A True, Truly Haunting Halloween Report: U.S. 2009 News Potpourri

When placed side by side, Halloween news reports take on a nightmarish quality. Some say that Halloween time is the season when the veil between the "worlds" [this world and the world hereafter] is thin. If we use this season as an opportunity to step back and regard our world from a different perspective, perhaps the subsequent haunting feeling that we experience merits our attention.

~Billie Greenwood

A True, Truly Haunting Halloween Report: U.S. 2009 News Potpourri

One of the spookiest parts of Halloween this year may be the amount people plan to spend on their celebrations. Retailers expect consumers to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween. That's down from $66.54 last year, according to a National Retail Federation 2009 Halloween survey. Total spending on the holiday is expected to reach $4.75 billion.

Nearly one in three (29.6%) consumers say the state of the U.S. economy will affect their Halloween spending plans. The largest majority (88.0%) of those who say they'll change their spending plan to spend less.

Meanwhile, in other news:

Across the developing world, suffering and struggling for survival is a fact of life for poor people. Each day almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That's one child dead every five seconds. And even those children who survive can be permanently affected by childhood malnutrition.

And this from the National Confectioners Association:

Back in the United States, nearly one‐in‐five adults say that a Halloween celebration without candy would be the spookiest thing of all this October! Savoring the classics, chocolate treats and traditional sweets will dominate trick-or-treaters' selections.

Finally, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease, topping asthma and hay fever. More than half of children aged 5-9 have had at least one cavity or filling.

SOURCES:

As Economy Impacts Halloween, Americans Get Creative; Press Release: National Retail Federation 9/29/2009. No copyright restrictions.

World Food Day: Much Done, More To Do; Press Release: Church World Service. 10/15/2009. No copyright restrictions.

Americans Playing Tricks with Treats This Halloween; Press Release: National Confectioners Association. 10/8/2009. No copyright restrictions.

Fact Sheet: Children's Oral Health; Historical Document: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated, 10/4/2004.