In the weeks that followed the September 11 attacks in 2001, Americans began to question whether continuing to spend heavily during the Halloween season (and other “spending” seasons) was the right thing to do, especially when there seemed to be so much to do to keep the country safe.

While Halloween 2001 was still a fun occasion, questions were being asked as to whether the “pointless consumerism” was the right thing to uphold.

Halloween and Patriotism

The United States is a large country that boasts of a trillion-dollar economy, and spending in America is seen as a patriotic act. When you spend your hard-earned money, you’re doing your part to keep the American economy rolling. Spending is the primary way to keep small businesses and big companies running.

In effect, the whole system is maintained because people are letting go of their money. When a season like Halloween is not suddenly questioned, the commercial establishment recoils out of fear. If no one wants to spend, what would happen to the businesses?

Defenders of spending seasons such as Halloween are quick to point out that consumerism actually helps keep the country afloat. And by keeping the country afloat, you’re actually doing your patriotic duty to defend the United States.

Whether this view is true or not, it does make a little sense.

“Nope, I disagree.”

But some people obviously aren’t amused with the American spending mentality. Kevin Horrigan of the newspaper Post-Dispatch says:

“Take the dough you’d spend on Halloween candy and send it to the Red Cross. How about $1.9 billion instead?”

This view is apparently shared by many. Halloween does seem to cheapen everything it comes in contact with. But Halloween’s supporters claim that NOT celebrating Halloween is much worse, as it makes the country more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Subsequently, making the country vulnerable will cheapen the deaths of the victims of 9/11.

Economic interest

There’s no doubt that Halloween is a definite draw for people who’d like to cash in on consumer patterns. After all, Halloween means retail. The season profits from the droves of people going to malls and shops to buy Halloween-related merchandise, such as candy, costumes, and booze.

What happens when the Halloween industry suddenly disappears? The economy may slow down as a whole.

These “main cogs” are the large companies that produce most of the money. The economy depends on these big companies. This is the reason why the US government is quick to lend out bailouts to keep these big companies from collapsing.

If the big companies do badly, then its employees and dependent small businesses suffer. It’s a downward spiral that the government would like to check as early as possible. By pumping these companies with money, the government keeps the economy from breaking down completely.

Spending during Halloween is increasing again as time goes by and the 9/11 furor becomes more of a distant memory. If it stays this way, then the economy should recover soon enough.