Have you noticed that Halloween is no longer just a day, but more of a season in itself?

I’ve seen the trend for several years now where homeowners are pulling out all the stops with decorations and lighting. Spooky decor is all the rage for homes inside and out.

Apparently Halloween, which took a big hit last year due to the pandemic, is back. Big time!

I heard a man explain that last year he told the neighborhood kids not to hand out sweets. But this year he would give them double!

Judging by his candy purchase, he keeps his promise. I think a lot of people use this as a party for kids of all ages. I mean, who doesn’t love those miniature chocolate bars?

Retailers expect record sales of candy, costumes and decorations.

According to the US National Retail Federation, spending on decorations will be about $3.2 billion this year. Candy sales will exceed $3 billion for the first time.

The Retail Council of Canada did some polls suggesting that Halloween is surpassed in sales only at Christmas and back to school.

Horror is lucrative! It’s definitely not just for kids. Adults love a good costume party.

Hollywood is on board with new incarnations of Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Addams Family, and even The Munsters.

There are as many scary movies airing this month as there are Christmas movies in December.

We got to know the monsters like Jason, Michael Myers and their ilk. Is that what is meant by creature comforts?

Even though the characters are horrible, they are familiar to us. They are known.

Each channel has a large number of monster shows. Everywhere we turn, zombies, stalkers, serial killers and slashers wait in the dark.

Every day Lifetime has scary killer shows about knife-wielding cheerleaders, mom’s secret life, and dad’s deadly secret.

I do appreciate that they air those in the afternoon when scared cats like me can watch in daylight. There should be no terror after 7 p.m. It’s a rule!

Aside from the fact that we all need to let go a little bit, I have a theory about society’s obsession with evil. I think fictional fear is less frightening than the actual uncertainty we are currently facing. Nothing can be scarier than the unknown.

Let’s be honest. Going out the door every morning brings with it a certain amount of anxiety. We literally do not know what fate awaits us. What germs are around the corner?

Have you ever seen a more horrified face than that of a fellow shopper you encounter while going the wrong way down a one-way aisle? Everyone seems terrified to make eye contact. And with hoodies and masks, we all look terrifying.

The classic horror icons like Dracula and Frankenstein seem almost strange compared to the real-life monsters we sometimes deal with. I actually think I’d rather take my chances with a werewolf than with an anti-vaxxer…

Everything is scary. The sticker shock at the gas station is enough to make you run for your life. The amount of the grocery bill can cause chills. Monthly bills make me shudder.

Eighteen months ago, none of us realized how terrifying the real world would be. The fear of going about your daily activities is just as scary as the idea of ​​never going back to a routine.

So maybe that’s one reason a good movie scare seems safer. Choose your poison, as it were.

At least there is a beginning and an end.

And there is chocolate.