[Global Times reporter Li Zhun] The epidemic situation is still severe in many countries, but life must always continue. Halloween is a traditional festival that Western countries attach great importance to. People overcome various difficulties in fighting the epidemic and have to celebrate the festival. There are detailed epidemic prevention regulations in the United States on "tricking or treating without giving sugar". In New Zealand , teaching is in the form of ghosts. On Halloween, people go to abandoned infectious disease hospitals to experience supernatural phenomena and deepen their understanding of epidemic prevention.
Although the epidemic has not ended, the United States will be more lively this year than last year. The pumpkins piled up at the entrance of the supermarket, the hot-selling candies, Halloween costumes and decorations in the mall make people feel that the festival is approaching little by little. Under the epidemic, this year's Halloween is very different from before. "Troubleshooting if you don't give me sugar" requires compliance with epidemic prevention regulations. supply chain crisis makes Halloween "demons" unable to buy clothes to wear.
"Squid Game" costumes are popular
On the night of Halloween on October 31, many Americans will dress up as various "demons" and go out to the streets. " USA Today " reports that Americans are expected to spend more than $10 billion on Halloween this year. Google website lists the most popular Halloween costumes in the United States this year, mainly the costumes of some classic horror movies, and the costumes of popular movie characters.
USA Today reported that witches are still the most popular character in the United States on Halloween. The TV series "Visual Vision and Scarlet Witch" aired in the first half of this year and the enduring movie " Witch is also crazy " have all boosted the image of the witch. In addition, the top ten characters include Rabbit, Dinosaur, Spider-Man, Kuira Deville, Fairy, Harley Quinn, Cowboy, Joker, Ghost Baby Chagi .
In addition to these various American horror movies and classic movies, characters in electronic games or other national films and TV works are also becoming a new choice for Halloween drag. USA Today reported that as the Korean TV series "Squid Game" has become the most popular drama on streaming platforms in recent weeks, the show's related costumes ranked 23rd on Google's Halloween costume rankings, and there is an upward trend, even the Halloween costumes with the most searched Detroit .
Google's trend survey shows that people in various states and cities also have many differences in their choice of Halloween costumes. Los Angeles, Phoenix likes Kuira Deville's clothing the most, Washington , New York, Chicago most people choose Spider-Man costumes, and in Miami , people have a special liking for fairies. In addition, many Halloween costumes that are not ranked in the top 50 in the United States are very popular in some cities. For example, the "Space Cowgirl" character costume is most popular in Glendives, Montana. In Rockford, Illinois, people like the costumes of "Grogu" in the science fiction TV series " Mandalorian ".
"Troubleshooting without giving candy" must comply with regulations
White House said on October 27 that due to US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visiting abroad, the White House will not hold Halloween celebrations this year. In the past, Halloween "Trouble or Treat" event was held on the South Lawn of the White House every year. This event is important to Americans. That night, children wearing various ghost costumes would shout "Trouble or treat" and ask for candy from house to house. It is said that this custom originated from Celtic . The Celtics believed that on Halloween the souls of gods or dead people would appear, and that they would give food to them in exchange for good luck and prevent them from being harmed.
Since the epidemic in the United States is still serious, localities are reminding people how to safely carry out the "trick or treat" activity. New York City recommends receiving trick-treaters who come to ask for candy outdoors, where visitors move back several feet after ringing the doorbell to maintain a safe social distance. The apartment where I live in is sent an email to all residents in advance, saying that this year's "Troubleshooting" event will be carried out as usual. Residents who are willing to participate can get a colorful balloon and hang it at the door so that the children will know which house to knock on the door and will have candy. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children should wash their hands before eating candy.The New York City Children’s Services Administration and the American Red Cross have issued an initiative to parents to ensure that children do not move alone and ensure that children do not enter other people’s homes.
In addition, the attorney general of many states issued a warning on October 26, hoping that parents will be highly alert to marijuana products because they may be mistaken for ordinary candies and snacks. The prosecutor said the products may contain high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive compound found in cannabis that can lead to an unexpected overdose if taken by a child by mistake. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that in the first half of 2021 alone, the national poison control hotline received about 2,622 calls related to children's cannabis intake.
What is really scary is the "empty shelves"
In addition, this year, the United States faces a difficult problem, that is, the increasingly serious supply chain crisis. Fox News Network said that the supply chain crisis has led to a "Halloween nightmare" in real life. "Wall Street Journal " commented that the "most scary part" of Halloween this year was the supply chain crisis. When shoppers look for Halloween costumes such as witches and ghosts, they find that the real terrible thing this year is the "empty shelves".
US retailer Depot CEO Ted Decker said in mid-August that they sold Halloween products almost immediately. , California , global supply chain head of a Halloween creative product company, Mark Lippert said they started ordering products in February, "If you want to go to the store to buy Halloween clothing, it's best to book now."
Source: Global Times
