Halloween, Scotland, and the DATTs Spirit
Halloween has always been a very DATTs season. It’s a celebration of the dark, the mysterious, and the chaotic… all things we delight in hacking into the traditions of tailoring. But beyond the pumpkins, costumes, and gothic revelry, Halloween’s roots run deep into Scottish soil.
From Samhain to Halloween
Long before the modern Halloween parties and trick-or-treating, the ancient Celts marked the festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-in or SAH-vin). The word comes from the Old Irish for “summer’s end”, and that’s exactly what it was: the moment when the warm, light half of the year gave way to the cold, dark one.
Samhain was a liminal time when the veil between the living and the dead was believed to grow thin. Fires were lit to protect communities, people disguised themselves to ward off or confuse wandering spirits, and offerings of food and drink were left out to appease the Aos Sí, the otherworldly fairies and ancestors thought to walk the earth on this night.
Traditional Samhain Celebrations
Across Scotland, Samhain carried its own rituals and games:
- Bonfires: Huge fires blazed on hilltops to ward off spirits and protect travellers.
- Disguises & Masks: The origin of guising. People dirtied their faces with ash or wore animal skins to trick the spirits.
- Fortune Telling: Apples, nuts, and oatcakes were used to divine love and luck.
- Feasting: A meal was shared, with an empty place set for ancestors returning for one night only.
Over time, these traditions merged with Christian observances and European folklore, evolving into what we now know as Halloween. But much of the eerie ritual we associate with the night, such as disguises, lanterns, and ghost stories, still bears the mark of Scotland’s Samhain.
Guising, Ghosts and Games
If you went “trick-or-treating” in Scotland even a generation ago, you’d have called it guising. Children dressed in masks and homemade costumes, often more eerie than cute, and went door-to-door, performing songs or jokes in exchange for sweets, fruit, or nuts.
Fortune-telling and party games filled the night: apple-dooking (bobbing), nuts thrown into the fire to test love’s fate, and bannocks baked with charms hidden inside. The mix of play and superstition reflected Halloween’s essence. It is a night balanced between laughter and the unknown.
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The Aesthetic of Shadows
Halloween carries with it a visual language that resonates perfectly with DATTs: skulls and bones, fire and shadow, and tradition turned inside-out. Scotland gave Halloween its haunted bones and at DATTs we are only too happy to drape those bones in rebellious tailoring.
Halloween Tartans: Three Collections for the Season
Halloween isn’t just about costumes, it’s about colour, texture, and atmosphere. Some tartans blaze like bonfires; others brood like storm clouds. Here are three DATTs-approved tartan moods for the season:
🔥 The Fiery Set: Tartans of Blood & Flame
For those who walk through the dark carrying their own light
Macbeth
Cursed drama in red and black
Macbeth Medium from Barington Fabrics
Wallace
Rebellion made visible
Wallace Modern Red Tartan from Marton Mills
Buchanan
Ember-orange woven into wool at sunset.
Buchanan Reproduction from Lochcarron
Gaelic Fire
Flames burning in Scotland’s Dark skies
Gaelic Fire Hebridean from House of Edgar
🦇 The Gothic Set: Tartans of Darkness & Drama
For midnight halls, masquerades, and dangerous elegance
Black Stewart
Midnight plaid with crimson veins
Stewart Modern Black from Marton Mills
Lindsay Modern
Wine-dark, like velvet and candle smoke
Lindsay Modern from Strathmore Woollen Co.
Fraser Red
Blood-bright and unrepentant
Fraser Red tartan from House of Edgar
Spirit of Scotland
Regal purples, moonlight, and mystery
Spirit of Scotland Modern from Lochcarron
🌑 The Noir Set: Tartans in Shadow
For those who understand that subtlety is the truest form of power
Black Isle
Grey on black, mist over water
Black Isle tartan from Marton Mills
Douglas Black
Monochrome whispers in wool
Dark Douglas Black from Lochcarron.
Dark Island Black
Marled and dangerous
Dark Island Black from House of Edgar
Black Watch Dark
So deep it hides until the candlelight reveals it
Black Watch Dark from Barrington Fabrics
Each of these tartans carries a story of rebellion, mystery, or restraint. Some blaze with firelight, others vanish into darkness. Whichever you choose, Halloween is the time to embrace transformation and to become your own myth.
👉 Discover your clan’s haunted hues and rebellious heritage through our Tartan Finder.
Why Halloween Matters to DATTs
At DATTs, we embrace what Halloween has always symbolised in Scotland: crossing boundaries, playing with identity, and honouring the shadows. Whether you’re planning your wedding in a gothic castle or simply love the thrill of the uncanny, this season reminds us that tradition is there to be reimagined and that darkness can be beautiful.
So, as the nights grow longer and the veil grows thin, pour yourself a dram, pull on your tartan, and step into the chaos.
After all, the devil is in the tailoring.