October is upon us and reflexively so are pumpkins and eerie decorations. Cue up the ghosts and ghouls because the Halloween season is bewitching us.
It’s the magical time of year when people’s taste buds get downright frightening. Anybody want to order a deceased rodent for Halloween breakfast? Make mine so rare the blood is dripping on the plate.
Forget about bobbing for apples. Bobbing for eyeballs makes folks howl at the moon.
You know who loves Halloween even more than kids?
Retailers!
Granted, retailers all wear masks of anxiety until their hear their cash registers ringing with high decibel levels. With the cost of living continuing to be a pain point for some shoppers, retailers may wonder if this Halloween will be a spooktacular occasion for seasonal shopping.
Fear not. The National Retail Federation’s annual Halloween consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics projects total Halloween spending in 2023 to be a record $12.1 billion, exceeding last year’s record of $10.6 billion.
That obviously would be a gigantic treat for retailers, who’ve been deciphering what will enchant consumers into their physical stores.
In an age where e-commerce is all the rage, physical retailers are reimagining their spaces to offer immersive experiences. Halloween, with its inherent potential for transformation and creativity, is a perfect occasion for this.
With all things Barbie in this country thanks to the movie – at least until Taylor Swift started going to Kansas City Chiefs games to cheer on tight end/podcaster/star of commercials Travis Kelce — it’s hardly a surprise that one of this year’s most popular costumes is expected to be Barbie.
Girls may find it hard to resist the appeal of wearing pink from head to toe for a bit of Halloween magic. And couples can crush it with minimal effort if they dress up as Barbie and Ken.
Hardly shocking is that Swifties will be rocking Taylor Swift Eras costumes. Other trendy costumes are Wendy Addams, Ariel, Princess Peach and Daisy Jones.
These benign costumes are a refreshing counterpoint to merchandisers also laying on the Halloween decorations and costumes gore so thick it makes shrieks and screams leap from one throat to the next. Not to mention making eyes as big as coasters.
After all, fright is a torsion spring-loaded device that can be wound too tight. Too many corpses, clattering bones, severed limbs and butchered body parts oozing goo can drive tormented souls to reach out and touch the darkness – only to wind up grasping a clot of coagulated blood.
Enough Horrorween. Trot out all the Barbie and Ariel costumes you want and even throw in an Aunt Bee or two. This holiday needs a kinder, gentler side. Our violent society needs more connective tissue and fewer disembodied organs.
After all, there’s enough gore in Congress these days.
Happy Halloween, everybody. Hope you get more treats than tricks.
Mike Zielinski, a resident of Berks County, is a columnist, novelist, playwright and screenwriter.
Source: Berkshire mont
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