Spooky season: what you didn't know about Halloween

It's spooky season again, and in some countries Halloween is no longer a holiday but a spectacle. From celebrities to designer brands and luxury hotels, establishments worldwide pull out all the stops to capture attention during the scariest night of the year, or rather, the scariest weeks.

It's again spooky seasonAnd in some countries, Halloween is no longer a holiday, but a spectacle. From celebrities to designer brands and luxury hotels: all over the world, they do their utmost to be the talk of the town during the scariest night of the year, or rather, the scariest weeks.

In the high-end world, Halloween is more than trick-or-treating: it's a statement of prestige. Houses resemble movie sets more than front yards, and event and costume decorations reach new heights.

For star hotels, the emphasis is increasingly on experience and personalization, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. During this period, they go all out with exclusive Halloween dinners featuring Michelin-starred chefs, masked balls, spectacular parties, and meticulously crafted décor.

Luxury brands are also getting in on the action. Over the years, brands like Dior and Tom Ford have released limited-edition Halloween perfumes and beauty collaborations. Louis Vuitton took things a step further with the Pumpkin Bag, which sold at auction for a whopping $151.200.

Those who take Halloween extremely seriously are the elite families. In exclusive neighborhoods of London, Los Angeles, and New York, mansions are transformed into complete movie sets. Homeowners invest tens of thousands of euros in their spooky makeovers, from smoke-filled facades to life-size skeletons and lighting installations. It's estimated that celebrities like John Legend and the Kardashians sometimes spend as much as $50.000 transforming their homes into private haunted houses.

Facts about Halloween you (probably) didn't know yet

• Halloween has been around for over 6.000 years and has its origins in the Celtic harvest festival of Samhain in Ireland.
• The film World War Z is the most expensive horror film ever made, with a budget of approximately $190 million.
• Michael Jackson's “Thriller” is one of the most listened to Halloween songs in the world.
• Americans spend more than $12 billion annually on Halloween, the world's second-largest commercial holiday after Christmas.
• The most expensive suit ever designed cost approximately $1,6 million and was encrusted with over 70.000 diamonds.
• The tradition of hollowing out pumpkins arose to ward off evil spirits.
• The heaviest pumpkin ever weighed 1.050 kilos, which is about the same weight as a small car.
• There are an estimated 27.000 horror films worldwide, with hundreds more added every year.
• The very first horror film ever made was Le Manoir du Diable from 1896 and lasted only three minutes.
• Black and orange are the traditional Halloween colors. Orange represents the autumn harvest and fire, and black symbolizes death and darkness.