Written By Jeffrey Roth
Halloween is not just a children’s holiday.
In fact, it never was.
Just as many, if not more, adults than children participate in the holiday. Halloween traditions are rooted in the pagan festival of Samhain. The Gaels of Ireland and Scotland marked the celebration, held on the evening of October 31, with bonfires, food, drink, masks and costumes.
It was a night believed to be the time when the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead merged, and the dead once again walked the earth. With the advent of Christianity, Samhain was transformed by the church as All Hallow’s Evening or Hallowe’en, the night before All Hallow’s Day or All Saint’s Day.
It was not until 1911 that the custom of children wearing costumes and masks was first recorded in Kingston, Ontario. The custom soon spread across the border into the U.S. Since that time Halloween has become big business.
In 2012 consumers spent an estimated $8 billion on candy, costumes, decorations and related items, according to Kathy Grannis, spokesperson for the National Retail Federation. The survey, conducted on behalf of NRF by BIGinsight noted that 170 million, or seven out of 10 Americans, celebrated Halloween, making it the second-largest retail holiday. Christmas remains the No. 1 time for holiday consumer spending.
Last year, the average consumer spent almost $80 on Halloween-related items. With this year’s economic recovery, experts expect that personal spending for Halloween will increase.
“By the time Halloween rolls around each year it’s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president. “Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard dcor top people’s shopping lists.”
More than half of all Americans will decorate their homes, yards or apartments for Halloween. More than 45 percent of consumers will wear costumes and more than 36 percent will attend or host a party. More than 33 percent of parents will take children trick-or-treating; and more than 15 percent will dress pets in spooky costumes.
Spencer Gifts, the retail chain doing business in malls across the country, operates more than 1,050 Spirit Halloween specialty stores throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and Canada, said Lauren Naru, the chain’s spokesperson. This is Spirit Halloween’s 30th year. The company will have 20 locations in Maryland, which includes one at the TownMall, in Westminster, she said.
“Spirit Halloween’s specialty retail stores are the most comprehensive destinations for everything you can imagine for Halloween,” Naru said. “A trend Spirit Halloween has seen evolve over the past several years is that some consumers are looking for more than just a costume in a bag. Being your favorite superhero no longer means you only have one costume option. Spirit Halloween carries everything from caped T-shirts to sassy corsets and tutus so consumers can build their own unique look.”
The hottest items for this Halloween, said Naru, will be a mix of classic costumes with modern adaptations representing popular icons from TV and film. Batman, Superman, The Avengers, Spiderman and characters from The Walking Dead, (which Spirit Halloween offers exclusive characters and styles for popular characters, such as a women’s Sassy Rick Grimes); Disney Princess for girls, Ninjas for boys and Toy Story characters for the family, she said.
“The celebration of Halloween has grown largely because of an increased sense of awareness in today’s society, and social media plays a big role,” Naru said. “Halloween has long been known for that one amazing night a year where you can become anything you want and get away with it. It’s a time for us all, kids and adults alike, to go out, dress up and just have fun with new and old friends and family. As kids grow up, they carry the tradition of wanting to celebrate through college and into their adult lives.”
Harriet Berlin, owner of Artistic Costumes & Dance Fashions, in Towson, said that for the past 32 years, the store has provided costumes, dance fashion, tap shoes, prosthetics and other items to individuals, dance studios and theater groups throughout the region. Her family has been in the theatrical and dance supply business for more than 60 years. Halloween-related business has increased steadily over the years.
“We outfit kids who take dance with tap shoes, ballet and toe shoes,” Berlin said.
“Next door is our costume shop where we supply theater groups and the public with costumes, wigs, accessories – you name it, we have it.”
Last year, Superstorm Sandy caused a decrease in the amount of Halloween business, she said. This year, she expects business to be as large as usual.
“I think it’s a fun holiday and it’s become more of an adult holiday than a children’s holiday,” said Berlin. “Adults host or go to a party and let their hair down and have fun. We have about 2,000 costumes that we rent and 4,000-5,000 costumes we sell in every category you can imagine.”
From Roaring Twenties flappers and gangsters, to steampunk characters and superheroes, the store has a wide selection of costumes and related accessories. During presidential election years, masks and costumes of candidates are often-requested items.
“You never really know what is going to be big; it changes from year to year,” said Berlin. “Last year, everybody wanted something from The Hunger Games. Movies and plays affect it. One year Dracula will be popular and another year it won’t be.”
In addition to costumes, the store also stocks theatrical makeup, from kits to individual items, such as spirit gum, liquid latex, nose putty and other items, Berlin said. On the store’s website are links to tutorials on the how-tos of applying special FX makeup.
Perhaps the question posed by J.M. Barrie, in his book Peter Pan sums up the allure of Halloween when Peter is asked: “Pan, who and what art thou?” he cried. “I’m youth, I’m Joy,” Peter answered. “I’m a little bird that has broken out of the egg.”
For more information on the history of Halloween, visit www.halloweenhistory.org; for more information on NRF, visit www.nrf.com; and for more information on Artistic Costumes & Dance, visit www.arrtisticostumes.com.
