Halloween 2023: More witches living in Buckinghamshire

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Dozens of Bucks residents said they were witches

There has been a rise in the number of witches living in Buckinghamshire, according to the latest census figures.

As Halloween looms, a look at the most recent census figures shows there are a surprising number of folks who identify as witches, pagans, and even Satanists across England and Wales.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In Buckinghamshire, 102 people selected Wicca as their religion in Census 2021. The religion developed in England during the first half of the 20th century with its name deriving from the Old English 'wicca' and 'wicce', the masculine and feminine term for witch.

A person holding a witch's hat watches the Blue Moon rise over Castle Hill in Huddersfield, it will be the last full moon to fall on Halloween until 2039. (photo from PA Archive/PA Images)A person holding a witch's hat watches the Blue Moon rise over Castle Hill in Huddersfield, it will be the last full moon to fall on Halloween until 2039. (photo from PA Archive/PA Images)
A person holding a witch's hat watches the Blue Moon rise over Castle Hill in Huddersfield, it will be the last full moon to fall on Halloween until 2039. (photo from PA Archive/PA Images)

The number of people identifying as wiccan is up from 81 in the 2011 census.

Across England and Wales, over 12,800 people opted for Wicca as their religion – a slight jump from 11,800 in 2011.

Separately, the number of people selecting Witchcraft as their religion has fallen from nearly 1,300 in 2011 to under 1,100 in the recent census.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The figures show two people selected Witchcraft as their religion in Buckinghamshire in 2021.

While the witch population has not soared, there has been a 30% rise in pagans - from 56,600 people in 2011 to over 73,700 two years ago. In Buckinghamshire, 501 people said they were pagan.

Read More
Aylesbury train route reopens after major 10-week HS2 project

Halloween, which has roots in paganism, originated from the Celtic celebration of Samhain that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the winter. Celts believed the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred on this night.

Celtic priests would build bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Eventually, the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands and All Soul's Day and All Saint's Day – or All-hallows – was created, incorporating some of the original pagan traditions. To celebrate the days, people would light bonfires, throw parades and costume as saints, angels and devils.

Speaking of the devil, Satanism is also on the rise across the nations. Nearly 5,100 people identified as Satanists in the recent census – more than doubling from 1,900 a decade prior.

Despite the name, not all Satanists believe in a literal Lucifer. Instead, it is often a metaphor for questioning authority and rejecting mainstream religion.

In Buckinghamshire, 23 people said they were Satanists.

News you can trust since 1832
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice