With pumpkins untouched and fake skeletons folded into a storage container in the garage, the streets are unusually quiet this Halloween season. The absence of Halloween decorations diminishes Halloween spirit and sense of unity in communities, ultimately taking away from the spooky magic and excitement of Halloween. This year it is time to go all out.
Decorations boost holiday spirit by building connections among neighbors. A study published on the Astrophysics Data System found that households with decorations reported an increased emotional bond with their neighborhood, suggesting that overall holiday decorations can foster friendliness.
“[Halloween decorations] makes me feel like I’m more welcomed in my costume and that there’s actually going to be houses that have candy,” junior Roshini Raju said. “And if there’s no decorations, then it feels like I’m just walking through like an empty street.”
Although decorations do boost the spirit, price can be a prohibitive factor. The National Retail Federation’s 2025 Halloween Spending Survey by Proper Insights & Analytics found that 42% of consumers older than 18 are buying their Halloween decorations at discount stores, up from 37% in 2024.
“Yeah, it definitely takes time and money. So some people just don’t think it’s worth the effort because it’s too expensive but only for once a year,” junior Amy Kim said. “Not many families can afford [expensive] decorations [and] it definitely takes time and money so some people just don’t think it’s worth the effort.”
Nevertheless, going all out doesn’t necessarily mean spending hundreds or filling every corner with store-bought spiders and skeletons. For example, people can participate in the Halloween spirit with homemade decorations.
Boosting Halloween spirit can be easier with events in Irvine dedicated to decorating houses, such as friendly decorating competitions around neighborhoods to encourage people to give their all.
Decorating houses to the fullest is essential this Halloween, because younger children should not be met with plain doorsteps with a steel bowl that says “only take one” but giant inflatables and glowing lights with an air of spookiness and anticipation.
