Overview
- Historians say Halloween grew out of All Hallows' Eve and older Irish and Scottish customs such as Samhain and 'guising', where people dressed up to ward off or placate spirits.
- Scottish and Irish emigrants carried those practices to the United States in the 19th century, where pumpkin carving and house‑to‑house guising became widespread and visible in film and TV.
- German costume manufacturers and the Fachgruppe Karneval of the DVSI pushed Halloween in the 1990s after 1991 carnival cancellations left them with unsold stock, using media campaigns to establish the festival as an autumn sales occasion.
- This week’s coverage (Oct. 21–22) concentrates on practical prep and safety: local family events, pumpkin‑carving tips, warnings about bitter or toxic ornamental gourds, LED lighting for jack‑o'lanterns, and simple DIY effects like beetroot 'fake blood'.
- Commentators note Halloween’s commercial weight—industry figures cited about €30 million in 2009 sales—and scholars say the festival succeeded because media and marketing met a social appetite for new, secular seasonal rituals.