More adults want in on Halloween fun

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Reuters Life!) - Halloween, traditionally a fun dress-up day for children, has become a pop culture celebration for both adults and youngsters -- and it is growing in popularity, according to an American sociologist.

Brought over to North America in the 1840s by Irish immigrants, Halloween has swelled into a multi-billion dollar event.

Evite.com, a popular Web site that allows users to plan and send out party invitations via e-mail, reported over 100,000 Halloween parties planned on the site involving more than 4 million invited guests -- a 22 percent-plus jump from the previous year.

Part of the rise in popularity is attributed to a growing number of adults who want in on the fun too.

"Interestingly, for a lot people it's replaced the Christmas party and the New Year's Eve party," said Charles Emmons, a professor of sociology at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

"Where's the wild party? Well, it's the Halloween party. You notice adult Halloween parties are gaining in popularity."

Emmons added that it has become the holiday where people are allowed to exhibit behavior or dress in a manner normally considered "deviant".

The National Retail Federation (NRF) survey found that 83 percent of 18-24 year olds planned on participating in some form of Halloween activity -- ranging from handing out candy to dressing in costume to throwing or attending a party. In 2003, the number was 67 percent.

Among the 25-34 year olds and the 35-44 year olds, 69 and 63 percent respectively said they planned on participating in Halloween this year.