Canadians and Americans most keen to celebrate Halloween
A three-country poll has found that Americans and Canadians are very likely to celebrate Halloween this weekend, while most Britons might stay at home. In the online survey of representative national samples in Canada, the United States and Great Britain, 41 per cent of Canadians and 41 per cent of Americans say that they always celebrate Halloween, while this is true for only 14 per cent of Britons.
This weekend, many people in each of the three countries plan to give candy or sweets to trick-or-treaters (55% in Canada, 53% in the U.S., 29% in Britain).
Respondents in Canada are more likely to say that they will dress up (23%, compared to 20% in the U.S., and 13% in the UK), and that they will decorate their house for Halloween (30%, compared to 26% in the U.S., and 10% in the UK).
More than a quarter of Americans (28%) and one-in-five Canadians (20%) will also watch a horror movie for Halloween.
Still, the vast majority of respondents in all three countries (at least 83%) think Halloween is mostly a celebration for kids, not for adults.
In Canada, people associate Halloween mostly with candy (74%), fun (67%), and creativity (50%). In the U.S., respondents relate Halloween to candy (79%), fun (69%), something scary (47%), and zombies (38%). Many British respondents also think Halloween is fun (45%), and associate it with sweets (46%). But over a third of Britons (35%) also say the festivity is overrated. One fifth of Canadians agree with them.
Halloween is linked to witchcraft for three-in-ten Canadians, a third of Americans, and four-in-ten Britons.
Halloween Alternatives
Several churches have expressed reservations about Halloween, and some have come up with alternative celebrations for Oct. 31. But the poll found that these are not very popular. Less than 10 per cent of respondents in each of the three countries say that they or a member of their family have participated in the Saint Fest or Hallelujah celebration—two Christian alternatives to Halloween.
However, celebrations more related to the fall season do have some fans. A large number of Canadians (23%), Americans (28%) and Britons (37%) have participated in the Harvest Festival instead of Halloween.
In the U.S., going to a pumpkin patch (31%) and attending a Fall Carnival (30%) are popular alternatives to Halloween. In Canada, both are slightly less popular (pumpkin patch at 21%; Fall Carnival at 17%).
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