‘Halloweenmas’: how the spooky one-nighter turned into a month-long spectacular

The tree is up, the wreath is hanging on the front door and you’ve just opened your advent calendar. All told, it’s beginning to feel a lot like … Halloween.

If it sounds like the stuff of nightmares then that’s the point: Britons are increasingly decorating their homes with ghoulish versions of Christmas traditions. Think of it as Halloweenmas.

“What was traditionally a single-night celebration has turned into a month-long event mirroring many of Christmas’s traditions, but without the same level of expectation,” said Charlotte Broadbent, the UK general manager for the online wholesale platform Faire.

Analysis of thousands of sales transactions on the platform revealed a huge rise in the number of Halloweenmas products available – up more than 500% in the past four years, from 425 in 2021 to 2,632 in 2025. The biggest areas of growth are trees, wreaths and ornaments.

According to the budget retailer Wilko, Halloween trees are one of the biggest decorating trends of 2026. It said sales of artificial trees were 200% higher in September than a year ago.

“There really aren’t any rules with a Halloween tree,” says Wilko. “You can go all-out or keep it simple with a smaller tree and a few spooky accessories.”

The lack of rules is clear from social media, where the looks span student party – black tinsel tree shaped like a witch’s hat – to child-friendly cuteness. The arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft’s website offers “five ways to decorate a twig tree” that include DIY spiderwebs made out of lolly sticks and felt pumpkins.

Libby Ewart, who runs the online partyware and gift retailer The Box Party, has bought 40% more stock this year. “Houses are decorated earlier and with way more thought than before,” she said. “Also, this year it falls on a Saturday, so there has never been a better excuse for a party.”

Emily Viberg, a senior retail analyst at the research group Mintel, said Halloween was “no longer just about costumes and sweets, it’s about a full season of engagement, gifting and themed activities”.

Mintel’s research shows young Britons, in particular, see it as an opportunity to express themselves and experiment with fashion and makeup, with 16- to 34-year-olds over-indexing in purchases of fancy dress, cosmetics and decorations.

“Consumers are increasingly buying into the atmosphere and social moments Halloween creates,” Viberg said. “Younger adults are at the heart of this shift, transforming Halloween from a one-night celebration into a broader season of self-expression and experience-led spending.”

Viberg said social media had accelerated this shift, with 40% of Halloween buyers using the platforms to buy products directly. “Viral costume trends, makeup tutorials, home decor inspiration and content tapping into popular culture are shaping consumer spending and helping to extend the season well beyond October,” she said.

While some people might complain it is all over the top, Broadbent said: “What we’re seeing is people investing into Halloween as a reason to share quality time together ahead of Christmas, with lots of fun and creativity at its heart and without the need to spend big.”