We may be headed towards a double-dip recession but that hasn’t stopped American’s from gobbling up a record setting amount of Halloween candy. According to a report by the National Confectioner’s Association consumers in the United States purchased $2.3 billion in candy during the 2011 shopping season.

Based on recent numbers consumers are buying candy at an increasing rate of 1% to 3% per year, equally no less than 35 million pounds of candy this year alone.

For consumers worried about their children rotting out their teeth Slate points out that since most Halloween candy is high in sugar and low in moisture it can last for as long as 2-years if nuts and other quick to expire ingredients are not include, while the candy’s top quality should remain in place for one full year, allowing parents to slowly hand out candy.

If the amount of candy purchased during Halloween doesn’t surprise you it should be noted that other purchases are nearly as profitable including $1.88 billion spent on decorations and $1.21 billion spent on adult costumes.

You can see a more inclusive list of our $7 billion Halloween spending habits HERE.

Are you surprised by the amount of candy purchased each year for Halloween?

[Image via ShutterStock]

What Bad Economy? Americans Drop Record $2.3 Billion On Halloween Candy is a post from: The Inquisitr

How much candy is consumed on Halloween night? How many trick-or-treaters hit the streets? What’s the most popular Halloween costume? If you’ve ever been puzzled by these questions, these Halloween infographics should can help you sort things out.

Here are some Halloween stats according to Visual News.

• There are 36 million children in the prime of their trick-or-treating careers in the United States. (Between the ages of 5 and 13).
• 35 million pounds of candy corn are sold every year.
• 120 million kids and adults dress up for Halloween every year.

Here’s Visual News’ Halloween infographic.

As for costumes, it all depends on whether you’re going for geeky, funny, or sexy.

According to Masbable, Steve Jobs will be the most popular costume this year for the tech obsessed. Lady Gaga will lead the pop culture crowd, and those going with Halloween classics, the Zombie reigns supreme.

Here’s a Halloween infographic from webtrends.

Do you agree with these Halloween infographics? Is candy corn really the most popular Halloween candy?

Halloween By the Numbers [Infographics] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates almost $7 billion will be spent on Halloween in 2011, up from $5.8 billion last year. That’s also a huge leap from 2005′s $3.3 billion, before the current economic crisis took hold.

In its press release, the NRF even provides a breakdown of how money will be spent, with candy and decorations bringing in the biggest chunk:

Candy: $2 billion
Decorations: $1.88 billion
Adult costumes: $1.21 billion
Children’s costumes: $1 billion
Greeting cards: $470 million
Pet costumes: $310 million

The average American household will reportedly spend $72 on the holiday (up from $66 last year). Doug Johnson, Madison-based national and state retail analyst, thinks Halloween’s popularity is easily explained:

“Halloween has become more popular because of the relative low costs and the escape from daily worries and a chance to be a kid again.”

Halloween still lies fourth in annual spending on ‘retail events’ in the U.S. Inevitably, Christmas comes top, with people spending a cool $400 billion on making their Christmas magical (that’s $4,100 per household!). Halloween also trails back-to-school and Thanksgiving, but Johnson acknowledges Halloween is “sneaking in.” He also states that Halloween expenditure is normally a reliable indicator of what people will spend at Christmas:

“This is not only good for state and local and national retailers for sales now, it’s a harbinger for what we are hoping are even stronger sales for the holidays.”

Christmas last year saw the average person spend $700, while Mother’s Day came in second, with individual spending just short of $130.

Halloween To Rake In $7 Billion At Retail is a post from: The Inquisitr

While the idea of having an iPad 2 that you are willing to apply duct tape to is one thing but how about taking two of them and making it look like you have a gaping hole in the middle of your torso – sort of.

Courtesy of a guy by the name of Mark we get this quickie, albeit rather expensive Halloween costume using nothing more that two iPad 2′s, duct tape, and some red liquid for color and effect.

