Halloween and The Rise of the Fairies

A little less than a week ago, while volunteering at a street fair and interacting with children, I took an informal and completely unscientific poll of what children planned on being for Halloween. Among the girls "princess" was an expectedly popular answer. But the most popular costume plan was "fairy." One little girl even wanted to be a "dead fairy." Then I heard Barak Obama say his daughter is dressing as an evil fairy for Halloween. Hmmm. Add to that my adult friend who this year attended the Maryland Faerie Festival and devoted the fall to sewing a grown up fairy costume. Something's happening here.

It looks like, yes indeed, in the hearts and minds of little girls enterprising fairies are replacing those pretty princesses. This week a report on NPR's Marketplace discussed a massive marketing plan by Disney to turn fairies into the new must-have dolls, tv shows, books, bags, shirts, etc. Fairies, one of the little girls in the radio report says, have more individuality and hands-on problem solving skills. Okay, the little girl didn't put it exactly like that. But that was her general point. To her fairies were pretty, cool, and full of variety.

So don't be surprised if you see more fairies than princesses at your door tonight. I don't know if its Disney marketing or just a normal shift in preferences, but princesses, the times, they are a changing.

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!