The Ripple Effect
learning with and from each other
A Little Halloween Hijinks
What you are about to read may surprise you. It’s a little out of the ordinary, but here it is …. a few teachers in the Comox Valley have been conspiring to bring you this Halloween post. Maybe that seems strange. Maybe not. Either way, please continue reading.
This post was originally written by Mr. Carmichael over at Building Blocks, but once he started to share his ideas with a few more teachers in our district, they started to talk (and you know how much teachers can sometimes talk … and talk). So now … Surprise! Surprise! You’ll find a similar post at Mrs. Smith’s Huzzah and Mr. Ferneyhough’s blog Chili Sauce, too.
Halloween is this weekend. In Regina, Saskatchewan, a local newspaper called the Leader Post, has printed some very interesting information about this occasion.
- Americans are prepared to spend $5.8 billion dollars on Halloween this year.
- The money will be spent on candy, decorations and costumes for adults, children and pets.
- Two out of every five Americans are planning on wearing a costume this year.
- The average American will spend $66.28 on Halloween this year, even during these tough economic times.
- This makes Halloween the second biggest money generator for Canadian and American businesses.
- Halloween follows behind Christmas and leads Back to School sales for most money spent.
This raises some interesting questions for you to ponder….
Do these statistics surprise you? What do our spending habits around Halloween say about us as a culture?
Are you looking forward to Halloween? What has been your very best costume?
What is your favourite treat? Do you eat your candy all at once or do you ration it, only eating a few pieces of candy a day?
How does this all fit within our master plan? Well, blogging is all about connecting with others and today each Rippler’s job is to spend a little time connecting with some of our Valley neighbours. This blogging jamboree is open to anyone visiting our blog as well. Please feel free to leave a comment here or there or on every blog mentioned in this post.You are welcome to answer one of these questions or all of them. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Halloween.
images
Halloween @ Target by Brandy Shaul released under a CC Attribution – Non commercial license
Halloween Pumpkins by YAXZONE released under a CC Attribution license
49 Responses to “A Little Halloween Hijinks”
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October 28th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Hello, Mrs. Braidwood
Yay, Halloween is on it’s way! I am so excited. This year I am being a devil. My best costume though has been an evil scientist. I got a lab coat and a crazy wig and test tubes sticking out of the pockets. I was really fun.
My favorite treat I would have to say are Tootsie Rolls and fuzzy peaches. What is yours?
Click on my avatar to visit my blog.
Hope you have a happy Halloween! ( and Christmas, Easter, and Valentines day!)
October 29th, 2010 at 12:08 am
@Jane
Your crazy scientist costume sounds amazing. I like the test tubes in the pocket. That’s a nice touch. My favourite Halloween treats are red Twizzlers and Swedish Berries. I don’t really like any other red candy, but I can’t seem to get enough of those particular ones! Happy Halloween to you too!
October 28th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Hi Mrs. Braidwood,Wow i never knew that we could spend so much on Halloween! I am really exited for Halloween. My best costume was a dead bride. I never eat all my candy in one day I like to save it so I can save the taste till the end.
Click my avatar to comment on my blog.
MAYA
October 29th, 2010 at 12:12 am
@Maya
The amount of money that we’re willing to spend on Halloween was an eye-opener for me as well. I find myself getting more and more into the Halloween spirit as my own children get older. The excitement seems to be a bit contagious. I couldn’t imagine eating all my candy in one day. I think I’d be sick. I’m with you on the saving idea, but then again I don’t think I’ve ever actually finished all the Halloween candy I’ve collected. After awhile, I just seem to get tired of it. Do you ever get tired of all that candy or do those last few pieces taste just as great as the first few?
October 29th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Ya I think that the last few pieces taste just as great.
My brother saves his for ever. He sometimes has it till September(next year). I could never save that long, it would be gross!
MAYA
October 28th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Hi Mrs.Braidwood,
Well, I think the statistics surprise everybody. I had no idea that people spent that much just on Halloween!
I am quite definitely looking forward to Halloween. Who wouldn’t want to dress like a freak and get free candy? I do! I don’t know what my best costume was, but I’m being a vampire this Halloween. My most favorite candy of all time candy is….Candy Corn! I love it, unfortunately most houses don’t hand out Candy Corn.:( I think usually I just eat it until my appetite is filled and then I just nibble on it til’ it’s gone!
October 29th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Dear Laina,
I totally agree with you. Everybody is looking forward to getting free candy and dressing up some one your not for a day.Candy Corn is a great candy to eat. It’s true that not alot of people give out that.