I went to a Halloween party tonight and had tried out my costume idea of using 2 iPads with a Facetime chat to make it look like I had a huge hole in my stomach. Everyone was seriously going nuts and 2 people said it was “the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”. I thought your readership might appreciate it especially if they still don’t have a costume

This idea is 100% original as far as I know and I came up with it as soon as I saw the iPad2 had Facetime.

via Geeks are Sexy

Got a couple of iPad 2′s then you have a Halloween costume is a post from: The Inquisitr

Heidi Klum spends 364 days of the year being gorgeous. So on Halloween, she takes her look in a more… hairy direction.

US Magazine reports that Klum has a special place in her heart for Halloween. The 38-year-old host of Project Runway has been throwing elaborate Halloween parties for years. But the supermodel doesn’t go all skanky with her Halloween costumes like some women are prone to do, Klum likes to get a little more creative.

In the past, she’s been a Transformer type robot, an apple, and a giant superhero. This year, according to US Magazine, Klum is getting more primitive with a monkey costume.

But the monkey suit isn’t the only costume in Klum’s repertoire. Klum will wear the monkey suit to a rooftop party on Monday night, but she’ll have a different look when she hosts a Halloween party at TAO Nightclub at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Saturday.

For the Las Vegas party, Klum will be ditching the monkey suit for a barebones skeleton costume. According to People, Klum will be going as “The Visible Woman.”

The visible woman costume was hand painted by designer Martin Izquierdo.

Klum says that she loves coming up with her own Halloween getup because it’s the only way to be sure that no one else will be wearing her costume.

Klum said:

“The amazing thing about creating your own costume is that you can be sure no one else has the same.”

Of course, most of us don’t have famed designer’s at our disposal.

What do you think of Heidi Klum’s costumes? Are you designing your own costume this year?

Heidi Klum Halloween Costume Isn’t as Sexy As You Might Hope is a post from: The Inquisitr

Who likes Charlie Sheen more than Charlie Sheen? Nobody that’s who and that’s why it makes perfect sense that Sheen would dress as himself for Halloween.

In all fairness to the former Two and a Half Men star his face is making for the most sought after Halloween mask for the treat-or-treat season which means if everyone else is doing it why shouldn’t he.

Sheen recently tweeted:

Trick or Treat Cadre!
Got my Halloween costume… All set!
(yeah… This really confused the kids!!)

He then linked to the photo shown above.

I spotted the Charlie Sheen mask at Spirit Halloween a few weeks ago and it appeared to be winning as there were very few left on the shelf weeks before Halloween was even close to arriving.

If you can’t find a Charlie Sheen mask don’t fret you can just cover your nose in powdered sugar and walk around with two of your skankiest friends clinging to your arms.

Are you surprised that the Charlie Sheen mask has become so popular?

Charlie Sheen To Dress As Charlie Sheen For Halloween is a post from: The Inquisitr

So technically they’re not pumpkins, but whoever did this won Halloween this year, you can all go home now.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Halloween Win is a post from: The Inquisitr

Forget the nurse and Little Bo Beep costumes this Halloween the ‘Anna’ costume is all the rage, as in Anna Rexia.

The simple costume features a black bodysuit with a silk-screened skeleton and a measuring tape ribbon belt. Also included just to add a bit of extra controversy is a matching measuring tape choker, heart name tag and a bone headband.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association anorexia currently afflicts 10 million females and one million males and because of that fact the Anna Rexia Halloween costume has been pulled from several retailers.

For stores willing to sell the Anna Rexia outfit they’ve been a gold mine, flying off the shelves faster than they can be ordered.

Oddly enough the outfits manufacturer Dreamgirl actually discontinued the outfit several years ago.

Dreamgirl’s director of marketing, Alicia Brockwell, told CNN

“We understand that some people will not find the dark humor funny,” said Brockwell. “Or that they are sensitive to the topic it addresses. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and would never want to cause harm to anyone. Dreamgirl is a company run by women for women. Halloween is an eccentric and irreverent holiday for people to express themselves in a myriad of ways. While some people may not like a particular costume – it is a matter of taste and personal discretion.”

Do you think the Anna Rexia costume sends the wrong message about anorexia or does it highlight a serious problem by framing it in such a drastic way?

‘Anna Rexia’ Halloween Costume Draws Criticism is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Halloween, the streets are filled with vampires, monsters, ghosts, ghouls, and werewolves, but there is one thing noticeably absent. God. Thankfully, Non-profit organization JesusWeen is trying to put God back into the devil’s holiday.

