During the year she is ‘just’ an administrative assistant, but in the run-up to Halloween, Saskia van Geijlswijk changes course. Then she is in her Halloween shop in Haarlem six days a week. Her business premises on the Waalderpolder industrial estate are overflowing with life-size bloodthirsty skeletons, horrific horror clowns and horrifying humming little girls with bloodshot eyes. “It’s great when people are startled in the store”, Saskia beams. “Then you think for a moment: yes!”
Saskia runs her own Halloween shop in Haarlem – NH Nieuws
Halloween more and more popular
Halloween is growing in popularity every year. In America they have been horrified to a large extent for much longer, but it is also being done more and more in the Netherlands. The party actually only starts on October 31, but Saskia opens her shop about two months before that. “I have quite a bit of run-up,” she says. “There is, among other things, a hardware store nearby. People then think: hey, I’ll walk in there too.”
By the way, entering is entirely at your own risk: you may be shocked by the leplazarus. Out of nowhere, life-size skeleton dolls with red-hot eyes can begin to move, accompanied by a chilling scream. The doll in question is for rent, but also for sale for a sloppy seven hundred euros. However, a young couple walking in and soon having a Halloween party is just looking for some decorations. “We’re going like Bonny and Clyde,” says the young lady. “So we’re looking for some gunshot wounds.” Her friend adds, “The bloodier, the better.”
“Where does my fascination for the scary come from? Maybe I’m a little dark myself”
Saskia was gripped by the Halloween virus when she was in America with her boyfriend four years ago. “It’s so big there and people put so much effort there to make it spectacular,” said the entrepreneur. “We really wanted to bring that to the Netherlands.” Why the Haarlem girl is so attracted to the scary, she doesn’t really know that well. “Maybe I’m a little dark myself,” she laughs.