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Some concerns regarding the celebration of Halloween has led to making certain changes.
Nevertheless, it still remains of the most popular holidays celebrated today. It is especially very popular in Ireland, where it is considered as a
„public holiday‟. Many parts of America also celebrate it as a holiday. This festive occasion has become a very important day in the promotions calendar used for commercial purpose.
In England, the traditional bonfire of Halloween has mostly moved to the celebration of Guy Fawkes on the 5th of November. Thus, the significance and popularity of Halloween festival has faded off in many parts of the world. Health concerns expressed regarding the customs of Halloween, such as bobbing for apples, has led to major changes. Today, people prefer to stay indoors and watch a horror movie in DVD. With such changes in the customs, the door to door collection of sweets and other treats have taken a back seat.
These days, some adults also find the idea of going door to door and asking for treats uncomfortable, especially the custom of threading a trunk if treats are not given. Whereas there are some people, who go out of their way in decorating their houses and hanging gifts and sweets outside. They also love playing with the children on Halloween themes and sound effects that help in creating a ghostly atmosphere. It cannot be denied that kids still love the idea of dressing up in costumes and going door-to door to collect their “loot”.
Another major reasons that has led to fading away of the tradition and customs of Halloween, is the concern of the parents in letting their kids moving from door to door and collecting gifts and sweets from strangers. In some communities, there is a strict supervision to ensure that no problems take place. These dangers alarm the authorities as well as the parents. Health issues have also been raised regarding the kids eating unwrapped and unsafe sweets. Due to this, the charity fund scheme run by UNICEF for Halloween was cut back in 2006.
As a result of these concerns, the traditional style of celebrating Halloween has faded in certain parts of the world. Today, it is mainly confined to the smaller and safer neighborhoods. In the cities, it has been replaced by theme costume parties organized by individuals and business organizations.
However, still today there are some families who have kept the traditions and customs of Halloween alive. They still enjoy cladding themselves and kids with costumes, going door to door trunk-ortreating, and enjoying a block Halloween party.