As Calgarians put the finishing touches on their costumes, a new report suggests that Canadians are expected to spend 28.4 per cent more on Halloween this year than they did last year.
The report from HelloSafe, released last week, equates that to about $87.60 per person, which is still less than the $97 Canadians were dropping before the pandemic.
The report finds costumes will be the largest expense, averaging around $41.50 or nearly half of a person’s budget for the spooktacular day.
Canadians will also be spending an average of $22.40 on candy, $12.90 for Halloween-related activities and $10.80 on decorations including pumpkins.
At Halloween Alley in northeast Calgary, manager Gurinder Marwaha says customers have been flocking to the store for the costumes.
"People are generally excited overall," he said. "I think they are happy that people are kind of getting back to normal and getting out."
"Things are picking up, shipping is starting to finally come around, so our stock is starting to arrive."
Marwaha says costume shoppers are throwing it back to classically scary clothes this year.
"Last year, it was all Squid Games and Money Heist (costumes). There were set themes (that) everyone was after," he said.
"This year, it's kind of a mixed bag. People are going back to the classics -- ghost face (from Scream), (with the) new Halloween movie coming out, Michael Myers is big this year."
Members of the Richard family say they are definitely spending more on Halloween this year.
"Last year we didn’t spend as much, but this year we did," said Brittany Richard.
"And then we’re going to take them to Heritage park for Halloween."
"It’s a lot of accessories that go with the costumes," added Michael Richard. "So all the add-ons you have got to get."
A different survey from The Retail Council of Canada, meanwhile, found that 86 per cent of Canadians will spend the same amount or more on Halloween this year compared to last year.
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AT SCHOOL: ALLOWED OR NOT?
Parents of students at a northeast Calgary elementary school were left confused about whether or not their kids were allowed to wear a costume to class on Halloween, following a weekend email from the principal.
The email, sent on Oct. 16, stated that Terry Fox School would not be holding Halloween activities.
The letter outlined the school's focus on equity and inclusivity and said administration considers several questions before green-lighting school activities, including: if everyone can participate fully, if it has a potential for safety concerns, if it holds the potential for racism and/or cultural insensitivity or if it can make financial insecurities visible.
After considering those parameters, Principal Leslie McRae asked that costumes "be reserved for at-home use."
A second email sent to parents the next day seemed to backtrack, saying students could, in fact, wear a costume.
"Last night, I shared a list of considerations that informed the way our school celebrates Halloween," said the Oct. 17 email.
"Since we shared that information with you, our office has received feedback from parents.
"In response, I would like to make it clear that every student is welcome at Terry Fox School. All students will be welcomed into class whether they decide to dress up in a costume or not."
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Alberta Education both say that there is no system-wide policy on celebrating Halloween at its schools.
"It is up to principals to determine how to best recognize these types of events depending on the individual context at their school," read the statement from the CBE.
"There is nothing new about Terry Fox School’s approach to Oct. 31 this year. Similar to past years, every student may choose whether they want to wear a costume (or not) on Halloween."
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