Love a student, Mai
October 28th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
@Mrs Braidwood
WOW the cost of Halloween has gone up so much. Some people get really serious about Halloween costumes and decorations. My best costume is the one that I’m wearing this year. I’m being the twister game. I’m going trick or treating with my sister, Josee and Celina. I love Halloween because of all the free candy. Whats your favourite candy? I like Smarties and M&M’s. Only 3 days left until Halloween!!!!!
October 28th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
@Mrs.Braidwood
I can’t beleive they would spend $5.8 billion on Halloween costumes,decorations and costumes for there pets. My very best costume was being Funky girl because all my other costumes I had to were a big cat costume. I sometimes eat my candy when I am trick or treating or waiting for other people to get there candy. I eat some of my candy for night time snack. On Saturday our family goes to 5th street to go around the street to get some candy from the stores, and we have to say “trick or treat” or else we don’t get any candy.
October 29th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
@Chevaun,
I remember you were very excited about your Funky Girl costume last year. I can’t remember if I got a chance to see it. Do you have any rules about eating your Halloween candy while you’re still trick-or-treating?
October 28th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
That is very neat. Actually that does surprise me about how much we spend because thats alot of money we could use towards food and helping people. What that says about our culture is that we love dressing up and making things scary. I am looking forward to Halloween. I love dressing up. My best costume I’ve ever had was when I was six I dressed up as a witch, my face was green. My favirote treat it chocolate. When I get my candy I try to save it but I usally can’t. Whats your favirote treat?
October 29th, 2010 at 12:24 am
@Kyra
You bring up an excellent point when you suggested that all the money we spend on Halloween could be used towards helping others. Halloween is fun and exciting, but do we need to be spending that much on it? Why do you think we’re increasing how much we spend to celebrate this day?
October 28th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
I never realized that so much money is spent on Halloween decoration’s, candy and costumes.
I like Halloween and dressing up for it. My favourite candy is taffy because it’s so good it melts in your mouth.
October 29th, 2010 at 12:20 am
@Gregory
Taffy is yummy! Do you find that you get a lot of taffy from trick-or-treating in your neighbourhood? What is going to be your costume this year?
October 28th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Hello Mrs. Braidwood!
I can’t believe how much money people spend for Halloween! My favorite costume is funky girl! funky girl is what I am going to be this year (I mixed some of our costumes from dance and from our house too!). The candy I really like is… Caramilk Mmmmm… I don’t eat all of my candy all at once, but we do eat some a day.
I love Halloween, especially love going to peoples houuses and getting all of the candy! What candy do you like best Mrs. Braidwood? What is your favourite costume too?
…Last year my family decorated our house so good that it actually looked like a HAUNTED HOUSE! Anyways, bye!
October 29th, 2010 at 12:18 am
@Kaley
So how do you feel about people spending all that money on Halloween? I find it hard to believe that Christmas is the only holiday we spend more on. Imagine if we gave presents at Halloween! If that was the case, I wonder if people would end up spending even more money than on Christmas. Do you think there is a holiday that one day might bump Christmas out of the #1 spot?
October 28th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Woooow, I am quite surprised on the money spent! The sum of 5.8 billion is HUGE! I guess a lot of people really get into it, including me!
October 29th, 2010 at 12:14 am
@Ryan
You’re right 5.8 billion is huge. That idea makes me want to find a way for us to figure out in class just how big that amount is!
October 29th, 2010 at 9:22 am
@Ryan
I agree with you Ryan. 5.8 billon is a lot of money to be spent in one holiday!
October 29th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Dear Ryan,
Hi its Jazzy from Mr.Carmichael’s class. As I was reading your comment, I seen that you said that you decorate for Halloween. What type of decorations do you put up?
Jasmine
October 29th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Hello,
personally, I have never really thought about that! All the decorations and prepairments
October 29th, 2010 at 9:04 am
“The average American spends $66.28 on Halloween” That’s crazy! My family usually spends $20.00 on Halloween. My best costume is probably the one I’m being this year, its a crazy surgeon! Its my best because I’m using my dad’s old doctors outfit and my dad got me all sorts of doctory things like a stethoscope, a mask and doctor shoes!. I eat my candy in bursts, I splurge one day than ration it for the next two days than I splurge again and so on.
