What is Summerween?

CHICAGO — Contrary to popular belief, there ARE summer-loving folks in the spooky community, soit’s no surprise how big Summerween has gotten in the fandom.

So, what exactly is Summerween?

Summerween is a blend of summer and Halloween — just as the name suggests. Although it’s not officially confirmed, the holiday is believed to have originated from the show “Gravity Falls,” which aired a Summerween episode in 2012. The spooky community embraced the idea, and turned it into the hugely celebrated tradition it is today.

RELATED: WHAT IS SPRINGOWEEN?

This is the entry from the show’s Wiki page on Fandom.com:

Summerween is an annual holiday celebrated only in Gravity Falls, Oregon on June 22nd or the second to last Friday of the month. It is celebrated because the residents of Gravity Falls love Halloween so much that they celebrate it twice a year. They use jack-o-melons instead of jack-o-lanterns, since pumpkins are not ripe during the summer. There is a local legend that tells of a mysterious creature known as the Summerween Trickster, who goes around eating children who lack the “Summerween spirit.”

The show’s description isn’t too far off from how people in the spooky community celebrate the holiday. The biggest difference is that instead of celebrating on one day, the spooky community stretches it out into summer.

These cocktails are perfect for Summerween. | Photo by Monster Stewart

While many in the spooky fandom learned about Summerween from “Gravity Falls,” some of it heard of it through other community members. Nowadays, Summerween usually marks the time between June 1 and sometime in July when Halloween Hunting season is at its peak.

Notably, for many, July 4 marks the end of Summerween. For some, July 5 is the unofficial start of spooky season, as Halloween takes over stores after Independence Day.

Yvette, otherwise known as Backstitch Bruja, is one of the community’s most well-known creators. Her Frutaween bags are perfect for Summerween. | Photo by Backstitch Bruja

How do you celebrate Summerween?

The people of Gravity Falls carve Jack-o-melons as part of their celebrations and many in the community finds ways to infuse Halloween elements into their summer plans. It can be as simple as wearing an orange bathing suit at the beach.

There are no hard and fast rules to Summerween, but you’ll often see common practices. Pineapples, watermelons and melons are frequently used to create jack-o-lantern-inspired designs.

Backstich Bruja is a big celebrator of Summerween and brings out her Frutaween bags around this time of year. Yours truly has a piñaween bag and many others in the community have one of her “summer pumpkin” bags.

Piñaween bags are a Summerween staple. | Photo by Backstitch Bruja

A few years back, Target brought out jack-o-lantern fruits which had heavy Summerween vibes. The holiday is slowly creeping into the mainstream.

Summerween is a delightful celebration that allows Halloween enthusiasts to enjoy the spooky spirit even during the blazing hot summer months. So embrace the mashup of summer and Halloween and make your celebrations truly memorable!