Halloween second most important retail holiday of the year,

after Christmas says York U. Prof.

TORONTO, October 26, 2004 -- Canadians spend more than $700 million a year on Halloween candy, costumes and party accessories. In the United States, that figure is approximately $6.8 billion, making Halloween the second most important retail holiday of the year, after Christmas reveals York University history Prof. Nicholas Rogers.

“If you thought that Halloween was only about Jack-o'-lanterns, trick-or-treating and spooky stories, think again,” says Rogers. “Halloween means serious money for businesses.”

Rogers book, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (Oxford University Press 2002) chronicles the rich and complex history of this popular night.

Rogers traces Halloween from its Celtic and Christian origins to its arrival in North America as an Irish and Scottish festival, and its development into the unofficial, but large-scale holiday it is today. He examines the 1970s and 1980s phenomena of Halloween sadism (including razor blades in apples), inner-city violence (including the Toronto Kew Beach riot of 1945), Devil's Night, and Halloween's immense influence on the horror film genre.

-30-

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Ken Turriff, Media Relations, York University, 416-736-2100, x22086 / kturriff@yorku.ca

YU/000/04