UNITED STATES—Halloween is in a few days, and it made me wonder, what is it about this particular holiday that so many people enjoy? Well, it’s the one time of year where all things spooky and scary are acceptable. I mean when is it okay to watch a horror movie marathon the entire week leading up to Halloween, or the actual holiday itself without someone thinking that you’re weird or strange.

This is the holiday that most kids adore, and frankly I think adults like even more! Why? You get to indulge in all things sweet, we get to dress up, we get to go trick-or-treating, host epic parties and so much more people, so much more! I think as a kid, I loved the holiday because I got the opportunity to dress-up. As kids and adults, you can become someone else and get away with it. For one day, you can embody a character or personality that is nothing like you and no one questions what you’re doing. And who doesn’t like to take on the persona of someone else?

I know for a fact this is something adults indulge in more than one can expect. While Halloween is indeed for the kids, one can’t help but acknowledge that adults have just as much fun if NOT MORE fun than their kids. Halloween has been noted as a second biggest spending holiday of the year behind Christmas, yeah, Christmas and then Halloween when it comes to the amount of money spent by consumers.

There is a lot to spend on if you really think about it. Candy, decorations, costumes, pumpkins, snacks, yeah, the money can quickly add up when you think about it. I think more money is spent on candy and costumes than anyone else. I do believe costumes might be costlier than anything else, more for the adults than kids. Can you imagine spending $40-$60 for a costume?

Now, factor in that you’re planning to go with a theme for the year and you have to purchase costumes for the kids as well. Candy, well, if you’re in any retail store you’ve seen loads of items and with prices between $3-$5 a bag, and let’s say most households are buying 4-5 bags, that’s anywhere from $15 to $25. Yes, many people like to pass out candy or treats and to do so plenty of money is spent.

Now, the discussion has to transition to decorations; people definitely go all out when it comes to decorating the inside or the outside of the house. I’d make the argument that people decorate their homes for Halloween, just as much as if they were to decorate their homes for Christmas. The ghouls, the ghosts, the figurines, the spider-webs, the lights, the strange sounds; I mean if you’re going to go out for Halloween you might as well go all out. That also includes small and large pumpkins for decoration.

Movies, the element of fear is synonymous with Halloween. If you want a true scare, you have to be willing to sit and watch those scary movies that may have unnerved you as a child or even as an adult. People play host to movie marathons and when it comes to horror, the countless sequels that come with some franchises are unlimited people. However, while a good scare is expected for all on Halloween, some tricks can go a bit further than expected. So be aware of who you plan to scare and how they may react to your prank.

Remember, safety is a must, watch those kiddies while they trick or treat, never EAT any treats until an adult has combed through the items to ensure they are safe to eat, drink responsibly and have FUN!