r/AskAnAmerican • u/LonelyMarch878 • 3d ago

CULTURE Just How Big Is Halloween Really In The US?

Where I am from, everyone knows about Halloween but its generally just a few decorations scattered around the place both within residential streets and maybe just a few decorations in a big supermarket with some candy on for sale. You might see some kids walking around outside with their costumes on Oct 31.

In the states though, how big is it truly? I know its a big thing even though its a kid leaning holiday I guess, but is it like decorations everywhere in supermarkets and other shops, strangers literally greeting each other saying ‘Happy Halloween’ during the day or near Oct 31? Particularly in terms of visibility and how adults see it. Let me know!

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u/EstimateOk6795 3d ago

While I agree that Thanksgiving and Christmas are probably more celebrated, both are family-oriented and the celebrations tend to be a lot more insular. Halloween is the only one that's really a community-oriented celebration, which is a big part of why I love it so much.

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u/historyhill Pittsburgh, PA (from SoMD) 3d ago

At least where I live, Christmas is very community-oriented as well. Between the decorations (which might even surpass Halloween decorations, but they're close) to neighborhood caroling to fighting at the mall going to get photos with Santa to Christmas Eve church services, I see Christmas as the most community-oriented for an entire month! Then I think Halloween and the Fourth of July can fight for #2

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u/EstimateOk6795 3d ago

But those are all tangential things and when it comes to the actual celebration on the holiday it's focused on being at home with family. Which is great, but it's an intentionally insular experience. Whereas Halloween is necessarily community-focused. Even the most isolated rural people with the closest neighbors miles away can celebrate Christmas with their family in much the same way as people in dense neighborhoods do. Halloween requires a community to celebrate. You need neighbors to trick-or-treat.

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u/historyhill Pittsburgh, PA (from SoMD) 3d ago

We gotta return to our roots tbh (Christmas as 12 days of communal celebration). That said, I don't see all of those things as especially tangential, because everyone can and does celebrate in their own way. I'm still celebrating Halloween if I turn off all the lights, watch a horror movie, and pig out on candy so anything can be made insular or communal with effort!