It is time to carve your pumpkins (or melons) as social media users celebrate Summerween and mark the official start of the spooky season.
Gravity Falls fans will recognize Summerween as a beloved holiday in the fictional supernatural town from the Disney animated series, celebrated on June 22, roughly halfway between October 31 and the Summer Solstice.
Halloween lovers have embraced this quirky tradition in real life, kick-starting the witchcraft, cauldron and candy-infused celebrations in the summer months.
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"Fall is the very beginning of the holiday season and brings so much excitement from the cool weather to the food and all the cozy activities," content creator and Summerween enthusiast Sherilyn Wilson (@sheri_wilson_), 31, from Erie, Pennsylvania told Newsweek.
"As soon as the fireworks are over, July 5 is when I start getting excited for fall and Halloween."
Wilson hosted a standout Summerween celebration with a paddling pool filled not with water but cozy blankets. She served pumpkin-shaped cheese-topped burgers, ghoul-themed pizza, and orange-hued beverages. Footage of her celebration has received 908,400 likes and 5.8 million views so far.
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"It is a time for the Halloween-obsessed to enjoy the holiday during the halfway point of the year," she said.
"We set up a projector in the backyard, had a spooky picnic complete with jack-o-melons and watched our favorite Halloween movies."
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Wilson said it is never too early to start the Halloween festivities, arguing the holiday is a state-of-mind.
"I think Summerween has become popular because it's a great excuse to get together with friends and add excitement to the slower months of summer," she explained.
Summerween enthusiasts are getting creative with their celebrations, carving jack-o'-melons (watermelons instead of pumpkins) and dressing up in spooky costumes.
TikTok is buzzing with these summer festivities as users find new ways to embrace eeriness in the sunlight. Many users now consider August 1 the unofficial start of fall.
TikTok creator Steffy Degref (@steffydegref) humorously documented her early fall celebrations, waking up in autumnal pajamas and stepping into an apartment brimming with pumpkins and cozy, orange-hued decor.
Her video has garnered 84,200 likes and 1 million views, with the text overlay reading, "Me at 12 a.m. on August 1 when pumpkins become my personality."
Fellow autumn lovers expressed their love for the transitional season between summer and winter.
"This is all I needed to see to convince myself it's not too early to decorate for fall," said TikTok user Laura.
Many fall fans have soundtracked their Summerween festivities to a remix called "Hauntina Summerween," the Pet Shop Boys song "West End Girls" mixed with dialogue about Summerween from Gravity Falls. It has been used across 11,900 videos on the app.
"The people of this town love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice a year," Grunkle Stan, one of the show's main characters, explains in the popular soundbite.
Some are choosing to mark the occasion with outdoor garden parties, while others are embracing autumnal coziness by having movie nights. Though, they are all in agreement, it is never too early to go ghoulish.
One woman, Kia (@kiacreates), honors Halloween all year round through her spooky social media presence. The fall aficionado hosted a Summerween party with candy corn ice pops and Halloween-themed arts and crafts.
She said in the caption, "Summerween continues throughout the entire month of August," meaning there is still time for hopeful Summerween celebrators.
TikTok user @flashesofstyle shared her tips for throwing the ultimate outdoor Summerween bash. Her setup included a floating skeleton lounging in a paddling pool surrounded by pumpkin floats, a carved jack-o'-melon, and a festive orange punch.
Her essential party list included:
- Witch hat ring toss
- Jack-o'-lantern cheeseburgers
- Pumpkin-shaped cutouts on pizza
- Orange soda ice cream floats
- Pumpkin beach balls
- Jack-o'-lantern piñata
- Tiny Jack-o'-lantern umbrellas
- Watermelon carving
Elsewhere on social media, Redditors in the r/halloween community, lovers of all things gothic are sharing their early Halloween preparations. One user posted a photo of their adorable dog lounging in a coffin-shaped bed labeled "Lazy Bones." Others are busy transforming their homes with pumpkins, cauldrons and dark decor.
Retailers are also tapping into the premature Halloween spirit.
Target has launched its Halloween collection, featuring the "Neon Thrills" line and outdoor decorations. Among their offerings is the much-anticipated return of "Lewis the Pumpkin Ghoul," an 8-foot-tall figure that became a fan favorite last year, selling out within a week.
This year, Lewis is back, accompanied by new friends: Pumpkin Rocker Billy, Bruce the Skeleton Ghoul, Little Lewis, and Pumpkin Iron, hitting shelves after customers expressed a desire to start planning their Halloween decor as early as July.
According to the National Retail Federation, 77 percent of Halloween celebrators plan to buy new decorations, with half intending to shop early. Even Home Depot got a head start, launching their Halloween range on July 18, 2023, thrilling fans with the return of "Skelly," the iconic 12-foot skeleton.
Greg Zakowicz, an e-commerce expert for Omnisend, told Newsweek that the holiday celebrations commence earlier each year.
"Halloween marketing has gotten earlier. Companies are always looking to get a jump on early-season revenues, and it has taken on a world of its own," Zakowicz said.
"Shopping seasons for holidays, whether it's St. Patrick's Day, Valentines or Back-to-School have all started earlier in recent years."
According to the National Retail Federation's annual holiday survey, retailers' Halloween sales last year reached $12.2 billion.
The premature start of the holiday shopping season was initially influenced by the extended Christmas shopping period, which was further accelerated by logistical challenges during and after COVID.
Brands had to order well in advance to ensure stock arrived in time, and started moving it earlier than usual. This pattern then stuck.
"Personally, I think consumers like it. Secretly, I do. I think the mindset shift to the next premier holiday brings some level of joy to people and gives them something to look forward to," Zakowicz told Newsweek.
Correction: 08/21/2024, 8:22 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Omnisend.
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