Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31: here's how to divide the weeks leading up to it
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
October 31, 2026, falls on a Saturday, which changes your evening: more visitors at the door, later hours, and often two party nights. A breakdown of the nine weeks before, with what you order when.
October 31st falls on a Saturday this year. That may sound like a detail, but it significantly changes the evening. On a weekday Halloween, it's usually over by 8:30 PM: children need to go to bed, adults have work the next morning. On a Saturday, it starts earlier, lasts longer, and more groups walk through the street. And because Friday, October 30th, is the evening before, it often becomes two evenings instead of one.
From late August, you have nine weeks. That's enough time to order calmly, but not so much that you can postpone it until the second half of October — precisely when popular sizes and models sell out. Below is a working distribution, plus what a Saturday specifically means for your candy supply, your decorations, and your outfit.
What a Saturday changes about your evening
Three things will be different compared to a weekday Halloween:
More visitors at the door, and for longer. Parents who stop at eight o'clock on a Tuesday will continue until nine or nine-thirty on Saturday. Expect more rounds past the same doors.
Adults participate. On a workday, it's just children; on Saturday, there are also house parties, drinks, and groups going out in costume.
Two peak evenings. Those who go to a party on Friday and stay home on Saturday often need decorations and sometimes an outfit for both evenings.
The practical consequences: you need more candy, your decorations need to stay up for two evenings, and your look needs to last about four hours instead of an hour and a half.
Nine weeks, four ordering moments
Week 1 and 2 (early September): outfit and mask
Start with the item that is size-sensitive and sells out the fastest. A mask is the easiest starting point, as it determines the rest of your look: do you choose something that completely covers your face, or something you can talk and drink in? A Venetian Mask with Crown Pattern (€ 5.00) leaves your mouth free and is on elastic; the Luxury Cat Mask Cosplay (€ 10.00) covers the top of your face. If you want something that stands out in the dark, the Bunny Mask with LED lighting (€ 39.95) is an option you can also see working on the street.
For those who want to keep it small: with Costume Nose Masks (€ 4.95), you have something recognizable for a few euros without sweating all evening.
Week 3 to 5 (late September, early October): decorations
Decorations are less size-sensitive, so they can come later — but not too late, because you want to do a trial run. A Halloween Spiderweb with 6 Spiders (€ 9.95) stretches to the size you need; the thinner you stretch it, the further it goes. For the table, Halloween Skeleton Glasses (€ 9.95) and LED Balloons (€ 2.95) work well, providing light without open flames.
Week 6 and 7 (mid-October): makeup and effects
Buy fake blood and makeup just before, so it doesn't dry out in a drawer for months. A Fake Blood Set with Syringe and Refill (€ 9.95) has enough for multiple people; the Halloween Doctor Syringe with 28 ml Fake Blood (€ 9.95) is more intended as a standalone prop. Test it once on an old towel, and keep fake blood away from light upholstery and carpet.
Week 8 and 9 (the last two weeks): candy and additions
You don't store candy in the house for nine weeks; that will go wrong. Order it in the last two weeks, and on a Saturday, be more generous than you're used to.
At the door: how much candy is enough
There's no formula that works everywhere, but a useful rule of thumb: count how many groups you had at the door last year and add half for the weekend effect. Put the candy in a bowl or box that you can grab from the door, not in a large bag — then you'll accidentally give away large handfuls and be empty by eight o'clock.
What helps: a second bowl on hand that you only bring out after nine o'clock, and a light or candle by the door so people see you're participating. If you work with real candles, you also need matches — Zwaluw Matches - 5 packs (€ 4.00) will already be ready. Place candles only out of reach of children's hands and costumes with loose fabric.
A look that lasts four hours
On a longer evening, it's not your costume that breaks down, but the details. What gives out first in practice: makeup around the mouth, a mask that slips, and hands that you can't put anywhere.
Choose one striking element, not five.Angel Wings Purple 60 cm (€ 19.95) or a mask carries the entire look; besides that, you only need dark basic clothing.
The difference between an expensive and a cheap Halloween usually lies in what you find again next year. Masks, wings, and pins last for years if you store them separately: masks flat or on a form, so the nose doesn't dent, and spiderwebs shaken out and dry. Throw away fake blood and makeup after the season if the package has been opened.
Put everything together in one box with a label on it, and don't put that box in the attic, but in a place you can access in September. Then next year you'll start with inventory instead of ordering.
In short
When
What you order
Why then
Early September
Mask, costume, wings
Sizes and models sell out first
Late September
Decorations, lighting, glasses
Enough time for a trial run
Mid-October
Makeup, fake blood, pins
Fresh, and you know your final look by then
Last two weeks
Candy and additions
Stays good and you know your numbers
Ready to get started? Look in Halloween for decorations and effects, in Masks for the item your look starts with, in Costume Accessories for additions, and in Candy for at the door. If you have doubts about quantities for a group or what fits in one box? Feel free to email info@verpakkingdeals.nl — we'd be happy to calculate it with you.
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