Halloween gains popularity with Canadians as preparations start early, poll finds
Canadians are getting into the Halloween spirit.
Mars Canada's 2026 Spooktacular Trends Report, conducted by Ipsos, finds that nearly half (48%) of Canadians consider Halloween to be one of their favourite holidays of the year.
Forty seven per cent of respondents feel Halloween is a bigger cultural moment than it was just a few years ago, and 51% feel increasing expectations to pull out all the stops.
Just under half (42%) said they get excited for Halloween well before October. Women are most likely to get into the spirit early (45%) compared to men (39%).
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Gen Z (63%) and millennials (57%) enjoy the holiday most. Expectations are also higher for younger generations, the survey found, with 73% of gen Zs and 57% of millennials feeling the pressure to pull off a spooky celebration.
Of gen Z who feel increasing expectations, 63% see social media as a contributor.
The majority of Canadians (54%) are buying the bulk of their candy two weeks or more in advance. Forty six per cent are buying candy less than two weeks before, and 20% are preparing one month or more in advance.
Sixty nine per cent are buying the bulk of their costumes/costume supplies two weeks or more in advance, and 73% are buying the bulk of their decor.
Most Canadians (57%) said they crave their favourite Halloween candy even outside of the Halloween season, and over half (55%) would buy it year-round if they could.
Three in four Canadians buy Halloween candy, whereas just over one in two buy costumes (54%) or decor (57%) By demographic, gen Zs have the biggest sweet tooth with 84% stocking up on Halloween candy. By region, 90% of Atlantic Canadians buy candy.
Most Canadians (61%) choose what others will like more than what they will like when they buy candy for a group. Sixty one per cent also believe the candy you hand out on Halloween says something about you as a host.
