Summerween: Why Halloween starts in July (and why more and more of us are celebrating it)
You close the door after a hot day. It's 35 degrees outside.
You walk into a store hoping to find inflatables, beach umbrellas, and beach towels.
But instead, there they are.
The first pumpkins.
Witch hats.
Two-meter skeletons.
Jack Skellington peeking out from between shelves.
No, they haven't gotten the season wrong.
You've arrived just in time for Summerween, the phenomenon that has turned July into the unofficial start of Halloween.
What is Summerween?
Summerween stems from a very simple idea: if you love Halloween, why wait until October to enjoy it?
Although the term gained popularity thanks to the series Gravity Falls, in recent years it has made the leap to social media and, above all, to American stores. Today, it's common for aisles to start filling with autumnal decorations, pumpkins, ghosts, and witches as soon as July 4th ends.
For many, it might seem crazy.
For others, it's the best time of the year.
Why do stores start Halloween so early?
The answer is simple: because millions of people are waiting.
In the United States, there's a real culture around Halloween. Many families decorate their homes for weeks, create themed yards, collect figures, throw parties, and search for new pieces each year to complete their decorations.
Major chains know this.
That's why, when the Independence Day campaign ends, a completely different one begins. Orange tones replace the blues of summer, the first spiced fragrances appear, and the shelves gradually transform into little autumn corners... even if the calendar still says July.
Much more than a trend
If you ask any Halloween lover, they'll probably tell you the same thing.
Halloween isn't just one day.
It's a feeling.
It's lighting a candle while it rains outside.
It's watching a Tim Burton movie for the tenth time.
It's making a pumpkin spice latte even though it's still summer.
It's decorating a shelf with pumpkins because it simply makes you happy.
Summerween represents exactly that: the possibility of enjoying that atmosphere for longer.
And every year, more and more people are joining in.
How to celebrate Summerween at home
You don't need to transform your entire house to start enjoying this time of year.
Sometimes, small changes are enough to completely transform the atmosphere:
- Light a warm fragrance with spicy or woody notes.
- Decorate a corner with ceramics inspired by witches, snakes, or pumpkins.
- Spend an afternoon reading a fantasy or mystery novel.
- Rewatch those movies that you only feel like putting on when autumn arrives.
- Change seasonal decorations for pieces that convey that magical and cozy aesthetic.
Because, in the end, Summerween isn't about bringing Halloween forward.
It's about extending that feeling we love so much.
And in Spain?
Although it is still a phenomenon much better known in the United States, it is increasingly easy to find Halloween lovers who begin to share decorations, recipes, readings, or recommendations from the middle of summer.
Social media has made this passion cross borders, and words like Summerween are no longer strange, becoming another tradition among those who enjoy the cozier side of autumn.
Perhaps we still won't see yards full of tombstones on every street.
But we do see more and more people eagerly awaiting the moment when the first pumpkins appear in stores.
Our way of celebrating Summerween
At Monsters Candles, we've been enjoying Halloween long before October arrives for years.
That's why this year we decided to launch our new Witchy Collection on July 5th, just as that transformation that inspires us so much begins.
A collection of ceramic burners designed for those who find beauty in folklore witches, everyday magic, and those small rituals that turn any afternoon into a special moment. Six unique pieces, each with its own personality:
- "Magic Frog" Burner
- "Folk Witch" Burner
- "Witch Apothecary" Burner
- "Witch Bothicary" Burner
- "Witches Brew" Burner
- "Obsidian Bite" Burner
It doesn't matter if it's hot outside or if autumn is still far away.
If you're one of those who smile when they see the first pumpkin of the season, prepare a hot drink in the middle of August, or enjoy creating a magical corner at home, you were probably already part of Summerween even before you knew its name.
And that can only mean one thing.
The most magical season of the year... has just begun.
