NEW YORK (AP) — Shelley Jenkins is a Halloween person by default. She lives in Blairstown, New Jersey, the rural town where the original “Friday the 13th” was set. horror movie Photographed.
Of course, the day attracts a lot of attention for tourists, but the town and its residents also focus on promoting Halloween, as well as parades and other activities. Jenkins, 69, echoes the vibe. host a friend And they hand out candy to more than 1,000 trick-or-treaters each year.
she is not alone. About two-thirds of American adults plan to celebrate Halloween in some way this year, and parents of children under 18 are especially likely to have plans, a new US poll finds. Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center.
“We’re definitely on the party scene,” Jenkins said, noting that she’s not in favor of healthy alternatives to candy. “I did the same thing one year when I got raisins, and everyone made fun of me.”
Mr. Jenkins decorated the garden; Might dress up as her dog In a butterfly costume. And she usually makes her own costumes at the last minute.
She’s in the majority when it comes to that Halloween sweets. The poll, conducted Oct. 9-13, found that only 5% of U.S. adults said they would give their children healthy snacks instead of candy.
But Jenkins would be in the minority when it came to butterfly costumes for her dogs. Only 9% of U.S. adults say they dress their pets in costumes.
There is a high possibility that parents will congratulate you.
Almost 8 in 10 parents of children under 18 say they plan to do something about it. celebrate the holidays, This compares to about 6 in 10 adults without young children.
Parents are more likely than Americans overall to say they let their kids go trick-or-treating and dress up, and they’re also more likely to say they let their kids wear costumes. Wear our own costumes.
Jessica Byrd, 34, of Kingman, Arizona, said Halloween is her favorite holiday. Her 15-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter are on board.
“I love the free candy, of course, and everyone is so friendly and welcoming on Halloween,” Bird said.
The three dress up and go trick-or-treating together. Bird chose Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her teenage son will be Snorlax from Pokemon, and her daughter will be Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.
Fred Joncas, 34, of Durham, North Carolina, has a 3-year-old daughter. There will also be trick-or-treating, with dads dressed up as Abby Saja from KPop Demon Hunters and toddlers dressed up as Pokemon characters.
“We went last year and she loved it,” Joncas said. “All I’ve heard since May is Halloween, Halloween.”
He doesn’t plan on handing out candy, but about one-third of U.S. adults say they do. A similar proportion, 31%, said they watch scary movies.
Back in Blairstown, Jenkins enjoys watching horror watches when he’s in the mood. “It gets your heart rate up, but it’s reassuring because it’s not real,” she said.
big fan of halloween
That’s what Bird, Arizona is like. halloween fan Her house is decorated with witches, skeletons, and bats all year round.
“It’s great to be creative and express that creativity,” she said of the holiday.
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they will put up Halloween decorations in their home or yard, and about a quarter will do so. Carve a pumpkin.
Kathy Rice, 75, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a big Halloween fan. She fondly remembers her childhood holidays.
“I come from a big family and a lot of kids lived in a big neighborhood,” she said. “Everyone was so excited about Halloween.”
Rice loves decorating for Halloween both inside and outside the house. There is a big hairy spider in front of her house. She decorates the garden with pumpkins, including two large pumpkins with lights. And there’s a giant foot cauldron with a sign that says, “Trick-or-treat, smell my feet!”
She and her neighbors keep their Halloween traditions to themselves. They leave each other treats in her cauldron during that time Spooky season.
“So far this year, I’ve left her with magazines and cookies and little decorations,” Rice said. “She left me a clip for my hair with cookies and bubblegum eyeballs and a really weird Halloween hand.”
It’s Halloween but don’t overdo it
Not everyone is super excited about Halloween, but they still have fun. Karalyn Keisling, 31, of South Lyon, Michigan, believes both her husband and herself fit into that category.
“We’re moderate about Halloween,” she said. “We like to dress up and go to Halloween parties with friends, but we don’t have kids yet, so we’re not that into it. We don’t decorate the whole house or decorate anything, but we’re not going to put that on the back burner.”
Kiesling just underwent surgery that left a scar on his neck. “I’m thinking of being the Bride of Frankenstein this year,” she said with a laugh.
Although the couple doesn’t watch horror movies to commemorate Halloween, they have another tradition that goes along with it. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
“It’s fun, it’s quirky. It’s a cult classic,” Kiesling said. “We love it.”
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Sanders reported from Washington.
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The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Oct. 9-13 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all adults is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
