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| The transatlantic Halloween divide | The transatlantic Halloween divide |
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| By Finlo Rohrer BBC News, Washington | By Finlo Rohrer BBC News, Washington |
| A curious subculture of extreme DIYers-turned-home theme park designers illustrates how the US revels in Halloween, a less-regarded festival on the other side of the Atlantic. | A curious subculture of extreme DIYers-turned-home theme park designers illustrates how the US revels in Halloween, a less-regarded festival on the other side of the Atlantic. |
| How far is too far? | How far is too far? |
| A 30ft monster? An illuminated pumpkin the size of a family car? Or a mock graveyard complete with pneumatically-operated skeletons? | |
| Welcome to the world of the "home haunters", Americans who dedicate months of every year to putting together the ultimate amateur Halloween display in their front garden. | Welcome to the world of the "home haunters", Americans who dedicate months of every year to putting together the ultimate amateur Halloween display in their front garden. |
| Walk past these enthusiasts' homes at Halloween and you can see the DIY versions of all of the tricks of the Ghost Train ride at a real theme park. Ghosts flutter in windows, graves spring open and skeletons pop up and talk. | Walk past these enthusiasts' homes at Halloween and you can see the DIY versions of all of the tricks of the Ghost Train ride at a real theme park. Ghosts flutter in windows, graves spring open and skeletons pop up and talk. |
| There is no commercial element. Just legions of parents and young trick-or-treaters who turn up at suburban front gardens to see how far a hobby can go. | There is no commercial element. Just legions of parents and young trick-or-treaters who turn up at suburban front gardens to see how far a hobby can go. |
| Eric Lowther started as a home haunter in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 2001 and by 2006 things had started to get out of hand. | Eric Lowther started as a home haunter in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 2001 and by 2006 things had started to get out of hand. |
| "It got to be so big we had to block up the road and we had 5,000 people. There were way too many people." | "It got to be so big we had to block up the road and we had 5,000 people. There were way too many people." |
| Mr Lowther had to move his display from his home to a farm where his imagination could run free without causing traffic jams. He raises money for charity but otherwise is only motivated by love of Halloween. | Mr Lowther had to move his display from his home to a farm where his imagination could run free without causing traffic jams. He raises money for charity but otherwise is only motivated by love of Halloween. |
| "I've always loved scary things. Halloween lets you get so wild on the imagery." | "I've always loved scary things. Halloween lets you get so wild on the imagery." |
| There are thousands of home haunters in the US, just like Mr Lowther. | There are thousands of home haunters in the US, just like Mr Lowther. |
| "I run a site that connects all these Halloween crazies," says Steve O'Connor, from Providence, Rhode Island, who is the custodian of Garage of Evil Network. "We are a niche within a niche. I spend a large portion of my year sitting in my garage workshop custom carving tombstones." | "I run a site that connects all these Halloween crazies," says Steve O'Connor, from Providence, Rhode Island, who is the custodian of Garage of Evil Network. "We are a niche within a niche. I spend a large portion of my year sitting in my garage workshop custom carving tombstones." |
| Like many home haunters, Mr O'Connor has become something of a jack of all trades, learning to weld, build pneumatic-powered devices, tackle advanced electrics and software coding. | Like many home haunters, Mr O'Connor has become something of a jack of all trades, learning to weld, build pneumatic-powered devices, tackle advanced electrics and software coding. |
| The home haunters are at the extreme end of the Halloween spectrum, but it's easy to gauge how seriously the US takes Halloween. | The home haunters are at the extreme end of the Halloween spectrum, but it's easy to gauge how seriously the US takes Halloween. |
| Spending on the holiday rocketed during the last decade before stabilising as the downturn kicked in. | Spending on the holiday rocketed during the last decade before stabilising as the downturn kicked in. |
| This year Americans will spend $5.8bn (£3.6bn) on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. | This year Americans will spend $5.8bn (£3.6bn) on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. |
| A survey by market research firm Mintel found 23% of Americans would buy special decorations for their home, the second largest proportion for any holiday, after Christmas. | A survey by market research firm Mintel found 23% of Americans would buy special decorations for their home, the second largest proportion for any holiday, after Christmas. |
| In the UK, Halloween has to compete with Bonfire Night just a few days later. Both occasions echo elements of the Celtic festival of samhain. | In the UK, Halloween has to compete with Bonfire Night just a few days later. Both occasions echo elements of the Celtic festival of samhain. |
| Some in the UK see Halloween as a festival susceptible to American influence. Britons used to carve turnips into lantern, but now the pumpkin has achieved transatlantic dominance. | Some in the UK see Halloween as a festival susceptible to American influence. Britons used to carve turnips into lantern, but now the pumpkin has achieved transatlantic dominance. |
| You can find evidence that the UK is taking Halloween more seriously. The British supermarket chain Waitrose - which releases very detailed sales figures - is selling 13% more pumpkin carving kits, 21% more decorations and a scarcely credible 676% more large pumpkins than last year. | You can find evidence that the UK is taking Halloween more seriously. The British supermarket chain Waitrose - which releases very detailed sales figures - is selling 13% more pumpkin carving kits, 21% more decorations and a scarcely credible 676% more large pumpkins than last year. |
