Boo Basket enchanted families this Halloween.
If you follow influencers or seasonal content creators, you’ve probably seen these popping up all over your feed. A “boo basket” (originally a creepy interpretation of Secret Santa) is a basket or bucket filled with candy and a piece of plastic left on a neighbor’s doorstep along with a note that reads “You’ve been booed!” It was made up of a scattering of handmade trinkets. Conversely, the neighbor must “boo” the next person.
But the trend has evolved into a social media staple: “The seasonal surprise is here!” It’s as much a symbol of the holiday as a couple’s Halloween costume obligation. There are currently over 82,000 videos tagged #boobasket on TikTok, and the trend is clearly steadily growing in popularity. Scroll through the Explore page or FYP and you’ll see a series of posts listing “husband-approved” booze cart lists, women sharing their latest “drinking numbers,” or asking men to “drink alcohol.” You may see a video that encourages you to drink. Boo” on.
Parents then jumped on board with the trend, commonly gifting their kids with everything from Madlib books and bubble wands to stuffing them with popular items like Stanley Cups, UGGs, and iPhones. Parents are increasingly using this trend as an opportunity to brag on social media, leaving many groups of parents dissatisfied.
The boo basket has sparked lively discussion in Reddit parenting threads and Facebook groups, with some parents groaning at the prospect of adding another layer of parenting duties. Critics have called this trend simply “unnecessary consumerism,” pointing out that Americans already spend billions of dollars on Halloween, averaging more than $100 per person. There is. With the already expensive trick-or-treat candy, hay, pumpkin patch, costumes, etc., many parents feel boo baskets aren’t worth the hassle.
“I enjoy playing Boo Basket because my kids enjoy it,” mother Rachel Zawada told Today. “But it feels like we’ve added one more thing to our ever-growing October to-do list.”
But others jumped to the defense of the boobasket trend, pointing out that there’s nothing wrong with a little “spooky family fun.” From pumpkin-themed goodies to non-candy options, there are many ways to make boo baskets a fun tradition without making it a stressful task.
Lifehacker adds that overspending can quickly take away the fun of assembling a boo basket, turning what should be a thoughtful action into a budget-busting chore. By setting spending limits, parents and couples can enjoy the spirit of the season without feeling pressured to go overboard on upcoming holiday gifts.
