Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Campus News

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Yet another spooky Halloween season has descended upon the New England area with open arms from retailers and consumers alike. Over the past two years, Halloween participation has seemed to increase drastically for adults who traditionally spend the witching holiday at home answering their door for trick-or-treaters or bringing young children through their neighborhoods. So far, this Halloween has proven an expanded market to adult-sized costumes and party themes as retailers have been scrambling to pick up the extra business at a time where the only thing that's really scary is our economy.

So this leaves people to wonder why more adults are finding themselves at Halloween parties or going door-to-door with a pillowcase in hand. Perhaps the promise of free candy in a time of economic instability is impossible to refuse. Perhaps the retail industries are simply pushing more aggressive advertisements down the gullets of consumers to get them to purchase plastic pumpkin pails. Whatever the reason, Halloween has dominated store displays and blue light specials as retailers scurry to make every extra dollar before the beginning of the Christmas season, which comes earlier and earlier each year.

It is difficult to tell if the retailers are just spooked that this season's Christmas sales will be just as lack luster as the previous year but it is doubtful that a fattened Halloween is propping up business models across the country. The mid-Fall sales are being received with open, zombie-like hands reaching for the 18-and-older demographic. But how old is too old to be trick-or-treating?

"I pulled it off until I was 17. Now I just take my niece around trick-or-treating and figure- 'while I'm here'" says Rochelle Walbridge, a BSC student while miming shoveling candies into an imaginary bag. When asked about where she obtains her costumes, she replied "Thrift Stores" and the importance of finding "the cheapest costume as possible."

Another BSC student, Rachael Woodcock will be hunting for different treats this Halloween. She explained, "For Halloween, we're going out to collect canned goods and non-perishables. I'm part of FaM for Change, and we're collecting for charity."

Continued...

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