One eco-friendly way to recycle your Christmas tree is to feed it to goats
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Halloween is just over a week away, but some people are looking forward to another holiday further down the calendar: Christmas.
If you’d rather decorate a Christmas tree or bake holiday cookies than visit a haunted house or carve pumpkins, we have good news for you. Retailers are also starting to prepare their stores for the upcoming holiday season, including Spirit Halloween and its Christmas-themed spin-off, Spirit Christmas.
Spencer Gift Co., which owns Spirit Halloween, has opened eight Spirit Christmas stores across the Northeast in 2024. The company has nearly quadrupled its footprint this year with 30 stores in 12 states in the Northeast and Great Lakes region, including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Spirit Christmas flagship store opened in Mays Landing, N.J., on Oct. 17, Spencer Gifts spokeswoman Marisa Simonson confirmed to USA TODAY on Oct. 21, with several more stores scheduled to open in late October. Simonson said the remaining stores will open in early November after transitioning from Spirit Halloween stores.
Here’s what you need to know about when and where Spirit Christmas Stores will open in 2025.
Where will Spirit Christmas locations open?
Thirty Spirit Christmas venues will open throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes region this year. Some stores will open within existing Spirit Halloween stores, while others will be new locations.
For up-to-date information on exact store opening dates, we recommend using the store locator on the Spirit Christmas website.
Reserve your Santa Claus photo today at Spirit Christmas Places
Even though the stores aren’t open yet, some Spirit Christmas stores are already booking photo sessions with Santa Claus. The photo experience begins Nov. 21, according to a news release from Spencer Gifts. Business hours are 3pm to 7pm on Fridays, 11am to 7pm on Saturdays, and 12pm to 6pm on Sundays, all local time.
Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @gabehauari Or email Gdhauari@gannett.com.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
