Posted by: John S Kiernan

It’s the spookiest time of the year, when superstition runs rampant and treats always come with the potential for a trick. But like with anything else, the more you know about Halloween, the less scary it seems. Did you know, for example, that ringing doorbells and lighting candles are thought to ward away witches, ghosts and evil spirits? And how frightening can haunted houses really be when charities operate 80% of them?

Even if you’re not prone to spooking, there’s always something interesting to learn about Halloween. For instance, 17% of people plan to put costumes on pets, and 72% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids. And that’s just the beginning. To ease your fears and help you gain a new appreciation for this hallowed holiday, WalletHub explored a wide variety of facts about Halloween, analyzing the occasion from all angles.

Below, you can find an infographic filled with the best Halloween facts we could unearth. That’s followed by an Ask the Experts panel discussion on the economics of Halloween. And finally, you can see where your hometown ranks in our report on the Best Cities for Halloween.

Embed on your website<a href="https://ift.tt/2dDMHF1"> <img src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/posts/67064/2019-halloween-by-the-numbers-v2.png" width="" height="" alt="" /> </a> <div style="width:px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2yVETqg>

10 Facts About Halloween for 2019:

1. $8.8 Billion: Projected Halloween spending in 2019
2. $3.2 Billion: Halloween costume spending in 2019
3. $2.6 Billion: Halloween candy spending in 2019
4. 36% of parents think 12 or 13 years old is old enough to trick-of-treat alone
5. 69% of Americans plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters
6. 72% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids
7. $4.65: Average retail price of a pumpkin (up 5.9% from 2018)
8. $300+ Million: Annual revenue from ticket sales for haunted attractions, 80% of which are run by charities
9. $11 Million: Direct property damage caused by Halloween house fires each year
10. 42% of Halloween-night motor vehicle deaths involve drunk driving

 

Ask The Experts

For a different, more serious take on Halloween and the cottage industry that revolves around it, we posed the following questions to a panel of experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.

1. What are the biggest Halloween money-wasters?
2. What measures should parents take to ensure their kids are safe when trick-or-treating?
3. What are some healthy treats or nontraditional goodies that kids might actually enjoy?

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• Allison Karpyn Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of Delaware
• Amber Roy Clinical Instructor, University of St. Thomas
• Megan Baumler Ph.D., RDN, LD, Assistant Professor, Nutrition, Program Director for Dietetics, St. Catherine University
• Cecilia Brooks Ph.D. Candidate, MBA – Visiting Assistant Professor, Mississippi University for Women

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