Johnson: Pet companies meet costume demand

The next couple of days will be transformative for many folks as they put the final touches on their soon-to-be new and fun identities and turn their yards and homes into displays of creepy or terrifying imagination.

In search of ponies

If lucky, costumes will survive the weekend and make it to Monday, durability tested by the exuberance of children anxious to show off the frilly glittered skirts and studded tiara of their favorite princess or cape and mask of the best superhero of all time.

It’s a tossup which part of Halloween is most rewarding for kids (and kids at heart) — candy and treats or the costume part — but it is fair to say that the combination of sugar and make-believe makes it one of the most fun days of the year for the young.

Steeped in history and traditions dating back to ancient times, costumes and offerings of food or treats have a longstanding presence in the end of harvest celebration that ushers in the pending winter, and it wasn’t always a holiday for children.

In its early form, the spooky fall day was a quite a bit more serious than it is in modern world, and was, for ancient people, directly tied to their success and survival during harsh winters.

Believing the dead walked the earth with the living and caused mischief on the last day of October, Celtic folks dressed in costume — historians believe these were primarily made of animal heads and skins or woven materials and worn as disguises – performed rituals and made sacrifices intended to appease the gods and to communicate with the spirits of the departed.

Through the centuries, the Romans and most of Europe carried on observance of the day, costumes and treats in varied forms, with the traditions making their way across the sea to the New World. As ancient beliefs have died away, however, the once serious occasion has evolved into a lighter one — albeit still including ghost, skeletons and other things from the underworld — becoming more of a playful event.

Transitioning from something sacred and spiritual for ancient adults to a holiday mostly for children, the concept of Halloween continues to change even in the modern world and in recent years, the day has increasingly come to include companion animals as well.

While it was always possible to gussy up the critters in some fanciful and creative way, such things were typically left to the ingenuity of pet owners motivated enough to DIY a clever costume.

Now, however, the commercial pet industry is on board with supplying the demand for pet costumes and often shoppers can find a frufru ballerina or firefighter ensemble for the pooch hanging next to the masks and witch hats for the kids.

An estimated 67 percent of consumers are expected to spend $3.1 billion on costumes in the US this year, 16 percent of whom are pet owners who plan to dress up their critters, according to the National Retail Federation.

The leading pet styles this Halloween are similar to those favored by children, with Pokémon, Minion and Star Wars characters, Ewoks, Chewbacca, Frozen, Ghostbusters, Robin (Batman’s sidekick), firefighter and dinosaur costumes topping the list for Internet buyers, according to Yroo, an online search engine for shoppers.

With all those critters dressing up this year, the more than 93 percent of Americans surveyed by the NRF who plan to buy candy may want to toss some bacon flavored candy corn in the cart — it’s quite possible the next Frozen princess at the door has a wagging tail under her dress and floppy ears holding her tiara on.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

[email protected]