Halloween is Really Big Business: But Will the Shadow Know?

Halloween is growing by leaps and bounds. The holiday’s growth rate is so phenomenal, that if Wall Street were growing at this rate, the country would be on easy street (or at least a slice of the country would be on easy street).

But here is the real question, I think. Some of you remember there used to be a very popular radio and tv show called The Shadow. It was also a best-seller among comic books (errr, excuse me… among graphic novels).

The Shadow was able to become invisible. The famous lines from the 

show were as follows: “What evil lurks in the hearts of men?…" (and then in a spooky voice, you would hear): "THE SHADOW KNOWS.”

Well, the great Swiss psychiatrist, Dr. Carl Jung, used the term “the shadow” to describe all the things that we want to sweep under the rug and into our unconscious. We do this so we will not have to acknowledge and admit these characteristics, impulses, and wishes.

Halloween is a very good time to remind us of the importance of doing shadow work, where we do more to bring the unconscious into our consciousness life. We do this work so that we can, in the words of Unity Minister, Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons, “clean up.”

So here is the question: Halloween is growing gangbusters where the 

spooky side of life comes out in a trick-or-treating cascade. But has this led to more shadow work, where we can say, “I know more about myself, and I won’t be in the grips of my shadow”?

The growth of Halloween is really phenomenal! For example, in 2015 an estimated 64% of Americans participated in the holiday. However, in 2025 it is estimated that 79% of Americans will be participating in Halloween.

In terms of dollars the growth is also Ghostbusters, including growth figures  between 2024 and 2025:

 — Costumes: $4.3 billion (up 13%);

 — Decorations: $4.2 billion (up 11%); and,

 — Candy: $3.9 billion (up 11%)

Yes, there is inflation. But even when you squeeze inflation out of the numbers, they indicate tremendous growth.

But the number above only refers to human beings. Pets are increasingly being a major part of Halloween celebrations in America. In our sweet land of liberty, we are projected to spend $860 million on pet costumes in 2025, up from about $700 million in 2024. About 23% of Halloween participants plan to dress up their pets this year. The average cost of a pet costume for Halloween this year will be approximately $50.

It is also interesting to look at the levels of participation in Halloween by various demographic groups. Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) have a Halloween participation rate of 93%. And while they are digitally minded, nearly 70% of them shop in person for their Halloween paraphernalia.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) remain very active in Halloween. Roughly 87% of them will do this in 2025. Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) will have a more moderate rate at 68%. Meanwhile, half of all baby boomers will be participating in Halloween this year.

Researchers who have studied the data have often concluded that much of the growth of Halloween is social media driven. Nevertheless, Halloween has evolved from a niche autumn festival into an almost $15 billion extravaganza.  Christmas at an estimated $1.3 trillion is not about to be overtaken by Halloween. But Halloween’s growth is significant on so many levels beyond dollars.

However, this increased participation and spending on the spooky side of life does not appear to have led to more genuine “shadow work” where we seek to make more of the subconscious conscious. At Spiritual Life Center we are in the middle of our Faith In Action series. This year we have been looking at a fascinating book, Luminous Life, by Dr. Jacob Liberman. We’ve been doing this through Sunday talks, home study groups, art, and through a Wednesday night forum.

Dr. Liberman makes some very interesting observations about dreams. “The depth of vision experienced in our dreams provides us with a glimpse of our limitless nature. The question now is how to tap into this limitless nature in our waking life,” he notes.

I have suggested several ways of doing this which work to make more of the unconscious conscious. These tools have included active imagination, and two way prayer. (To learn more about these methods, listen to the SLC service for October 19, 2025 below).

Interestingly, Dr. Jung believes that the shadow not only includes yucky stuff that we have swept under the rug, but it also includes incredibly good stuff that for one reason or another we refuse to admit. For example, many people have told me that I am a good public speaker. For a good portion of my life I just saw my public speaking as no big deal and not really as a talent. Shadow work has helped me to accept and value more of the good things that are inside of me.

I do not begrudge all of the time, treasure, and talents being devoted to Halloween. It is after all a big holiday in the Belous household. But I would encourage all of us to associate Halloween with the need to really do some deep and intense shadow work.

Shadow work is not a “one and done” proposition. It is an ongoing investment that we make in ourselves for the good of our families, friends, communities, and for ourselves.

I remember when my son David was a little boy and he would love to go through the Halloween haunted house. When a ghost would appear little David would look at the ghost and say, “Booo ghost!”

Shadow work helps all of us say, “Boooo ghosts!”

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick