Pumpkins are more expensive this year. What isn't?Now here's a scary thought. Despite the sorry state of the economy, consumers are expected to spend $5.8 billion celebrating Halloween this year. Is everybody crazy?
For generations, children in a variety of homemade and store-bought costumes have criss-crossed the streets of their neighborhoods on the night of Octobert 31st, begging for treats, and making a generally pro forma promise of tricks if they are denied. When I was young, the treats included apples, home-baked cookies, and homemade popcorn balls, along with many a lollipop and package of chewing gum. In today's more dangerous and litigious times, no homeowner I can think of would offer a trick-or-treater anything not store made and properly sealed. Hundreds of so-called "fun size" Snickers bars and Reese's Peanutbutter Cups, Smarties, Gummi-Worms, and whatever candy may be in fashion, are passed out to eager children jostling each other at the door. The convention in my area is, if the porchlight is on, trick-or-treaters are welcome. If the light is off, pass on to the next lit-up house. For several hours on Halloween night I hear children rushing by on the sidewalks outside, giggling and conversing among themselves. By 8:30pm, those children have disappeared, and after 10pm teenagers in makeshift costumes are making the rounds and making more than their share of noise. By that time, most of the porch lights are off and no one is answering doors. If an unknown adult in costume came to the door on Halloween, most people would call 911.
However, for reasons I will never understand, Halloween has become a big business holiday in recent years. Adults have embraced Halloween with a vengeance. Some speculate that this is because people need to let off steam during the long period without celebrations between the Fourth of July and the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year holiday period. Whatever the reason, the rise in adult participation in Halloween has had a variety of effects. For one thing, there has been an increase in crime related to Halloween. While children compete to amass candy treats, adults reach for the alcohol. There has also been a marked increase in spending for adult Halloween parties, many in restaurants, nightclubs, and resorts. Adult Halloween costumes are expensive, and many of them are pretty sexy, although celebrity masks have retained their appeal, as well. In fact, celebrity Halloween parties are on the rise, too, many on television. The cost of all this is staggering, nearly $6 billion in spending on what used to be a low-tech kiddie event. Some retailers hope to recover at Halloween some of the profits they used to rake in at Christmas.
I would have expected the bad economy to depress Halloween spending, but the opposite seems to be true. People looking for an escape from stress, and the fact that Halloween falls on a Friday in 2008, has led to more adult interest in Halloween celebrations. Costumes, decorations, cards, candy, party supplies-- Halloween costs consumers a lot, and more consumers than ever are ready to pay the price. I suppose they'll charge it to their credit cards and worry about the consequences tomorrow. Spooky, isn't it?
