All Hallows' Eve

I read an article a few days ago about a woman who said her daughter had a dilemma; she had three Halloween costumes to choose from and didn’t know which one to wear, so what should she do?! (Hashtag first world problems!)

THREE?! It’s a bit much isn’t it? When I was young I wore a black plastic bag and a pointy hat and, for all intents and purposes, I thought I was a witch. But that was the 90’s and those were simpler times.

Today, Halloween is a celebration many people are deeming the ‘new Christmas’ and it’s easy to see why. Retailers are certainly benefiting from the increased popularity of the annual event and a recent report found that, on average, Irish people will spend an estimated €41 million on Halloween this year. That’s a considerable amount of money for a celebration we don’t even get a few days off for!

In line with this, a survey carried out by Webloyalty of 1,500 people found that 60% of people will spend €40 on Halloween purchases. Two thirds of people surveyed said they would be buying chocolate, sweets and confectionary for the occasion, while the survey also discovered that one third of households would be handing out sweets to trick-or-treaters, with traditional Halloween foods such as barmbrack and nuts remaining a must-have.

Cinemas also rake in the big bucks as Halloween fright films dominate the box office. Whether it’s the exorcism of a little girl or someone returning from beyond the grave, Halloween becomes the perfect time to screen the latest horror movies.

Sparkling fairy lights, pumpkins on display and spooky creatures hanging off windows and front doors  has also become a must-do in the weeks leading up to Halloween, with many people putting in much more effort with their exterior decorations in October than December.

In saying that, when compared to Christmas, Halloween spending remains relatively modest.

Undoubtedly though, Halloween has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years and, in some ways, it’s become a celebration much more for adults than for kids. In the past it was regarded as a holiday solely for small children, putting on wigs and masks, and going out trick-or-treating. Nowadays Halloween is just as much for adults as it is for children. Fancy dress themed parties, ‘Nightmare Realmesque’ scare houses and competition over who has the sexiest, funniest or most outrageous costume has now made Halloween a much more exciting time for the big kid in all of us.

Social media has also played its part in the sudden urge to embrace all things spooky and scary. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all helped highlight the day known as All Hallows’ Eve as users share, tweet and post pictures of their costumes, decorations and whatever they may be getting up to on the night.

What will you be doing?!