Tales from the Commons beat Tales from the Crypt as Poll Of Britain’s Scariest Things Ranks Politicians Above All Else

Tales from the Commons beat Tales from the Crypt

Spiders, Brexit, FOMO and coriander poll higher than horror movies in Britain's League Table of Fears

With Halloween approaching, there is mounting evidence that real world fears are eclipsing imaginary fears, according to poll for Clintons.

Traditional blood curdling horror movies, such as The Exorcist and the Blair Witch Project, have given way to politicians, Brexit, debt and coriander, according to the poll.

Politicians fare worst, with over half of those polled (56%) expressing fear of our elected representatives. FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out, also featured highly with 25% admitting to this form of social anxiety.

Autumn's Spider season (aka spider mating season), was voted number three on the list.

Other fears cited include going to the dentist, extreme weather events and herds of cows. On a more positive note, fewer than 5% of us now fear rodents which is surely good news for those celebrating Rodent Awareness Week (22– 28 Oct).

Horror movies came 14th in the poll, implying that imaginative horrors simply aren't making the grade this year. This is despite October being Horror movie release season, with 17 films scheduled to premiere.

Tim Fairs, VP Marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, said "It's extraordinary that people are more afraid of Prime Minister's Questions and Question Time than they are of The Exorcist. Reassuringly, Halloween isn't all about fear. It's about parties and pumpkins and a liberal application of face paints. What we do know is that it's an increasingly popular occasion here in the UK. Judging by this year's fear index, there could be some very creative trick or treat costumes in the works."

Halloween is celebrated across the world on the night of 31st October. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Until 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived across Britain, Ireland and northern France. The Pre-Christian Celtic year was determined by growing seasons. Samhain marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of winter. The festival symbolised the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

Clintons sells a wide range of Halloween decorations, skeleton balloons, ghoulish makeup, candles, plush beanies and themed mugs.

About Clintons
Clintons was founded in 1968 and is a leading retailer of greeting cards, gifts and wrap in the United Kingdom. There are currently hundreds of stores all over the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as a fully transactional website. Every year, over 30 million people visit our stores.

We require all our suppliers to comply with applicable law, including the EU timber regulations. FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council, is widely respected as having one of the most robust and stringent forest certification programs in place to ensure ethical sourcing of paper products. We continue to strive to ensure the ethical sourcing of our timber products.