If you feel like you're really getting into Halloween this year, you might have Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to thank. We'll explain.
Americans are spending a lot of money on costumes, candy and the like in 2016 — more than any other year since people started keeping track. And there's a good chance it's tied to the election.
SEE MORE: Halloween Candy, By The (Calorie-Filled) Numbers
Now, it could be that people find Trump and Clinton to be particularly scary. But more likely, it's an indicator of a larger trend in Halloween spending. In short, it's going up, and it tends to spike a bit during election years.
Before this year, 2012 had the record for Halloween spending, and there was an uptick in 2008, too, despite a recession-plagued economy. It isn't clear why this happens, but one idea folks have tossed around sounds pretty relateable.
"I think people just need a release," consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow told KTVU.
Halloween store customer Diane Martin said: "There's been so much about them in the news, and it's all kind of negative, so I think this is a good way to just not think about it for a little bit."
The election year upticks are actually pretty small compared to the rise in Halloween spending over the past decade. One survey shows spooky spending now sits above $8 billion, up 65 percent since 2007.
Americans can afford to do this in large part because it's not all that expensive a holiday to begin with. One expert told CNBC the roughly 83 bucks people spend this time of year is just a tenth of what people budget for the winter holidays.
