Swedish Halloween spending forecast at 1.2 billion kronor

Halloween has not previously been an important celebration in Sweden, but has grown with globalization and Sweden becoming increasingly international with many people from countries of origin other than Sweden.

"Halloween is one of our biggest holidays, alongside student celebrations. A very large part of our budget is devoted to Halloween, so it is very important to us." - Veronika Färlund, a shop worker in Stockholm says to Sveriges Radio

• Svensk Handel, Sweden’s trade federation, expects people in Sweden to spend about 1.2 billion kronor on Halloween.
• Halloween was promoted widely by Swedish retailers in the 1990s.
• Veronika Färlund, who works in a shop in Stockholm, described Halloween as one of the biggest holidays for her business, alongside student celebrations, and said its budget is largely devoted to Halloween.
• In Sweden, Halloween is listed as the English equivalent of Allhelgonaafton, which falls on October 31; it is distinct from the movable Swedish All Saints’ Day holiday.