HOLLYWOOD—Hollywood is gearing up for Halloween. It’s a fun holiday, everybody gets dressed up and everyone has a great time. Halloween comes only second to Christmas in spending. Everyone will spend money from buying custom costumes to candy to pumpkin pies. Americans will go all out on October 31, and spend a lot of money doing so.
Last year, an estimated 158 million people in the U.S. celebrated the holiday, with an estimated $6.9 billion that Americans will spend, according to the National Retail Federation. This year it will be probably be less, since it keeps declining with every year. Two years ago, Americans spent $8 billion. Let’s see if the costumes will be flying off the shelves.
While the economy is still not improving, somehow, Americans will dish over $85 a piece, for their Halloween items, including another $2 billion on candy alone. Let’s not forget, that pet owners will be getting their dogs and cats ready for Halloween. They will spend an estimated $330 million on pet costumes this year. So what will people wear for Halloween? One of the top costumes is the “Frozen” costumes. Whether you are planning on being a sexy Elsa, the leading character of the hit flick, in a skin-tight blue mini-dress and sparkly cape or choose another Elsa dress with a thigh-high slit and see-through sleeves, Disney is hot this year. Or choose to be Olaf, Elsa’s lovably dim-witted snowman sidekick.
Another hit Disney costume is “Maleficient,” if you want to be the evil queen then dress up as Angelina Jolie’s character. You can wear a stunning black dress and crown, complete with black wings. Don’t forget a scepter to complete the ensemble. The “Hunger Games,” are still very much in demand along with “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Tinker Bell,” “Spiderman,” and “Captain America.” You can always create your own stylish outfit.
It’s America’s biggest Halloween bash in Salem, Massachusetts. The whole month of October, you will experience everything from haunted houses, historic landmarks, costume parties and ghost tours. If you’re around that area, a must-stop is Lizzie Borden’s Bed and Breakfast museum where you can actually sleep in her room.
On August 4, 1892 Abby and Andrew Borden were brutally murdered in their home on Second Street. Their daughter Lizzie stood trial for the crimes and was acquitted. To this day the crimes remain unsolved. There is also a film titled “Lizzie Borden Took an Ax,” released in January 2014, about Lizzie Borden, a young woman tried and acquitted in the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother which stars Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall and Greg Henry among many.
Rose’s Scoop: The Ice Bucket Challenge has dried up, but don’t fret, another charity selfie campaign is sweeping across social media. The Wakeup call hashtag is being used on Twitter, Facebook to raise money for Syria through Unicef. The charity is asking people to post photos of themselves (selfies) looking bleary-eyed just after they have woken up.
Looks like Irina Shayk and Cristiano Ronaldo are having trouble in paradise. In the meantime, Irina Shayk and Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Khloe Kardashian and Alessandra Ambrosio headed to Dubai for the grand opening of Cle Dubai.
By Rose Quintiliano