JesusWeen asks participants to:

• Knock on doors to give a tract, CD, DVD, or Bible
• When asked for treats give the gift of salvation

The people at JesusWeen can also save you some time picking out a costume. JesusWeen posted on its Facebook page:

“DRESS CODE: On October 31st, every Christian is expected to wear a white top to symbolize Righteousness and the love of God to all mankind. The money normally used to buy costumes can be given to ministries that print christian books to help the unsaved or give such funds to JesusWeen or food bank to help the poor.”

The organization says that they are “endorsed by God,” and that their mission is to “re-program the world.”

Pastor Paul, who started JesusWeen in 2002, told Gawker:

“I think (Halloween) is an activity that doesn’t have anything to do with Christians. And I think many Christian families are not knowledgeable to what it’s all about. Halloween is not consistent with the Christian faith. Many people say they feel uncomfortable on that day. We think people should choose an alternative activity.”

Pastor Paul is right. Halloween has very little to do with Christianity. Halloween started as an ancient Celtic, pre-Christian new years celebration.

History.com reports:

“It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.”

Here’s a video about the history of Halloween.

Would you be mad if you received a bible instead of candy on Halloween, I mean, JesusWeen?

JesusWeen: A Godly Alternative to Halloween is a post from: The Inquisitr

What is Halloween without the flavor of thrill-seeking? With this, thousands of haunted attractions in the US are gearing up to sow more fear in Halloween thrill-seekers. In fact, a survey by The National Retail Federation showed that more than 24 million Americans are planning to visit a haunted house this year.

As a fear-seeker though, where do you go? Here it is, the list of America’s Best Haunts, where haunted attractions were judged by members with over 100 years of haunting experiences. These places were selected based on safety, special effects, detail, marketing, value, fear, consumer appeal and longevity.

Now in its fifth year, this ranking has quickly gained a national reputation for showcasing America’s scariest and most innovative haunts, distinguishing them as the most sought-after “Who’s Who” of haunted houses.

How about you, where do you plan to go this coming Halloween to scare yourself?

The 2011 Winners of the prestigious “America’s Best Haunts” title are:

Thrillvania Thrill Park, Terrell, TX
Bennett’s Curse, Baltimore, MD
Night Terrors, Jacksonville, FL
Haunted Montrose, Montrose, GA
Screamworld, Houston, TX
Eastern State Penitentiary, Terror Behind the Walls, Philadelphia, PA
Nightmare New England, SpookyWorld, Litchfield, NH
ScreamPark, Lexington, KY
Woods of Terror, Greensboro, NC
Ghostly Manor, Sandusky, OH
Wisconsin Feargrounds, Waukesha, WI
13th Door, Aurora, CO
The Nest Haunted House, Chandler, AZ
The TerrorFest, Columbus, OH
Indy ScreamPark, Anderson, IN

Top Places to Visit in America This Halloween to Scare Yourself is a post from: The Inquisitr

It must take a special kind of madness to be willing to got to the lengths that these awesome people did just to create the best HALO Halloween you could imagine. However this is exactly what Shawn Thorsson and his friends did over the space of three years. Granted in those three years there was some time spent away at sea and over in Iraq but in the end he, and his friends, recreated the characters from HALO’s Red vs. Blue.

So just how do you get to that image above?

Well you start out like this:

And finally we end up here:

HALOween Awesomeness that took 3 years to complete is a post from: The Inquisitr

The award for irony in costuming this year goes to a 19-year-old man in Nebraska who was arrested for driving while intoxicated, while dressed as a breathalyzer test.

19-year-old Matthew Nieveen was arrested after he was spotting driving erratically, eventually being booked for second-offense driving under the influence as well as  “being a minor in possession of alcohol,” an open container violation, and negligent driving. The officer reported that the teen, when stopped, slurred his speech, smelled of alcohol and had glassy eyes. In Nieveen’s Ford F-150, police found several empty beer cans, a bottle of vodka, and a partially consumed bottle of Mountain Dew. He was taken to a local police station, where his blood alcohol content was measured at more than twice the local legal limit of 0.08. In Nebraska, the legal limit for a minor driver is zero.

