Back Then: Simple, Spooky, and Small-Town Magic
Fall used to have a rhythm all its own. You could feel it in the crisp air, leaves crunching underfoot on damp sidewalks, woodsmoke drifting from chimneys, and pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns lined up on porches.
Halloween wasn’t an industry; it was a night. Kids in homemade costumes, bedsheets as ghosts, cardboard shields, face paint smeared by the end of the night, roamed the neighborhood with pillowcases in hand. You knew every door you knocked on, and you were just as likely to get a popcorn ball or caramel apple as a candy bar.
Fall festivals were about hayrides, apple cider, and the thrill of wandering through a corn maze with friends. Halloween was about spooks and stories, as well as the occasional scary movie, not store-bought fog machines.
Now: Big Business, Bigger Spectacle
Fast forward to today, and you’ll find:
- Costumes are mass-produced and often more focused on pop culture than spookiness. And let’s be honest, there really isn’t any “scary” costumes anymore.
- Candy funneled through mega-brands with whole aisles dedicated to “Halloween Edition” treats, which, let’s be real about this one, isn’t much different than regular candy.
- Decorations rivaling Christmas in cost and effort, giant inflatables, animatronics, coordinated yard displays, and lights.
- Events shifted toward ticketed attractions, including haunted houses, theme park “scare nights,” and heavily commercialized pumpkin patches with overpriced “Pay to Enter” tickets.
Even trick-or-treating has changed! Parents scout “safe” neighborhoods, or kids gather candy at malls, event centers, and trunk-or-treat events instead of walking their own blocks.
Why the Shift?
- Safety Concerns – Stranger danger fears reshaped how kids celebrate.
- Commercialization – Like every holiday, Halloween became an economic giant, pulling billions into costumes, accessories, candy, and décor.
- Pop Culture Influence – From Marvel heroes to TikTok trends, Halloween costumes now reflect the hottest memes instead of folklore or spooky legends.
- Changing Communities – Fewer tight-knit neighborhoods mean fewer porch lights and more organized events.
The Good and the Bad
The Good:
- Access to incredible creativity, costumes, and props that look like movie sets.
- Inclusive events, so kids who can’t trick-or-treat still get to celebrate.
- More variety in how people can experience fall fun.
The Bad:
- The heart of Halloween imagination, creativity, and community feels completely overshadowed by consumerism.
- Homemade magic is harder to find. Not to mention that grandparents and parents are getting older, which means getting a handmade costume and/or accessories is dwindling due to their health.
- Simplicity has been replaced with spectacle.
Final Thought: What We Carry Forward
Maybe it’s unfair to expect Halloween to stay the same. Traditions evolve. But the essence doesn’t have to fade. Whether it’s carving pumpkins, telling ghost stories, watching old scary movies, or throwing on a sheet and calling it a costume, we can still hold onto the spirit that made fall magical in the first place.
Because at the end of the day, the real “trick” isn’t how much candy you get, it’s whether we can keep the treat of wonder alive.
