Quebec kids among Canada’s most eager trick-or-treaters — but their parents are less generous with candy

L'Île-Bizard's haunted house. (Jim Corsi)

Quebec children will be among the most numerous to celebrate Halloween in Canada, but their parents are the least likely to hand out candy, and will spend less on it than other Canadians.

In contrast, the Atlantic provinces take the lead across all categories when it comes to celebrating Halloween.

A Léger survey found that children in the Atlantic provinces are the most likely to go door-to-door in search of treats, with 93 per cent expected to participate. They’re followed by kids in Quebec and Alberta, both at 85 per cent. Bringing up the rear are Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where only 69 per cent of children plan to take part in the Halloween ritual.

Fewer candy-givers in Quebec

While 68 per cent of households in the Atlantic provinces will have someone at home to hand out candy — the highest rate in the country — Quebec ranks last, with just 28 per cent of households expecting to do so.

Quebecers are also among the least likely to decorate their homes for Halloween. Only 29 per cent plan to do so, on par with Saskatchewan and Manitoba (28 per cent). Once again, the Atlantic provinces lead, with 55 per cent of households putting up decorations.

Adults in Quebec are also the least inclined to join in the fun. Just 26 per cent will celebrate Halloween by attending a costume party, special event, or horror movie night. This time, Ontario takes top spot, with 35 per cent of adults planning to celebrate.

Less spending, fewer treats

When it comes to candy spending, the Atlantic provinces are again the most generous, with residents expecting to spend an average of $49.14. In Quebec, spending averages $41.61, the lowest in the country.

Quebec also stands out for the number of people who don’t plan to spend anything at all on Halloween treats: 46 per cent, by far the highest proportion. In the Atlantic provinces, only 19 per cent of households say they won’t spend a cent.

Angels, ghosts, and other beliefs

The survey also explored popular beliefs. Quebecers are the least likely to believe in angels (38 per cent), while people in the Atlantic provinces are the most likely (55 per cent).

When it comes to ghosts and paranormal phenomena, 34 per cent of Quebecers believe in them — close to the Canadian average of 37 per cent. Ontarians lead in this category (42 per cent), while residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the most skeptical (27 per cent).

Interestingly, Quebecers are the most likely (40 per cent) to believe that “some people have special powers,” such as speaking to the dead or seeing the future. However, they are the least likely to believe in witches, and very few (less than 5 per cent) believe in vampires, werewolves, or zombies.

A 2,000-year-old Celtic tradition

Halloween traces its roots to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the harvest more than 2,000 years ago. The Celts believed that spirits returned to Earth at this time and sought protection by lighting large fires and wearing costumes to deceive them.

As the pagan celebration endured, the Catholic Church sought to offer an alternative by declaring November 1 as All Saints’ Day. The evening before became “All Hallows’ Eve” — eventually shortened to “Halloween.”

The tradition crossed the Atlantic with Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century.

The online Léger survey was conducted from October 24 to 26 among 1,537 respondents. While it has no margin of error due to its methodology, a probabilistic sample of the same size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Oct.30, 2025