GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Questions and answers about Halloween this year:
Is the custom of giving out treats at the door on
Halloween widespread in this country?
Yes. Sixty-nine percent of all Americans said in a Gallup poll
conducted last weekend that they would be "giving out Halloween
treats from the door of their home on Halloween" this year, exactly
the same number as in the ABC/Washington Postpoll from 1985.
Interestingly, the custom is much more prevalent among white
households: 72% of white adults interviewed in the poll said they
will give out treats, compared to only 52% of those in nonwhite
households. Additionally, Americans living in the South are
somewhat less likely to be giving out treats than are those living
elsewhere across the country.
There is usually talk of the dangers of trick-or-treating.
Any sign that fewer kids will be out now than in the
past?
No. A very large number of kids will apparently be out and about
this Halloween. Two-thirds of parents of children under the age of
15 said that their child would be going out trick-or-treating door
to door on Halloween. This is actually a somewhat larger number
than in the past. When an ABC/Washington Postpoll asked the
same question back in 1985, a slightly smaller number of Americans,
60%, said their children would be trick-or-treating.
What are kids' favorite costumes this year?
Costumes this year are going to be widely varied, but here are the
top five choices when Gallup asked parents of children under 15
what their child would be wearing on Halloween:
- Batman
- Star Wars character
- Witch
- Pokémon
- Disney characters
What else will kids be wearing?
All types of things. Here's the rest of the list of costumes that
1% or more of the parents said their children would be wearing:
princess, ghost, M&M, angel, clown, athlete, pumpkin,
cowboy/cowgirl, fireman, ninja, Spiderman, cheerleader, Tigger,
devil, Cinderella, "Blue's Clues,"Barbie, vampire, Grim
Reaper, monster, and ladybug.
Are there differences in choice of costume by subgroup
around the country?
There are not dramatic differences by region, although Star Wars
characters seem to be a little more prevalent in the West, and
witches and ghosts in the East. It is interesting to note that
higher-income families are slightly more likely to say their kids
will be Disney characters, while lower-income families are more
likely to have kids dressed up as Batman.
There are some individuals who are opposed to Halloween on
religious grounds, saying that it is in reality a celebration of
the devil. How widespread is this?
About 12% of Americans say they have objections to celebrating
Halloween on religious grounds. These objections are most common
among conservatives and Republicans.
Finally, do Americans really believe in witches and
ghosts?
Some do. In the most recent poll, 33% of Americans said they
believe in ghosts, and 22% said they believe in witches. These
numbers represent increases from 20 years ago, but we are unsure
what that change really means, although one clue may be found in
the fact that belief in ghosts is much higher among younger
Americans than among older Americans. In fact, over half -- 54% --
of those 18-29 say they believe in ghosts, compared to only 8% of
senior citizens 65 and older.
Survey Methods
The results below are based on telephone interviews with a randomly
selected national sample of 1,005 adults, 18 years and older,
conducted October 21-24, 1999. For results based on this sample,
one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error
attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus
3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
Will you or someone in your family be giving out Halloween treats from the door of your home on Halloween this year?
Oct 24 1985(a) |
Oct 21-24 1999 |
|
---|---|---|
Yes | 69% | 69% |
No | 30 | 30 |
Don't Know/ Refused | 1 | 1 |
100% | 100% |
Do you have any children under the age of 15?
Yes | 36% |
No | 64 |
Don't Know/ Refused | -- |
100% |
Will any of your children be going out trick-or-treating door to door on Halloween?
BASED ON -- 337-PARENTS OF CHILDREN UNDER 15; ±6 PCT PTS
Oct 24 1985(a) |
Oct 21-24 1999 |
|
---|---|---|
Yes | 60% | 67% |
No | 38 | 31 |
Don't Know/ Refused | 3 | 2 |
100% | 100% |
Will any of your children be wearing a costume this year at Halloween, or not?
BASED ON -- 337-PARENTS OF CHILDREN UNDER 15; ±6 PCT PTS
Yes | 84% |
No | 14 |
Don't Know/ Refused | 2 |
100% |
Do you personally have any objections on religious grounds to celebrating Halloween?
Yes | 12% |
No | 88 |
No opinion | * |
100% |
Do you believe in witches?
BASED ON -- 493 -- NATIONAL ADULTS ASKED FORM A; ± 5 PCT PTS
Feb 27 1978 |
Oct 21-24 1999 |
|
---|---|---|
Yes | 11% | 22% |
No | 89 | 77 |
No opinion | * | 1 |
100% | 100% |
Do you believe in ghosts?
BASED ON -- 512 -- NATIONAL ADULTS ASKED FORM B; ± 5 PCT PTS
Feb 27 1978 |
Oct 21-24 1999 |
|
---|---|---|
Yes | 11% | 33% |
No | 89 | 65 |
No opinion | * | 2 |
100% | 100% |
* less than 0.5%