Description

Why do Americans spend more on Halloween than some countries spend on national defense?

In this episode of Searching for America, I take a curious look at America’s favorite pagan holiday and the astonishing amount of money spent on plastic spiders, fake cemeteries, inflatable unicorns, and candy by the truckload.

As an outsider living in the Deep South Bible Belt, I’m endlessly amused by how Halloween has become a national obsession — even in a year filled with anxiety about inflation, tariffs, and the economy. From neighborhood decoration arms races and designer pumpkins to pet costumes and Amazon-delivered outfits, I explore why Americans keep opening their wallets every October.

It turns out Halloween isn’t just about ghosts and goblins. It’s about escapism, community, and a rare chance to have a little fun in a serious, lonely world. And when kids get to roam the streets like it’s 1982 — dressed as superheroes and unicorns — I’m more than happy to pay up.

Happy Halloween.

• 00:00 – Opening question: Why is Halloween spending so huge in the U.S.?
• 00:30 – Personal observations of Halloween in the Deep South
• 01:20 – Seasonal context: Fall as a lead-in to a trio of holidays
• 01:50 – Shocking stats: $13 billion Halloween spend vs Nordic defense budgets
• 02:00 – Costume culture and kids’ (and pets’) fashion obsessions
• 03:30 – Competitive house decorations and posh pumpkins
• 04:20 – Candy inflation and the politics of mass consumption
• 05:00 – Halloween as an inelastic good: people buy it no matter what
• 06:00 – Escapism and communal joy in an often isolated America
• 07:00 – A nostalgic nod to community and simpler times

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More about Robyn's public speaking
Robyn Curnow is a sought-after public speaker on what it takes to create positive leadership in complicated times. As a South African now living in the American South, Robyn is determined to bring a hopeful and light-hearted tone to all conversations. 

She reflects on her interviews with U.S. Presidents Bush, Clinton and Carter and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has impactful stories of working alongside Nobel Peace Prize Lauretes Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

She has delivered talks and hosted events around the Blue Economy in the Principality of Monaco where she introduced Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince William, Prince of Wales and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Lincoln Centre in New York, the Science Museum in London, the Swedish Royal Palace in Stockholm, the YPO annual conference in Cape Town, the United Nations, a Haaretz newspaper panel in Jerusalem, the Nantucket Yacht club and many more. 

She has recently worked with Prince Albert II Foundation in Monaco and Philadelphia, the Swedish royal family in Stockholm, Made by Dyslexia in London, the Red Cross of Georgia in Atlanta alongside Delta Airlines.

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