American spending on Halloween has fallen markedly

Each US resident spent about $74,34 on the celebrated “holiday of evil spirits” - Halloween, compared to $77,52 last year. This is evidenced by the calculations of the American National Retail Federation.

Its experts believe that this time more than 157 million Americans, or 64% of the US population, are celebrating Halloween. Their total spending will reach $6,9 billion, up from $7,4 billion last year. The purchase of costumes, masks and essential accessories cost approximately $2,5 billion, of which $1,2 billion was for entourage for adults, $950 million for children and $350 million for pets.

According to the study, spending on sweets will be $2,1 billion, on decorating a home or apartment another $1,9 billion and on greeting cards $330 million.

This year, entrepreneurs have even developed Halloween apps for smartphones. Thus, Track N Treat is intended for parents who need to know where their children collect the traditional “tribute” - sweets. GhostCam is designed to create scary photos for easily scared friends. A similar application, Scary Sounds, will help you custom-record and play back blood-curdling screams, howls or gnashing of teeth. These and other new products are available to owners of smartphones with iOS and Android operating systems.

As for the images, Americans pay tribute to the beginning of the campaign to nominate candidates for the post of President of the United States. The most prominent characters in the growing election race are billionaire Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Those who want to be Trump are buying up red headbands in souvenir shops, and those captivated by Clinton's image are buying strict ladies' trouser suits and wigs.

Celebrities of show business did not stand aside either. Costume parties are in full swing in California, where, for example, singer Nicki Minaj appeared in a fairy costume with a magic wand, handsome actor David Spade dressed up as a lion with a piece of pizza in his paw, and actor Colton Haynes dressed as the witch Ursula from the cartoon “The Little Mermaid.” The furor was provoked by popular TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres, who appeared in the guise of reality show star Kim Kardashian.

The main holiday parade is still ahead - it will take place at night in New York's Greenwich Village. In 1973, a theatrical procession took place there for the first time on Halloween, in which actors from Broadway theaters took part. The parade was so popular that it continues to this day.

Halloween is celebrated in the United States on October 31, All Hallows' Eve. It is believed that this holiday was brought to the United States by immigrants from Ireland, where its roots go back centuries. Halloween is based on the pagan belief that on this night the souls of the dead return to their homes to collect “tribute” in the form of food.

The White House on the occasion of Halloween was a holiday that was attended by hundreds of children. US President Barack Obama noted the child in the costume of the Pope driving a "papamobile".

On the eve of Halloween, American children were given a sample. sweets from Ukraine and some other countries. Of course, the reaction was controversial.