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 past 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 more than 103 million posts on TikTok. Friends are gifting them to each other and girlfriends have been dropping hints to their “boos” 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 among candles, a fluffy pink throw, and plush bunny, all tied up with matching bows.
Parents quickly hopped on the trend, gifting their children anything from Halloween Mad Libs and mummy Squishables to hot-ticket items like Stanley cups 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.
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 more than $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.”