‘Sounds good’: Boo baskets are the latest Halloween TikTok trick to spark backlash among parents
You’ve chosen the perfect pumpkin, nailed your outfit, and decorated your porch, but have you put together your “sweet 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 includes a basket or bucket full of goodies left anonymously on a neighbor’s doorstep, accompanied by a placard that reads, “Arrested!” The receiver is required to pay it forward by “spoofing” the other person. If you haven’t discovered it yourself, you’ve probably seen it all over your feed.
But what started as neighborhood fun has quickly turned into a social media giant with more than 103 million posts on TikTok. Friends are sharing them and girls have been leaving tips for their “bobo” since the fall season started. In one TikTok unboxing video, the poster pulls out something called a “ghost find,” alongside Uggs, soft socks, body mist, and other accessories. In another, expensive makeup is placed among candles, pink throws, and a decorated bunny, all tied with matching bows.
Parents quickly jumped on the bandwagon, gifting their kids 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 another opportunity to show off on social media, and worry that it is adding unnecessary social pressure to dispose of plastic waste and expensive handling.
One parent took to Reddit to complain that boo baskets make Halloween even more spooky. “There have been costumes, trick or treating, fall festivals, hayrides, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, the country fair . . . do we really need to add more?” they wrote. “There is no hatred if you like to do this to your children because I know that I love them [over the top] in other places. It just makes me sad. ” Americans already spend billions on Halloween, averaging more than $100 per person.
“I personally think we can make the moments memorable without buying all the things that are going to be thrown away anyway,” wrote one parent. “I’m going to stick to my normal habits and carve thighs and trick or treat like when I was a kid.”
