Chris Whiteside's Blog

 “Is there any more ominous political prefix than 'former Liberal Democrat'?” (David Aaronovitch)

 

Today is All Saints day, tomorrow is All Souls Day and yesterday was All Hallow's Eve, usually shortened to Halloween. The shops were full of items themed for ghosts, witches, monsters and horror but by now have always been replaced in most shops with material themed for Christmas. Retailers deperately trying to keep their business afloat in the face of the damage done by Rachel Reeves and the Labour government have, amusingly, noved faster than some places of Christian worship: the place where I went to an interdenominational church service this morning still had skeletons and other Halloween decorations up! (That would have incensed some Christians once but I think most of us are a little less easily triggered these days.) I was told as a child that this time of the year was originally a great Pagan festival which was co-opted by the early Christian church. In medieval times there was an important three-day festival called "Allhallowtide" in the Christian calendar...