What Are Halloween Boo Boxes?
- Susan Luxford
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 2
Mention Halloween, and there will be someone proclaiming how American culture has come to the UK. However, Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic pagan festival of Samhain here in the UK, which marked the end of summer and its' bountiful harvest, and the beginning of the dark cold winter, when food becomes scarce. The Samhain festival (meaning summer's end) symbolised the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead and jack-o’-lanterns were carved into turnips and lit with a candle to keep away evil spirits. Even trick or treating has roots to our medieval times, when paupers went “souling” and soul-cakes were given and received.
So Halloween has been a part of the UK calendar for thousands of years. But what has come from America in recent times, are Boo boxes (or Boo baskets). These originate from a "You've Been Boo'd" custom in the US, of secretly delivering a basket of treats to someone, usually family, neighbours or friends.
Are Boo boxes relevant in the UK?
Increasingly families and individuals are looking to connect with nature, the seasons and the cycle of the year; celebrating and appreciating the passing of time and the activities that mark the changes. Boo Baskets offer the opportunity to gift with purpose and maximise on all the seasonal magic of Autumn and the (Mabon) Equinox when days become shorter.
Seasonal baskets whether they be Easter Baskets, Boo Boxes or Christmas Eve Boxes, when collated with thoughtful seasonal related gifts, enable us to treat the kids without the excess or tat, and to make gifting both purposeful and meaningful.
A kids Boo Basket is typically filled with autumn gifts and Halloween-inspired treats. Here are some easy ideas for a spooktacular boo basket for kids:
Spooky or magic themed puzzles or board games
Halloween, pumpkin or woodland themed stickers and colouring books
Baking kits
Woodland or Halloween themed soft toys or animal figurines
Halloween or Autumn themed fidget toys, playdough and slime for sensory fun
Fun costume accessories for trick or treating and the upcoming school spooky disco
Halloween crafts (to make DIY decorations!)
Halloween and Autumnal picture and story books
Halloween or Autumn themed clothing especially for the colder days and evenings.
Autumnal related fairies, elves, dragons and mythical beasts
Potion Kits
All our Autumn themed gifts and toys can be viewed here
All our Halloween themed gifts and toys can be viewed here
Below are examples of what is available at Timeless Toys:
Comments