Dublin Homes Transform into Halloween Haunts

As a fan of the popular sitcom “Modern Family”, I can relate to Claire Dunphy and her family as they go all out preparing their house for Halloween trick or treaters.

I’m a self-admitted Halloween enthusiast and thank my family for annually accommodating the over the top theming that transforms our house. Every year, taking advantage of “day after sales” at Spirit, our Halloween spectacle gets a bit more spectacular.

A favorite is the video wall filling our front window with spooky Halloween visuals (a simple trick, but a well-guarded family secret), plus the usual assortment of smoke machines, scary sounds, cobwebs, candlelit jack-o-lanterns and (family-friendly) ghouls. I rationalize my Halloween obsession this way: I have 364 days a year to be serious and business-like – Halloween provides an opportunity to act like a kid.

Turns out I’m not alone, according to the National Retail Federation, 2011 is expected to be a terrifying success (at the cash register) with an anticipated 161 million Americans participating in the tradition, scaring up $6.86 billion in related sales along the way. Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve (the day before All Saint’s Day), can be traced back thousands of years to the Celtic festival of Samhain. Although forbidden by early American colonists, the tradition caught on in the 19th century, eventually becoming the multi-billion dollar industry that it is today (according to eb.com). Part of the growing Halloween tradition is the “Halloween Boo” (how do these things get started?), we received our “Boo” about a week ago and still aren’t quite sure who left the surprise treats.

Part of maintaining a Halloween home that is sought out by costumed visitors (and their parents) is reviewing the competition. This year I set out with my younger daughter to survey Dublin for well-appointed Halloween haunts, snapping photos for Patch along the way.

Based on our tour of Dublin, and a forecast calling for warm, clear skies, 2011 is shaping up to be an excellent Halloween. One home in our neighborhood is even advertising their “Haunted House” with flyers. Looks like the competition is heating up, so time for me to get back to work (decorating).