Halloween is a holiday that Americans celebrate on October 31. However, it's not the day of the year when Americans suddenly start dressing up in costumes and going to parties. Rather, many Americans have been preparing for the holiday for weeks or even months in advance. This is especially true for businesses, who are hoping to make good profits from Halloween purchases.
According to the National Retail Federation (N.R.F.), the largest U.S. trade group representing sellers of material goods, total Halloween spending in 2024 is expected to reach approximately $11.6 billion. While that may sound like a healthy amount, it would be a drop from the year before, when total spending reached a record-setting $12.2 billion.
So, what exactly are Americans buying for Halloween and how do they celebrate the holiday? The answer lies in the traditions and customs that have been passed down through generations of Americans. These traditions are rooted in Celtic beliefs in ancient Britain. According to legend, spirits of the dead would return to their homes on October 31, the day of the autumn feast known as Samhain. To protect themselves from these malevolent spirits, Celts would build huge fires to frighten them away.
Today, Halloween is still celebrated in many parts of America with traditional activities such as carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, dressing up in costumes, and going trick-or-treating (also known as "begging" for candy). In addition to these traditional activities, many Americans also enjoy watching horror movies or attending haunted houses and other spooky events.
Overall, while Halloween may seem like just another holiday, it actually holds deep cultural significance for Americans and continues to be a major source of revenue for businesses. Whether you're celebrating with friends and family or enjoying a night out at a haunted house, there's no denying that Halloween is an exciting and memorable time of year.
In America, Halloween is a holiday for children. It has its origins in Scotland and Ireland, where people believed that spirits played tricks on people on the last night of October. These beliefs were brought to America by the Scottish and Irish immigrants who settled there.
Today, Halloween is mostly a day when children go out in special costumes called "costumes" or "masks." The costumes often feature frightening creatures such as vampires, ghosts, and witches. Children will walk around their neighborhoods, knocking on doors of homes and saying "trick or treat" in order to get candy or other sweet treats from the owners of the house. If the homeowners do not give them anything, the children may play a prank on them.
Halloween is a time when many people buy candy and costumes for themselves or their children. The N.R.F. expects that this year's most popular children's costume will be Spider-Man, the superhero character.
Overall, Halloween is a fun holiday that allows children to dress up and have some fun with their friends while also getting a chance to indulge in some sugary treats.
On Halloween, children are the most obvious costume-wearers in America. But this is not the only type of costumed person you will find on the streets. Adults also dress up to attend Halloween parties and events such as parades or festivals. The celebrations often include costume competitions, with prizes given for the most frightening, inventive or humorous costumes.
According to a report by the National Retail Federation (N.R.F), Americans are expected to spend a total of $3.8 billion on Halloween costumes in 2024 alone. Another $3.5 billion is expected to be spent on Halloween candy. It seems that Americans simply can't get enough of these spooky holidays!
Decorations are another important aspect of Halloween in America. Many people choose to decorate their homes with fake skeletons, witches, spiders and other eerie things that are commonly associated with Halloween. They also carve pumpkins into scary faces and light them up to create a strange glow.
Some people prefer to do minimal decorating, while others go all out. However, it seems that the N.R.F. estimates that Americans will spend approximately $3.8 billion dollars dressing up their homes for Halloween this year. Whether you are young or old, scary or funny, there is something for everyone during this festive season!
万圣节，这个10月31日的节日，对于许多美国人来说，已经迫不及待地等待了好几个星期。商家们也希望从这个节日的消费中获得丰厚的利润。美国国家零售联合会(NRF)是美国最大的代表物质商品销售商的贸易团体，它预计2024年的万圣节总支出将达到约116亿美元。虽然这个数额听起来相当可观，但与前一年相比有所下降。NRF表示，2023年的万圣节总支出创下了122亿美元的记录。
那么，美国人在万圣节都会购买哪些物品？他们又是如何庆祝这个节日的呢？美国的万圣节传统与古代英国的凯尔特人信仰有关。凯尔特人相信，死者的灵魂会在10月31日，也就是秋季盛宴的日子，回到他们的家中。为了吓跑可能回来的恶灵，凯尔特人会建造巨大的火堆。
当来自苏格兰和爱尔兰的人们来到美洲时，他们也带来了这些观念。有些人认为，在10月的最后一个晚上，灵魂会捉弄人们。在现代美国，万圣节主要属于孩子们。夜幕降临时，孩子们会穿上被称为服装的特殊服饰。他们常常装扮成吸血鬼、鬼魂和女巫等令人害怕的角色。孩子们会在他们的社区里四处走动，敲响家家户户的门。当有人开门时，孩子们会喊“不给糖就捣蛋”。如果屋内的人不给他们甜食，孩子们可能会对他们搞恶作剧。
人们为万圣节购买的一些物品包括糖果和服装。今年，NRF预计蜘蛛侠这个超级英雄角色将成为最流行的儿童服装。然而，万圣节当天穿戴服装的不仅仅是孩子们。成年人也会打扮起来参加万圣节派对、游行和其他活动。这些庆祝活动通常包括服装竞赛，为最吓人、最有创意或最幽默的服装颁发奖品。
总体而言，NRF报告称，预计2024年万圣节的服装总支出将达到38亿美元。它说，买家将在万圣节糖果上花费35亿美元。美国人还喜欢装饰他们的家园以迎接万圣节。人们会在门周围、树木和灌木丛上挂上假骷髅、女巫、蜘蛛等吓人的东西。他们还会在南瓜上刻出吓人的面孔，并点燃它们以创造出奇异的光芒。有些人稍微装饰一下，有些人则大肆装饰，还有些人完全不装饰。但是，NRF表示，研究人员估计美国人今年将花费约38亿美元来装饰他们的房子以迎接万圣节。
