Although initially rooted in ancient Celtic tradition, modern-day Halloween is about as American as it gets. While commonly celebrated in countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, none of the international festivities compare to the atmosphere here in the U.S.
We love the scary decorations, costumes and all the sweet treats. But mostly, we love buying them. Even if you aren’t someone who likes to dress up, the candy aisle around this time of year is always calling.
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent a record $12.2 billion on Halloween-related items in 2023. Halloween is the second largest retail holiday in America, with seven out of 10 Americans choosing to celebrate.
Herein lies the question: how did Uncle Sam manage to turn Halloween into something so distinctly American?
To answer, it all circles back to what we as Americans seem to know best — consumerism.
Consumer culture in America began to take off just before the turn of the 20th century, following the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of shopping centers and department stores. Now, people have more than one option of things to buy. Following World War I, consumption increased even more, into the prosperous era of the 1920s.
For the first time, Americans had created disposable income for themselves.
Although the Great Depression stopped this effect for some time, the solution for getting out of this downturn was reasoned and advertised to be injecting more money into the economy. Essentially, buying more stuff. Since then, American market behavior has leaned into this mindset, opting to spend rather than save.
Not so coincidentally, the rise in popularity of Halloween in America coincides with this timeline.
As Irish immigrants began to arrive en masse to the U.S. in the 19th century, they brought the holiday All Saints Day with them. Celebrated on Nov. 1, all Saints Day is a Catholic celebration of all those who have passed on, and the night before, or All Hallows Eve, many celebrate the dead.
With this, American Halloween was born, and with the rise of mass production and consumption, the holiday became mainstream.
Dr. Lauren Kim, assistant professor and researcher in the Retail and Consumer Studies department at the University of Minnesota, explained self-expression is what sets Halloween apart from other consumer holidays.
“It’s moving to more of a larger scale commercial holiday where it’s all about purchasing costumes and making customizations,” Kim said.
There is nothing more American than consumerism, but a close second is wanting to stand out.
Kim went on to say the fear factor surrounding Halloween amplifies this behavior even more.
“There’s an appeal of thrill-seeking,” Kim said. “People like to enjoy the adrenaline that associates with this fear which drives sales around horror-themed events.”
Kim said consumer behavior during Halloween exemplifies hedonism, the philosophy that pleasure is the ultimate motivator for people.
“When people go shopping or consume things, they don’t do it just for practicality sake,” Kim said. “They do it because it’s fun. I think impulsive Halloween shopping decisions could also come from hedonic motivations where you’re looking for items you don’t necessarily need.”
Consumer culture made Halloween popular in America and continues to foster significant social pressure around the holiday today.
Karina Geytsman, a fifth-year student, said Halloween can be just as much about fitting in as standing out.
“People always want to match costumes,” Geytsman said. “People want to do group costumes and stuff like that. So I think it’s also about wanting to participate in something with someone.”
Natalie Segedi, a first-year student, said buying more than one costume for the holiday has almost become the norm.
“I know a lot of people just in general get multiple,” Segedi said. “So I might have to pick up another one just so I can have more options.”
It might not be what comes to mind when you think of American holidays, but with how we celebrate, Halloween exemplifies being a proud American like none other.
Maybe this is the year you decide to cut back on what you typically buy this time of year. Or not. Either way, make sure you still treat yourself with some Halloween candy. It’s your patriotic duty.