I am not a fan of Halloween.
I should probably leave it there because I'm in the minority.
OK, my issues with Halloween include its questionable history, conflict with Christian beliefs, an elevation of the supernatural (including Satanic elements), a macabre embracing of gore and violence and an excuse to act and consume to excess under the guise of anonymity.
For a start.
Now, if you don't think about the aforementioned pesky details then Halloween is just dandy.
Just look at the numbers from various online sources:
Consumer spending on Halloween in 2026 is projected to reach a record $13.5 billion, according to the National Retail Federation for Halloween Data and Trends report.
About 74% to 92% of U.S. households plan to celebrate or participate in Halloween activities.
Consumers expect to spend an average of $115 per person or roughly $285 per household.
Nearly 49% to 57% of shoppers begin purchasing costumes and decor in September or earlier ("Summerween").
Handing out candy (61%), dressing in costumes (50%), decorating homes/yards (42%), carving pumpkins (42%), and watching scary movies (42%).
Halloween candy sales fell by 6.7% in the month leading up to late October compared to the previous year, driven by higher chocolate prices and cost-of-living pressures.
In summary:
Halloween is celebrated by millions each year with costumes and candy and is the 2nd highest commercially grossing holiday behind Christmas.
Here's my number one bone of contention with Halloween.
It's the reckless introduction and, yes, inclusion of children in adult themed activities.
I do not know, nor could anyone ever successfully explain to me, why dressing youngsters up as ghouls, ghosts, zombies or the portrayal of victims of violence and mayhem is a good thing.
If you, as an adult, want to dabble and participate in the dark side of life and death, OK, that's your decision as an adult.
If you, as an adult, condone exposing and rewarding kids for dressing up and/or playing the roles of what I've just referred to then "j'accuse!"
I'm throwing a flag. I'm passing judgement. I'm calling you out.
I believe it's a violation of a child's innocence for the entertainment of wayward adults. And, yes, that's the parents and adult family members who promote this harmful gibberish.
We collectively strive to protect and insulate children from the omnipresent darkness of life's realities. I cannot nor will not reconcile plunging children from toddlers to adult into themes of violence and the profane supernatural.
Example.
As new parents, our son, Zachary, we practiced what I've preached — his innocence was paramount. There was no exposure to inappropriate TV shows, movies, online imagery, and more. Perfect? Of course not. Vigilant and purposeful? Absolutely.
Halloween was upon us. What to do? We decided that dressing up and having a good time among other kids in a social setting would be just fine.
We decided on a renowned local park and attending a Halloween event for kids and families. Great. Our selection was based on the venue's family environment and promotion. We were not supporting nor participating in an event that would have the negative elements of a "Halloween party."
Wrong.
A highlight was an age determined costume contest, and we entered Zachary, then not even one, in the youngest group. We were told parents would accompany their child to the "stage," walk in front of the judges and exit. Sounds good. Oh, we went to the Disney Store at Ala Moana (remember?) and dressed him in a bee costume. And, yes, he was very cute.
When our group of the youngest kids were done, the entire tone changed.
Next was what appeared to be children from 1-7 years old and what a difference.
As the parents and children staged themselves, I could see kids, young kids, dressed like Freddy Kruger from "The Nightmare on Elm St." and there was more than one in a hockey masked face of Jason from the "Friday the 13th." If you're not familiar, these are two horror movie franchises with lead characters who appear uber-frightful and are murderous in their respective roles. Bloody deaths are their calling cards. And they were paraded around, gleefully, by adults in a children's friendly costume contest. SMH and rolling my eyes.
Here's the topper.
Parents escorted their very young daughter to the stage, but it took them a moment. That's because their child was dressed as a coffin. As she stood, her head was framed at the "top" and fake arms were on either side of a box-like shape, draped in cloth to look as if she was in a coffin. To make it worse, this little girl wore green make-up with strategically placed blood spatters to portray her as a zombie or the living dead. I kid you not.
As I'm sharing, I'm reliving the moment. I remember being saddened seeing the "coffin girl" being used in this manner. It was selfish and twisted. There was no joy, no happiness. But, you see, this is why I stated earlier that I'm in the minority when it comes to Halloween.
She won.
"Coffin girl" won the costume contest for her age group.
Sigh.
I'm prayerful that we will find some semblance of balance when it comes to our children. Recent generations have been exposed to so much that is unhealthy in words, music, TV, film, streaming, social media and more. Can't we preserve a child's childhood from the encroachment of adulthood?
Parent and family members, you are the first line to create a balanced and nurturing environment for your children.
Do this and your adult kids will thank you.
Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
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