To most folk it is simply Halloween, but to scores of people living in Bolton today is Samhain, one of the biggest festivals in the Wiccan calendar.

Census data released shows that more than 70 witches are living in Bolton, with numbers increasing.

With many celebrating Halloween today, it may be interesting to know that there are a surprising number of people identifying as witches, pagans, and even Satanists across England and Wales.

In Bolton, 71 people selected Wicca as their religion in Census 2021, which is up from 38 people identifying as wiccan in the 2011 census.

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.

The Bolton News: While the witch population has not soared, there has been a 30 per cent rise in pagans - from 56,600 people in 2011 to over 73,700 in 2021.

In Bolton, 284 people said they were pagan in 2021.

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.

The figures show one person selected Witchcraft as their religion in Bolton in 2021.

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.

The Bolton News: Eventually, the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands and All Soul's Day and All Saint's Day, or All Hallows Eve, 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.

Satanism is also on the rise across the nations, with nearly 5,100 people identifying as Satanists in the recent census – more than doubling from 1,900 a decade prior.

In Bolton, 21 people said they were Satanists.

Despite the name, not all Satanists believe in a literal Lucifer.

Instead, it is often a metaphor for questioning authority and rejecting mainstream religion.

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.