rowdy rugby matches, drunken universi

parties or balls for young socialites.

Jeremy Angel, creative director of the family-owned costume company Angels Fancy Dress, said the British hadfar bigger dress-up culture than Americans did.

Your dress-up is Halloween, but in Britain we dress up at everything, so its a bit more in our culture, he sai

adding that his family company began in 1840 renting costumes out of a wheelbarrow to actresses and singers

Covent Garden, Londons theater district.

With costume parties so common in Britain, Mr. Angel said British revelers had developed sophisticated deman

for Halloween.

We dont want to look normal, he said. Ladies shopping for their costumes will spend 45 minutes going throug

everything, looking at each accessory, speaking to staff, and then theyll get on the phone with their boyfriends

husbands and tell them, Right, unless youre down here in five minutes Im buying you the ghost. They put a

their efforts into this.

Morphsuits has capitalized on the interest.

Last year, the company had revenue of 10.5 million in Britain and the United States, and sales have quadrupl

each year since the companys inception in 2009, Mr. Lawson said. The United States has remained its bigge

market, however, with 37 percent of overall sales last year.

Mr. Lawson said that an increasing number of Americans were adopting the British love of costume. For exampl

he said, sales of Morphsuits for bachelor parties were rising in the United States.

When you have more fun when you dress up for a party, people will do more of that, and more and mo

businesses have popped up to make the most of it, he said. This Halloween, he plans to wear a vine-cover

orange Morphsuit and carve a pumpkin into a Roman centurion helmet.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/halloween/
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/halloween/http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/halloween/http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/halloween/


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Read the text and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. All Hallows Evemarks the beginning of Guy Fawkes festival which has a tradition of 400 years.2. Latest calculations in the revenues generated by All Hallows Eveevent are a proof more that it has gain

an important role in British peoples lives.

3. Halloween sales have witnessed a boom in countries like USA and UK bringing profits from half milliodollars to billions.

4. Britains large community of Americans contributed to the development of Halloween in Britain bpromoting theme parks, American movies and American chain stores and their products.

5. Guy Fawkes Day, All Hallows Eve, as well as most of their customs have their roots deep into Britainlong forgotten history.

6. Although British people have a keen sense of dressing up and a vast costume culture, Morphsuits get moof their profits from the USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VRAemIvbI

Halloween history

Listen to the following recording and complete the sentences.

1. Halloween is a holyday originating .2. The Celtic new year coincided with .3. To keep the ghosts away ..4. 1stNovember signifies both..5. The potato famine ..6. Masks were worn by ..7. Extortion deal refers to ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EucFzLgB80 Halloween in USA

Listen to the following recording and choose the best summary.

A. For the first time in USA Halloween was celebrated in 1921. Families loved and still love to celebraHalloween at home or in the parks with the family for one month. Children go trick or treat and have a lot

fun. Some people go to the zoo and have fun for Halloween.

B. For the first time in USA Halloween was celebrated in 1921. Since then Halloween has become an evgrowing event, families nowadays feeling like celebrating Halloween for one month long and not only for ju

one night. Businesses have grown as well around Halloween and people are expected to spend a huge amou

of money on decorations, candies and accommodation.

C. Since 1921 Halloween has been the most celebrated event in USA. People spend lots of money to decoratheir homes, to buy candies, to dress up and to go to Halloween parties and theme parks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VRAemIvbIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VRAemIvbIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EucFzLgB80http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EucFzLgB80http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EucFzLgB80http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VRAemIvbI


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TRICK or TREAT

IF TWO WHITE WITCHES WATCH TWO WHITE WATCHES. WHICH WITCH WATCHE

WHICH WATCH?

Creepy crawler critters crawl through creepy crawly craters

Ghostly ghouls gather gleefully to golf on ghostly golf courses.

Gobbling gorgoyles gobbled gobbling goblins

Horribly hoarse hoot owls hoot howls of horror in halloween haunted houses.

If big black bats could blow bubbles, how big of bubbles would big black bats blow?

Professional Pumpkin Pickers are prone to pick the plumpest pumpkins.

Transylvanian Tree Trimmers are trained to trim the tallest Transylvanian trees.

Several spooky slimy spiders spun sulking by the sea

The ochre ogre ogled the poker.

Which witch wished which wicked wish?

I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish,But if you wish the wish the witch wishes,

I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.

Which witch is the witch who ate the witch which is which

TRICK OR TREAT

One sunny day in the middle of the night

Two dead boys got up to fightBack to back they faced each other

Drew their swords and shot each other

A deaf and dumb policeman heard the noise

And came and killed the two dead boys.

If you don't believe this lie is true.

Go ask the blind man he saw it too.


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Monster: It is a very hot day today!

Witch: So, can I make you a lemonade?

Monster: Yes!

Witch: Poof! You're lemonade!

Patty came up to a boy with a sheet over his head on Halloween and asked, "Are you a

ghost?"The boy replied, "No, of course not! I'm an unmade bed!"

A skeleton walks in to a bar. He goes to the bartender and says, "I'm going to need a beer

and a mop."

A guy named Billie Bob Joe goes to a costume dress party with a girl on his back. Harold,

answering the door: What are you supposed to be?

Billie Bob Joe: A turtle.

Harold: What do you mean?

Billie Bob Joe: The girl on my back is Michelle.

A skeleton went to the doctor. The doctor looked at the skeleton and said, "Aren't you a littl

late?"

Q. What do you get when you cross a vampire with a mummy?A. Either a flying bandage or a gift wrapped ba

Q. What school subject is a witch good at?A. Spelling.

Q. What did the ghosts eat for dinner? A. Spoke!

Q. What did the pumpkin need for its boo boo?A. A pumpkin patch.

Q. Why is it hard for a ghost to tell a lie?A. Because you can see right through him.

Q. What do you call a witch at the beach? A. A sand-witch.

Q. Why couldn't the skeleton cross the road? A. Because he didn't have the guts.

Q. Why did the skeleton go scuba diving? A. Because he wanted to get some muscles!


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Q. Why did the vampire give up acting?A. Because he couldn't find a part he could sink his teeth int

Q. Why was the skeleton scared to cross the road? A. Because there was a dog on the other side.

Q. What do skeletons say before they start to eat? A. Bone appetite.

Q. What do ghosts serve for dessert? A. I scream.

Q. What monster wears the most clothes? A. A werewolf!

Q. How do you make a witch itch? A. Take away her W.

Q. What did the ghost teacher say to her class?A. "Watch the board and I'll go through it again."

Q. Why didn't the skeleton want to go to the dance?A. Because he had no body to go with.

Paragraphs to be cut and reassembled

How the story started its not for me to tell. History tells us there was this guy, Guy Fawkes who did some bad

things and stayed in history. He haunted the peoples souls and nights long after he was dead. Horror has he brougto their lives until the bonfire was lit and stories were told. However, hes not the only one to haunt the British

gentry.

Although the story comes from British long lost tales there is still a lot of mystery and binding spells to it. Ancient

times have brought to light a feeling that haunted peoples lives long before Guy Fawkes and Macbeth and

Plutarch. Around it there was a circle of distrust, of fear, and terror.

Lying deep inside the peoples souls there was this innate fear of long lost ghosts. Little by little have they tried to

escape but still, the ghosts wouldnt pale.

Lakes and forests and houses and trees seemed to be under the spell of the unseen. Lost and found again themonsters would rise and witches would fly and ghosts would haunt.

Over the years and over the oceans the spirits came to haunt the good people of the world. One evening night,

November first, the dead slowly rose from their graves. Originating in old Celts rite the spirits of the dead came

back from ancient times to haunt the living in their beds.

What happened next is that people found a way to keep the dead away. Where once was terror and surprise there

came jack olanterns with their bright lights. Witches and goblins now wander the streets and merrily they chant

Trick or Treats.


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Elegant witches and handsome monsters may come to your door. Dont cast them away cause pranks will be

played. Eager to play and eager to scare the monsters and witches will come to your way. Embracing the goods, t

candies or change the sweet little monsters will go on their way.

Even if night comes down to an end monsters and zombies will still roam the streets. Eleven has passed but there

still time until the morning sweet light will cast them away. Evening to dawn people get scared and sweet little

laughter gets up in the air.

Now, here comes the day and monsters are away. Night has been sweet and candies shared. Nobody fears the

vampires and the witches, no more, not today. Nice little children have played their way.

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