The police report also noted his choice of costume:

“He was dressed as a PBT (preliminary breath testing) alcohol sensor and had been attending a Halloween party prior to the stop,” the report says.

Nieveen is not the first person to be arrested for a DUI in that costume- last year a man in Oxford, Ohio was cited under similar circumstances.

[Journal Star via snopes]

Man dressed as breathalyzer cited for drunken driving is a post from: The Inquisitr

You, sir, win the Internets. The whole damn Internets.

[YouTube, via Geekologie]

[VIDEO] So much win: Dude syncs his Christmas lights to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Halloween is celebrated in many different ways across the United States, and in the deep south they are their own unique traditions…such as redneck pumpkin carving using a hand gun.

Celebrate Halloween With Redneck Pumpkin Carving is a post from: The Inquisitr

I realize that kids dressing up for Halloween is something we expect and for the most part is pretty harmless because it usually involves costumes picked by the kids; but it seems when it comes to geeks and their babies all bets are off.

Not only can you tell that the geek genes are being passed along but you also know that some of these kids will have scarred memories of Halloween for the rest of their lives, not tom mention never using their Facebook in their resumes.

via Fresh Pics

8 Nerd babies whose Halloween memories are scarred forever is a post from: The Inquisitr

In other news, does anyone want to go trick or treating in LA?

Despite the fact that no child has ever fallen victim to candy contaminated by strangers, police in Los Angeles have warned parents to be on the lookout for Halloween treats that have been “laced” with marijuana. Three kids were hospitalized in Huntington Beach last week for eating pot cookies, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has reminded people to make sure no pot-dispensary candy has made it in to kids’ trick or treating sacks:

“These lollipops, candy bars, they look pretty legitimate. The problem is if it gets in the wrong hands and a kid licks a lollipop, they get ill or intoxicated,” said Cpt. Ralph Ornelas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Okay, high perhaps, I’ll give them that. But has anyone met a stoner willing to pass out their stash to anyone who happens to come knocking at the door in a Stormtrooper costume?

[Image]

California cops warn of marijuana-laced candy is a post from: The Inquisitr

I’m sorry but there are some things that should never be made into candy no matter how popular Garbage Pail Kids were. These six have to rank right up there in the list of WTF were they thinking and definitely never saw the inside of Willy Wonka’s factory.

Top image: Chocka Ca Ca

Zit Poppers

Urine Sample Candy

Chocolate Doo Drops

Hotlix Suckers (and yes those are real insects)

Ear Wax Candy

Hose Nose

via Neatorama

6 of the grossest candies you’ll ever see is a post from: The Inquisitr

There is no denying the fact that October 31st was once considered to be for the kids to collect candy and wear a little bit of blood make-up. Never mind the tricks it was all about the treats and then paying the next year for the local dentist’s new BMW.

Then at some point it became more of an adult deal with all kinds of risqué and boring costumes with everyone trying to outdo each other.

Well if you are a geek and you think you have the coolest costume ever you obviously haven’t seen John Savio’s costume that he has been constantly improving over the past four years – much like the product he based his costume on.

Yes folks I present you with – The iPhone Halloween Costume. You may now hang your head in shame and try again next year.

via DVICE

That cool Halloween costume you were making to win all the prizes? You’ve already lost. is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wackiness and downright strangeness are fun at the best of times but there are certain times of the year, or events, where we do everything possible to outshine previous years.

Such is the case with Halloween, which has progress from the simple walk around the block with a pillow sack to a time where we go all out decorating and testing our carving skills.

via Random Good Stuff

Some fantastic pumpkin madness in time for Halloween is a post from: The Inquisitr

I must be old school because for me pumpkin carving meant lots of newspaper, a couple of sharp, or hopefully sharp knives along with a nice and simple design. However the guys at ToolKing.com decide to go one step further and bring a whole slew of power tools to the carving table.

Yes .. power tools. Things like Dremels, DeWalt drills, hacksaw, and assorted other things.

Thanks for making us old school carvers totally inadequate guys.

Bet you didn’t think of a Dremel when carving that pumpkin is a post from: The Inquisitr