Trick or treating traded for pumpkin hunts
Prize-filled pumpkin hunts replace trick or treat as distancing rules fail to dim desire for some spooky fun
Pumpkin treasure hunts have replaced trick or treating this year, as parents try to entertain their children in the wake of coronavirus measures. Parents will take their own sweets as they walk the streets, then pop them into their child’s bucket as a reward for each pumpkin spotted. The idea started in Sunderland after Fiona Simpson, a mother of two, realised most traditions would be lost this year due to social distancing. It has since grown into a Uk-wide movement.
USUALLY ON Hallowe’en, families head out into the night, knocking door-todoor in their scariest costumes, returni ng home with buckets brimming with sweets.
But this year, a new alternative to trick or treating has emerged as windows across the UK begin to fill with jack-o’-lanterns, from traditional carvings to painted cutouts, and children instead take part in a pumpkin treasure hunt.
It involves parents taking their own sweets as they trawl their community and popping them into their child’s bucket for each pumpkin spotted.
The idea for a treasure hunt started as
a small community initiative in Sunderland in September after Fiona Simpson, a mother-of-two, realised most traditions would be lost this year due to social distancing. It has since grown into a Uk-wide movement.
The founder of Artventurers, which runs children’s art classes, she told The Daily Telegraph: “The idea has really taken off, it’s gone a bit crazy, which is fantastic. It’s as simple as going out of your front door, going for a walk along your local streets and seeing how many pumpkins you can spot.
“We’ve produced a little trail sheet so families can tick them off as they go along and some parents are taking sweets out for their own children, which is lovely.”
The Facebook group for the Big Neighbourhood Pumpkin Trail now has 72,700 members sharing photos of children in their costumes as well as arts and crafts hacks but Ms Simpson said this was just a fraction of those involved, as many don’t use social media.
Councils including Warrington and Mansfield have endorsed the Covidfriendly activity with communities from the Highlands to Wales and Northern Ireland – and even the Netherlands – getting involved.
“People have gone crazy with the decorations in ways that they wouldn’t have done in previous years – they’re sharing ideas and carving the most amazing pumpkins,” said Ms Simpson.
“We all need something to look forward to right now and more than ever people have latched on to Hallowe’en as something positive to plan for.”
As homes prepare for their own house of horrors, retailers have reported a rush of sales for spooky Hallowe’en decorations.
The online retailer ebay has reported a huge rise in shoppers looking for paraphernalia. Searches for Halloween window projectors – designed to cast scary images on to front room windows – have risen by 131 per cent, while searches for Hallowe’en costumes in the past few weeks have gone up by 329 per cent in particular for Harry Potter and Pennywise the clown costumes.
Chris Gardner, director of Home & Garden at ebay said: “It’s great to see that shoppers are still keen to celebrate Hallowe’en, albeit a little differently this year. We have seen items such as window projectors and balloons soar in comparison to this time last year as customers look to decorate the exterior of their homes for others to enjoy from a social distance.
“It’s also great to see that dressing up is still taking place this year, as we’ve seen people purchasing costumes from their favourite films.”
John Lewis and Waitrose reported a s i milar i ncrease in demand f or Hallowe’en items, with sales of its carving pumpkins up by more than 40 per cent compared with last year. Atmospheric lighting is up 57 per cent and candle holders by 16 per cent.
Beth Adams, assistant buyer of stationery and partyware at John Lewis: “We’ve seen hi gh demand f or Hallowe’en decorations compared to last year, with more people celebrating the spookiest night of the year at home or in their garden.”
Sainsbury’s also reported a spike in interest in the grim and ghoulish. A spokesman said: “We are 18 per cent up on outdoor decorations in comparison to last year. In general, we’ve also seen a trend of people investing in bigger decorations for their home in the same way they would invest items for Christmas.”
Reports suggest 2020 could see many more Britons embracing things that go bump in the night.
One survey found that many Britons even appear to prefer Hallowe’en over Christmas, with more than half (55 per cent) saying they enjoy October 31 more than December 25.
It seems people are determined to go ahead with their ghostly celebrations despite Covid restrictions.
More than two thirds said they would dress up at home, with 46 per cent planning to decorate their house.
In Glasgow’s Battlefield district, locals have set up a Hallowe’en trail of spooky window lighting displays for families to follow around the area, to make up for the postponement of the annual lantern parade.