A U.K. woman recently demanded a ban on all Halloween decorations after a trip to the bathroom left her confused.
The unidentified woman claimed that a Halloween decoration – a sign that read “keep out” – confounded her and left her unable to determine the serviceability of a local businesses toilet.
The woman reported the issue on a local social media platform called Nextdoor. The app allows neighbors in the same communities to communicate about local issues, says MyLondoon, a London based newspaper.
According to the report, a local business had hung a mock “keep out” sign — made to look like it was written in blood — on a toilet on site.
The woman said:
“[I] think that Halloween decorations should be banned. I ended up leaving this establishment because I got confused as to if these toilets were out of service and no entry. How are people expected to be able to know what’s opened and closed when [there are] big keep out signs on everything?”
UK woman reportedly calls for Halloween decoration ban because 'keep out' bathroom sign confused her https://t.co/5ud4g2hIyC pic.twitter.com/8cjBjbYUXD
— New York Post (@nypost) October 31, 2022
While these kinds of signs are commonplace in the United States, Halloween decorations don’t have the same mass appeal and recognition in the UK. Still, Halloween traditions are picking up steam across the pond and becoming more common. According to MyLondon, homes and business in the UK have been decorating for Halloween as part of a growing trend.
According to Historic UK, a history and heritage magazine in the UK, “The current use of pumpkins is a relatively modern innovation imported from the United States, and we can also extend the same debt of gratitude to our friends in America for that ‘quaint’ ‘trick-or-treat’ tradition.”
The magazine also reports that Halloween celebrations in Scotland often involve traditions and activities with roots in the Pagan Celtic festival called Samhain. Many believe that this is the origin of Halloween as we know it in the English speaking western world.
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