You’ve picked the perfect pumpkin, nailed your costume, and decked out your porch, but have you put together your “boo basket” yet?
This viral trend—Halloween’s version of Secret Santa—has taken social media by storm over the last few years. At its core, it involves a basket or bucket filled with treats left anonymously on a neighbor’s doorstep, accompanied by a note saying, “You’ve been BOOed!” The recipient then is required to pay it forward by “booing” someone else. If you haven’t received one yourself, chances are you’ve seen them all over your feeds.
But what started as neighborhood fun has quickly become a social media phenomenon with over 103 million posts on TikTok. Friends are gifting them to each other and girlfriends have been dropping hints to their “boo’s” since the start of the fall season. In one TikTok unboxing video, the poster pulls out something called an “adoptable ghost”, alongside a pair of UGGs, fluffy socks, a body mist and other treats. In another, expensive makeup is nestled amongst candles, a fluffy pink throw and plush bunny, all tied up with matching bows.
@lexihensler Boo basket season is here👻🫶🏼
♬ original sound – Lexi Hensler
Parents quickly hopped onto the trend, gifting their children anything from Halloween Mad Libs and mummy Squishables to hot-ticket items like Stanley cups, Uggs, and even iPhones. Some parents see the viral movement as yet another opportunity to show off on social media, and worry that it adds unnecessary social pressure to shell out on plastic junk and expensive treats.
@julianna_claire She’s my unpaid therpaist & sister I got to choose🧡. #boobasketideas #boobasketseason #boobasket #bestiegoals #giftbasket #giftbasketideas #giftbaskets #fallaesthetic #autumnaesthetic #halloween2024 #halloweendecor #halloweendiy #diygift #diygiftideas #stanleycup
♬ Taste – Sabrina Carpenter
One parent took to Reddit to complain that boo baskets were making Halloween even more extravagant. “There’s already costumes, trick or treating, fall festivals, hay rides, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, state fair…do we really need to add more?” they wrote. “Absolutely no hate if you love doing this for your kids because I know I’m definitely [over the top] in other areas. It just feels a bit much for me.” Americans already spend billions on Halloween, averaging over $100 per person.
“I personally think we can make moments memorable without buying all the crap that will get thrown away anyway,” another parent wrote. “I’ll stick to my normal traditions and carve pumpkins and trick-or-treat like when I was a kid.”
Login to add comment
Other posts in this group
There are so many ways to die. You could fall off a cliff. A monk could light you on fire. A bat the size of a yacht could kick your head in. You’ve only just begun the game, and yet here you are,
Former Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg launched Meeno less than two years ago with the intention of it being an AI chatbot that help
The most indelible image from Donald Trump’s inauguration in January is not the image of the president taking the oath of office without his hand on the Bible. It is not the image of the First Lad
Ernest Hemingway had an influential theory about fiction that might explain a lot about a p
The first 100 days of Trump’s second presidential term have included a surprising player that doesn’t seem likely to go away anytime soon: Signal.
The encrypted messaging pl
Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream—it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology start
Dive into the exhilarating world of innovation with FC Explains, a video series that spotlights the game changers and visionaries from Fast Company’s prestigious Most Innovative Companies list. Th