Bye, Max
October 29th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Hi There,
I am from Huzzah and we love your blog. The best Halloween costume I have ever Dressed up as is candy corn. It was a short dress that was in the shape of one! But the best costumes I have ever seen are my dad being a cow and my sister being a crayon. I would never have guessed how much money people spend on Halloween (insane amounts).
I always love seeing all the cool costumes. Here is some great costumes that I saw this year: Legolas from Lord of the Rings, Athena (the Greek goddess and Alice form Alice in Wonderland. If you want to check out my blog just click on my icon. Hope to talk to you later!
October 29th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Is that how much money people spend in Canada?
I am supper excited for Halloween I am being a dead zombie nurse it is an awesome costume, but not my best costume. My best costume was probably when I was still a baby my parents dressed me up as the 2000 bug I was adorably.
what was your favorite costume?
TTYL,
Darion
October 29th, 2010 at 9:11 am
@Mrs.Braidwood my favourite Halloween candy is crunchie chocolate bar. I’m being a cupcake! Yes I’m very excited for Halloween! I think it is very silly that we spent all that money on just a holiday.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:20 am
WOW… That’s a lot of money, People should stop and think becuase that could be spent on better stuff and more useful things like home and food for people who don’t have that. Also Halloween is right before Christmas so thats a lot of money gettting spent in like two months and we should all cut back on the money just a bit. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
October 29th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Hi,
My very best costume was a Gangster. I had shutter shades(the glasses that have lines in the lens) and I had a flat hat also I had a tie and some bling bling on my neck and fingers. The costume was sweet. My favourite candy is a chocolate bar called Coffee Crisp. Click on my avatar to visit my blog.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:24 am
I wonder what would happen if insted of spending all that money on Halloween, we could donate it and maybe other people can enjoy Halloween.
My favourite Halloween costume was when I was 2 and I was a blue Parrot, I had a beak, wings, and feathers coming of my mask! I don’t remember trick or treating with it I only remember the costume.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:25 am
cool Halloween post
October 29th, 2010 at 9:26 am
I’d have to say that our culture spends quite a bit of money on Halloween when they don’t really need too. A lot of the decorations and costumes people buy aren’t really worth spending tons of money on. I don’t decorate my house but we do carve pumpkins, buy costumes, and buy candy.
I’m looking forward to Halloween because I love to dress up and get candy. This year I am being a clown, even though I don’t really like clowns. My favourite costume I’ve ever had would be my costume from last year. I was a big red present!
My favourite Halloween candy would be Caramilk. I usually eat a lot of candy the first day and then save the rest.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:31 am
These statistics suprise me a lot, who knew people (me included) spent so much money on halloween! Did the statistics suprise you, and do you spend a lot of money on Halloween? I am looking forward to Halloween so much, are you, and what is your favorite part of Halloween? I think that my best costume might be this year, i am being the pillsbury dough boy! :p I even perfected his laugh, hee hee! My favorite candy would have to be warheads, they are a super sour candy, once I ate so many I lost a lot of taste buds.:( I usually eat a lot of my candy on Halloween and the day after Halloween, then I start to eat a little every day to make it last longer. Do you take your kids candy without asking them? My parents do, and a show I watched said most parents usually do.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Yes they do suprise me a bit because I did know that we spent quit a bit of money but not this much. I am so exited for Halloween! My faveorite thing about Halloween is dressing up! The best costume that I have ever had would probably be this year’s costume I am being a leperchaun! I really don’t eat all of my candy at once cause I am scared that I’m going to throw it all back up!! My faveorite halloween treat is a mars bar or a caramel. Now i have a few questions for you what is your faveorite Halloween treat and you best costume you have ever made/bought?
October 29th, 2010 at 9:36 am
5.8 billion that’s a lot of money for just Halloween.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:40 am
I wouldn’t have ever guessed that people (Myself as well) would spend so much money on Halloween. Do you spend alot of money on candy, decorations and costumes? The statistics says that people like having fun but go a little to overboard buying supplies for Halloween. I personally think the money should have gone to buying food and clothing for people who actually need it. What or who do you think the money should have gone to?
I am looking forward to Halloween because I really like candy and I get to wear something I wouldn’t usually wear. My favourite costume would have to be this year and I’m being a gothic person.
My favourite treat would have to be KitKat bars. I don’t eat all my candy at once but I dont eat a few a day. I usually eat however much I feel like eating.
Do you have a favourite costume that you’ve worn, and do you like Halloween?
October 29th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I think it’s silly how we spend that much on Halloween. We could be helping alot of people in the world but it seems that when Halloween comes we just forget about everything else that’s important.
