Why one town near Glasgow celebrates Halloween on Friday

Every year the people of this Scottish town head out to go guising or enjoy Halloween just like the rest of the country - but with one small difference. It isn’t the 31 of October.

When is Killieween?

Known as Killieween, the residents of Kilmarnock celebrate Halloween on the last Friday of October, no matter the date. Theories about this little known tradition range from the Gaelic festival of Samhain to witches being burned or the clocks going back on the Sunday, but it’s not known exactly why Killieween exists.

The main suggested reason relates back to the town’s industrial past. The last Friday of the month was when payday fell, meaning this was when the majority of the residents would have money to spend on the celebrations.

Why not celebrate on 31 October?

Frank Beattie, former Kilmarnock Standard editor and local historian explained the tradition, saying: “It’s never really been pinned down but it is the day all the major employers paid their staff. Children clocked that dad came home with more money on a Friday even during the 1960s and 70s when industry went in decline.

“It was accepted most children would go out on the Friday knowing they would get a better treat. In England it wasn’t such a big thing until more American ideas came through on national television.

“I looked at old records and papers to try to pin it down but I couldn’t find anything. I’m happy that the origin seems to be the massive employment and Friday is just when the workmen got paid.”

Regardless of why, celebrating on a Friday is ideal for everyone as there’s no school or work (for most) the next day, so kids and adults can relax and stay up late.

Plus, according to the BBC Social, it gives kids in Kilmarnock a chance to go guising twice in one month and stock up on sweets.

Kilmarnock is not the only Scottish location to celebrate Halloween on a different date. Until just over 100 years ago, Halloween was celebrated on November 11 in Killin.

Residents of The Trossachs village observed the festival according to the old Julian calendar, which was broadly disbanded by the rest of Britain in 1752.

A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, The Scotsman