Halloween, which originated in the United States in the 1800s, has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry that includes candy, movies, haunted attractions, and spooky costumes.
In 2019, WalletHub presented a report with Insider that breaks down Halloween by the numbers, including how much people spend on the holiday, how many children are expected to dress up as princesses, and the most popular Halloween costume for your pets.
Continue reading to find out more about how Americans commemorate October 31.
The first citywide Halloween celebration took place in Anoka, Minnesota, in 1921.
According to WalletHub, based on the exciting activities available, the weather, and "trick-or-treater friendliness," New York City is usually the greatest spot to celebrate.
This year, parents are coming up with novel ways to celebrate in a safe manner.
And while it's a huge industry, with a projected $8.8 billion spent last year, not everyone spends mega bucks.
That was the number of people who planned to celebrate in 2019, according to WalletHub. Even though this year's festivities may differ from previous years, there are still some safe ways to enjoy.
In fact, 76% of Americans spend $50 or less to celebrate the spookiest day of the year.
However, it's unlikely that the 32 percent of Americans who hosted a Halloween party last year were among them.
Of that $8.8 billion, $2.6 billion was spent on candy for the estimated 41 million trick-or-treaters last year.
The first documented use of "trick or treat" was in 1927.
But not all that candy goes to the kids — 72% of parents have admitted to stealing their children's candy.
The most popular candies in the US are:
Skittles
Reese's Cups
M&M's
Snickers
Starburst
At least $3.2 billion was spent on costumes last year.
Costumes have definitely become more elaborate over the years.
Last year, 1.3 million children were expected to dress as witches, 2.4 million as superheroes, and 3.1 million as princesses.
In the meantime, 2 million vampires and 5 million witches stalked the streets among grownups last year.
The longest walk-through haunted house in the world is 7,183 feet, 8.4 inches long, or about a mile and a half.
It's held by Dragon's House of Horror in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
17% of Americans dress their pets in costumes, so they won't be left out of the festivities.
According to WalletHub, the most popular pet costumes last year were pumpkins, hot dogs, superheroes, and bumblebees.
If haunted houses aren't your thing, there's always a scary movie to watch. Horror films grossed $902 million in the United States in 2018.
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