Most people are gearing up with excitement for the spookiest night of the year — except for one grandmother in Kent, who couldn’t be happier for the haunting celebrations to conclude.
Rae Radford, 61, is a social media influencer and has labeled Halloween as a “complete waste of time and money,” and it’s sparked some debate.
According to Rae, all of the holiday’s traditions such as trick-or-treating, dressing up, and scaring others can do more harm than good.
A 61-year-old grandmother has labeled herself as Halloween’s biggest hater, saying many of its activities are quite harmful
The mother-of-two emphasized her dislike of the chaos before the holiday even begins.
She told MailOnline, “It puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on families in these already tough financial times. It’s another stress but for what reason?”
Not only do school trips cost a handful, but Rae felt as if some of the parents would compete in a popularity contest during Halloween, at the expense of their own children.
“It becomes a fashion show where kids compete with each other and wonder, ‘Who wore the best shoes?’ which is especially harmful when the cost-of-living crisis is considered.”
According to Rae, the act of trick-or-treating contradicts all the lessons parents are meant to teach their children
Trick-or-treating is comparable to begging on the streets, according to the Kent resident.
“You spend most of your year telling your children not to knock on strangers’ doors and not to take sweets from strangers and then, on one day of the year, you go ‘no, that’s fine.’”
She added, “I hate Halloween. I just think it encourages mixed messages and it’s a waste of money. I can’t stand it and think it’s stupid.”
Rae admitted that while she never prohibited her children from the activity, it was also never actively encouraged.
“I have two children, who are grown up now and I have a grandchild,” she said. “When my children were younger, I just told them ‘it’s cold outside. Do you really want to go?’ and they didn’t. They never went at all.
“I never made a big thing of it. I didn’t ban it but I didn’t encourage it either, and I didn’t go on about it.”
She concluded that if things could go her way, she’d “close the curtains and turn all the lights off to prevent trick-or-treaters,” but that she “[lives] with someone who is really kind so we don’t.”
“My partner loves Halloween — he leaves loads of sweets outside [the] entrance, but it’s an absolute no from me — I’m pulling the blinds down!”
Some comments agreed with Rae while others weren’t happy with her opinion
“Wow there’s a lot of miserable so-and-sos on here,” wrote one person while another agreed, “Oh bore off. The kids love it and [it’s] a bit of fun before the start of a long winter.”
“It’s just a bit of fun, you old grouch!” a third echoed.
Others wrote that they hated the holiday, as well, saying it “doesn’t belong in this country.”
“I dislike Halloween too,” a comment read. “I make sure I’m not at home for the trick or treat pests.”
Statistics show a consistently high average spending during Halloween, though this year’s cost is expected to dip from last year
2023’s total Halloween spendings reached a record-setting $12.2 billion in the US, according to eMarketer and this year’s figure is set for $11.6 billion.
Each consumer will spend an approximate average of $103.63, which is also down from last year’s total of $108.24. The percentage of people celebrating the holiday, however, stays consistent — 72% in 2024 versus 73% in 2023.
Rae’s opinion sparked a debate amongst commenters
