• When do most American consumers start shopping for Halloween?
• How much money will be spent on pet costumes in the US?
...and where do all those pumpkins come from?
Plus more holiday stats and fun, fascinating facts for celebrating a Happy Halloween this year in the USA ....
$7 billion
The total dollar amount that Americans are estimated to spend this year on Halloween. That includes hard-earned cash spent on Halloween costumes, decorations, greeting cards, and candy.
41.1 million
The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters — children age 5 to 14 — across the U.S. who will spend Halloween collecting candy and treats from neighbors. Of course, many other children — older than 14 and younger than 5 — will also go trick-or-treating.
Americans will spend more
than $300 million on costumes
for their pets this year.
47,800
The number of acres of pumpkins harvested in the U.S. in 2012. Of the top six pumpkin-producing states, Illinois led the country by producing an estimated 556.3 million pounds of pumpkin, followed by California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan.
32.8%
The number of consumers who will begin shopping for Halloween before September 30. An additional 67.2 percent of consumers will shop in October. Specifically, 43.6 percent will begin the first two weeks in October and 23.6 percent will wait until the final two weeks of the month.
$330 million
The dollar amount Americans will spend on Halloween pet costumes this year. New Jersey traditionally produces the most online searches for cat costumes. Ohio is the state that does the most Googling for dog getups.
32.90%
The percentage of Americans who will search for Halloween costume ideas online. 32.8% will look for new ideas in a store, and 20.8% will seek advice from friends or family. Additionally, 14.1 percent will check Facebook for inspiration and 3.8 percent will review blogs.
Spooky US Place Names
Where to get in the mood for Halloween? Check out the map just up ahead for places like Tombstone, Arizona (population 1,358); Sleepy Hollow, New York (population 9,870); Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina (population 6,827); or Frankenstein, Missouri (population 30).
Halloween Coast to Coast
And here (in no particular order) are more fascinating facts about Halloween in the USA ....
The Greenwich Village Halloween parade
in New York City is the largest in the US.
• The Greenwich Village Halloween parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. It annually attracts some 50,000 participants and draws over 2 million spectators.
• The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is often considered one of the most haunted places in the world. Since its closing in 1971, the eerie Gothic-style building has become a tourist mecca where visitors can view prison cells once inhabited by the likes of bank robber Willy Sutton and gangster Al Capone.
• Steve Clarke of Havertown, Pennsylvania holds the Guinness world record for the fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds.
• Trick or Treat for UNICEF is a Halloween tradition that began in 1950. Today, in lieu of asking for treats, children across the nation carry the familiar orange UNICEF box to collect donations for needy kids around the world.
• Christian alternative Halloween which often emphasizes the harvest season -- instead of witches, ghosts, and goblins -- is becoming increasingly popular among American religious groups due to Halloween's satanic or pagan imagery.
