Halloween traditions that could result in you coining it in.  

Halloween has changed a lot over the years. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Over time, it has evolved into Halloween, a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, festive gatherings, scary costumes, and eating treats.  

In Ireland and Scotland traditionally, the night did not involve sweets, instead they celebrated with coins!  

In 1895, children went door to door and were asked for a simple performance, such as a song or joke, to earn their treat or coin. The use of coins can also be seen in Ireland’s barnbrack cake in which a coin or piece of gold is hidden the lucky person who finds the piece in their slice gets to keep them as a gift.  

Money has remained a certain part of the festival just now in different ways such as people buying costumes for their pets. Americans spent $490 million on costumes for their pets in 2019—more than double what they spent in 2010.  

October is scary enough for some people with our budget in Ireland so we wanted to share some fun tips so that you can avoid those scary costs this Halloween.  

• Make sure you plan ahead – ensure you budget in the cost of your costume, decorations, and sweets and set aside the amount of money needed. This will enable to you avoid the last-minute splurges at higher prices and help you keep within your means.  
• Whether it’s your own costume, or you are helping your children or friends with their costumes, you don’t have to break your bank. Many costumes can be easily and creatively recreated for much less prices.  
• Reuse and upcycle – the trend of upcycling is more popular than ever. Halloween is a great chance to get creative and to restyle old clothes or search through thrift stores or charity shops to see what pieces you can use for your costume and usually at much more affordable prices. This technique is also good for the environment, so a win on both accounts.  
• Asking a friend- You would be surprised what one of your friends might have to complete your look, no one wants to be the same thing for Halloween two years in a row. So, ask a friend, to see if they have a costume for you to borrow.  
• When it comes to preparing for trick-or-treating time, you should consider reusing bags and recreating costumes from what you have around the house, it’s a chance to get creative and save some cash.  

Getting creative and crafty is a fun group activity and can be an activity for both you and your family to get involved in, using recycled material is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to get into the holiday spirit.   Enjoy your costume making.  

 Stay safe and have fun this Halloween and hopefully you’ll avoid some of those scary costs.