| But it would be hard to argue that the UK even comes close to matching the US in the sheer visible exuberance of Halloween. | But it would be hard to argue that the UK even comes close to matching the US in the sheer visible exuberance of Halloween. |
| The build-up to Halloween in the US lasts weeks, wrapped up in some places with harvest festivities and the like. You can drive around a rural area and see corn dollies and carved pumpkins. In the cities, even the tiniest front garden can accommodate a plastic gravestone or two. | The build-up to Halloween in the US lasts weeks, wrapped up in some places with harvest festivities and the like. You can drive around a rural area and see corn dollies and carved pumpkins. In the cities, even the tiniest front garden can accommodate a plastic gravestone or two. |
| While it originated in the UK, Halloween started to take on an important, communal element in the early 20th Century when it was something that could be celebrated by a range of immigrant communities, says Lesley Bannatyne, author of Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History. | While it originated in the UK, Halloween started to take on an important, communal element in the early 20th Century when it was something that could be celebrated by a range of immigrant communities, says Lesley Bannatyne, author of Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History. |
| "It was celebrated as a great, big town-wide party. Halloween from that point on has always been a large American holiday." | "It was celebrated as a great, big town-wide party. Halloween from that point on has always been a large American holiday." |
| It went up a gear in the 1950s and 1960s spurred by the baby boom. | It went up a gear in the 1950s and 1960s spurred by the baby boom. |
| "There was a huge burst in the building of suburbs," Ms Bannatyne notes. "It made trick or treating wildly popular." | "There was a huge burst in the building of suburbs," Ms Bannatyne notes. "It made trick or treating wildly popular." |
| Since then, a sort of feedback loop has occurred between the holiday and US popular culture. A link to horror films cemented the appeal for teenagers and young adults. | Since then, a sort of feedback loop has occurred between the holiday and US popular culture. A link to horror films cemented the appeal for teenagers and young adults. |
| As well as parents and children, Halloween is also very much about students and twentysomethings having raucous costume parties. | As well as parents and children, Halloween is also very much about students and twentysomethings having raucous costume parties. |
| In the last 10 years the greetings card and plastic decoration firms have more thoroughly exploited Halloween. | In the last 10 years the greetings card and plastic decoration firms have more thoroughly exploited Halloween. |
| "It used to be that 10 years ago people were making their own tombstone decorations - now you can get a really gorgeous looking tombstone for $8 (£5)," says Ms Bannatyne. | "It used to be that 10 years ago people were making their own tombstone decorations - now you can get a really gorgeous looking tombstone for $8 (£5)," says Ms Bannatyne. |
| There are workers in Chinese factories bemusedly creating these plastic gravestones, she suggests. | There are workers in Chinese factories bemusedly creating these plastic gravestones, she suggests. |
| For Tina Reuwsaat, Halloween is a chance to turn her home in Medford, Oregon, into Darkwing Manor and Morguetorium Museum. | For Tina Reuwsaat, Halloween is a chance to turn her home in Medford, Oregon, into Darkwing Manor and Morguetorium Museum. |
| "My husband and I are ancient Romanian vampires. We have opened this old Victorian manor for all kinds of other lost souls to join us," she says. | "My husband and I are ancient Romanian vampires. We have opened this old Victorian manor for all kinds of other lost souls to join us," she says. |
| Ms Reuwsaat has been doing the home haunting for nearly three decades, with the emphasis on antique memorabilia rather than modern horror. The exhibits are indoors as well as out. | Ms Reuwsaat has been doing the home haunting for nearly three decades, with the emphasis on antique memorabilia rather than modern horror. The exhibits are indoors as well as out. |
| "There's no gore, chainsaws and Freddie Kruger. Instead it's witches and fairies and magical things. | "There's no gore, chainsaws and Freddie Kruger. Instead it's witches and fairies and magical things. |
| "We are not sacrificing small animals to Satan. It's just a fun holiday and a chance to raise money for abused children." | "We are not sacrificing small animals to Satan. It's just a fun holiday and a chance to raise money for abused children." |
| While home haunters do not make money out of their displays, many find themselves being recruited by businesses to replicate their work. | While home haunters do not make money out of their displays, many find themselves being recruited by businesses to replicate their work. |
| Mr O'Connor has done designed for theme parks and worked at attractions. But he would never let it detract from his home display. | Mr O'Connor has done designed for theme parks and worked at attractions. But he would never let it detract from his home display. |
| "If I stopped doing it the neighbourhood children would probably attack my house." | "If I stopped doing it the neighbourhood children would probably attack my house." |
| The exuberance of the home displays may offer a clue to the transatlantic divide. In the US, the festival acts as a bonanza of personal expression. | The exuberance of the home displays may offer a clue to the transatlantic divide. In the US, the festival acts as a bonanza of personal expression. |
| "People are free to express whatever we value or like about in the way no other holiday does," says Ms Bannatyne. "Your costume is a form of expression - your front yard is a form of expression." | "People are free to express whatever we value or like about in the way no other holiday does," says Ms Bannatyne. "Your costume is a form of expression - your front yard is a form of expression." |
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