By Gerrish Lopez
Publication Date: 2026-10-15 02:59:00
Ready or not, spooky season is upon us, and Google just unveiled Frightgeist, giving us a terrifying peek into the minds of costume shoppers around the country. (Frightgeist compiles the top searches related to Halloween, from costumes to candy.)
According to Google Trends, Halloween 2026 is going beyond your basic ghosts and vampires. This year’s lineup is a mix of pop culture, niche lore and a little ridiculousness. People are searching for everything from Buddy the Unicorn and Hazel Hook (from Descendants) to Oliver Tree, Dungeon Crawler Carl and Agamemnon straight out of The Odyssey. But the real prize for unhinged creativity goes to the surprising number of people interested in dressing up as a squishy NeeDoh stress ball. Nothing says “Halloween spirit” quite like chronic anxiety.
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Couples thinking outside the box (or coffin?) too. There are those who are playing it…

