Minister of misery
Government kills off Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas
John Swinney yesterday sterday “cancelled” Halloween andnd Bonfire Night... days after thee country was told a normal Christmasmas would not be possible.
The Deputy First Ministerer urged parents and children not to go guising and risk the spread of Covid-19. 9.
But opposing parties warned that by destroying all hope, support rt for restrictions would crumble. .
Parents were yesterday told not to take their children guising this Halloween in the latest Government virus crackdown.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the move is necessar y to ensure people stay within restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings in place to curb the spread of Covid.
The announcement, a week before October 31, has left costume shop owners and fans of the tradition devastated.
It was part of a doublewhammy which a lso includes the public being told to stick to strict safety rules for Bonfire Night next month and just days after national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch provoked fury when he warned the public to get their “digital Christmas ready”.
Swinney said guising would be an “avoidable risk” of spreading the virus and urged parents not to take children trick or treating. The clampdown came as a blow to Halloween fans who spend months planning how to entertain children in their community and raise money for charity.
Oli Keenan was saddened by the announcement but says he was warned by local authority leaders weeks ago to have a low-key celebration.
The 23- year- old and his family decorate their home in Clydebank every year with a gruesome but fun display.
Actor Oli – who went viral online dressed as Stephen King’s Pennywise – said: “My whole year normally revolves around Halloween, so it’s really sad.
“Last year at the house, my family and I did a full The Shining theme. We covered the whole outside with fake snow, the council closed our street off for Halloween so that we could have TV crews here.
“It’s a year’s worth of preparation for me but this year, in April, I had an inclination it would be different.
“We do it for the community, so when all this happened earlier in the year I went into planning in case people weren’t allowed to go out and celebrate.
“I’d initially planned to go on the back of a 60ft float in Clydebank with a whole new theme but the council advised me not to a few weeks ago. I’m doing a virtual Halloween party this year with me in costume as Pennywise. The kids love it every year so it’s such a shame this has happened.”
David O’Hare and his wife Mary have turned their home in Glasgow’s Garthamlock into a house of horrors every year for a decade, spending hundreds of pounds on spooky props .
David, 50, said: “If it was up to us, we’d do a second Halloween rather than Christmas. But, sadly, we won’t be celebrating Hal loween this year because of Covid-19.
“We’re obviously gutted but I don’t want to be that guy who has been the cause of crowds gathering.
“Last year, we had an estimated 800 people or more come through our house and managed to raise more than £ 600
for the British Heart Foundation.” The latest advice came after Swinney said: “Under the current restrictions it is not possible to meet up indoors or in large groups outdoors, so the safest thing to do this year is to stay at home.
“I know guising is a big part of Halloween and children will be sad to miss out, but as door-to- door guising brings an additional and avoidable risk of spreading the virus, our clear advice for families is to avoid it.
“Children can still get dressed up and share jokes with their families, and our Parent Club guidance has lots of fun and creative ideas for families to enjoy a safe celebration at home.
“Adopting alternative celebrations and sticking to the rules in place can go a huge way to ensuring everyone’s safety.” Consumer spending on Hal loween in 2019 contr ibuted £ 474million to the UK economy.
Supermarkets will take a hit and restrictions have also been a nightmare for struggling fancy dress shop owners.
Elisa Duffy, manageress of Fun World in Glasgow said: “The ban on Halloween this year is ki l l ing us. People are disgusted. There’s nowhere to go. It’s a
shame for everyone who is involved in the hire industry and it’s a shame for people who enjoy Halloween.
“Most of our money is made by hire costume and Halloween is like our Christmas.
“Normally you can’t move in our shop for people at this time of year but we have not sold one hire costume.
“The Government is saying we don’t come under the entertainment sector, and that we come under retail, so we’re getting no financial help. I don’t know how we’re going to survive.”
Geoff Paterson, manager of the Jens Haby and Fancy Dress store in Glasgow, said: “We’ve known that this has been coming for a while.
“With the pubs being closed on Hal loween it’s been absolutely horrendous – that’s killing my business as it is. Two days ago, I was hoping that the bars would be opened back up in time for Halloween.
“That’s a third of my business that’s been wiped out because nobody is really buying any costumes.
“If they banned Halloween completely then that would just be another nail in the coffin. I’m relying on the kids that are celebrating with their parents and brothers and sisters.”