Also I think we spend a lot on the Olympics.I know everyone loves it but it’s one of those things when we stop thinking about the world. Personally I dont like the Olympics.
What Halloween says about our culture is we like to have fun and there is nothing wrong with that. I don’t have a favourite costume that I wore but my sister had a homemade costume that was Doc Ock from Spiderman one year.
When I first get my candy I eat as much as I can but then I get full and give the rest away. I haven’t bought a costume since I was 6 and we live in a neighborhood where trick or treaters don’t come so we don’t spend any money on anything.
Do you make all your costumes yourself too?
What do you think about the Olympics?
October 29th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Dear Mrs.Braidwood,
Yes I am surprised becuase that is close to a trillion doller bills. That is a lot of cash spent. WOW most people can’t afford that much.
My ninja costum is the best.
My favorite treat is Doritos cheese flavor.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:50 am
I think that it is a lot of money that people have been spending and that is only on Halloween decorations, costums, and candy. Think of the people that have to buy grocries and clothing on top of that.
My mom does good make up and it makes my costume really cool. I don’t really know what my best costume is.
After I collected all my candy my mom goes through it to make sure it is safe. The next day I have two candies a day so it will last longer.
I love Halloween!
October 29th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Hello,
personally, I have never really thought about that! All the decorations and preparations cost so much! I love to get fuzzy peaches and Swedish berries. Do you like them?
October 29th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Wow 5.8 billion thats huge! If that’s just America I wonder how much the world spends on Halloween candy or costumes.I really want to know how much they spend on Christmas because I think people would spend more money on Christmas than Halloween.
October 29th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Wow 5.8 billion dollars! That’s a huge amount of money. That’s just North America. People just want to put more decorations and come out bigger and better each year .I’m looking forward to Halloween because I get to hang out with all my friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. My favourite Halloween treat that I really like is Caramilk chocolate.
October 29th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Dear, Mrs. Braidwood
The thing that I am looking forward to is getting lots of candy. I always bring 3 pillow cases and I always get at least 2 of them filled up.
October 29th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Dear Mrs. Braidwood,
Hi Mrs. Braidwood I am Abi and I am from Mr. Carmi’s class. I really like the title of you blog and the picture that goes with it
These statistics don’t really surprise me because Halloween is a big deal to most people. My family doesn’t really do much, this year will be our first year not giving out candy or going trick or treating. The spending for Halloween shows that our country is very enthusiastic about Halloween and other holidays. A bad thing about all the spending is the candy, unhealthy foods can cause health issues if you eat too much.
I am looking forward for Halloween because my family and I are going out for dinner but it will be different because I am not going trick or treating. Also, we aren’t handing out candy. I find there is no point in going trick or treating if you are going by yourself. I had to do that last year and it was not fun. Very best costume ever was when I was in grade 1. I was Pippy Long Stocking and my hair actually stuck up in L shapes. Like hers did. I won best costume at my old school.
My favourite candy is a tie between War Heads and Laffy Taffy. They are my favourite candy in the whole world but the change of different candy is nice because I would get tiered of the same candy all the time.
I usually eat lots on the first night but ration it until it is gone but my portions are really big.
ABI
October 29th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Dear Mr. C
5.8 billion that’s incredible. My family doesn’t even buy decorations. Honestly I am not looking forward to Halloween I feel to grown up to go around asking for candy. My best costume was probably when I wore an old man mask. My favourite candy is definitely Hershey’s cookies and cream. I Like to eat all my candy in one day.
November 4th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Hi my names Ian I’m from room 162 Mr. Millers room. I think that’s crazy because where I live The candy was all out before 8:30 and there wasn’t very many decorations, I live in a small town.
November 4th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I really like your blog post. I hope you will visit my blog.
November 4th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I think that is very interesting. Do yo spend lots of money on other holidays too?
November 8th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Brooke and I think that the money spent on halloween is AMAZING!!! :p 5.8 billion dollers!!!
thats a lot of money. I never knew that there is that much money being wasted in canada or Vancover Island.
:0
IF you were the store owner for all of the store’s would you lower the prices on the costumes?????
November 17th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
G day Mate my names Mike from australia i went trick or Treating Its so fun going around with ur friends and dressing up Cya
From Mike
November 19th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I really enjoyed your blog post.The best costume was in the third grade i was sleeping beauty.Stores get lots of money during holidays like Halloween.I really enjoyed reading and hope to make more comments.
Sincerely,
lizzette