Actor Christina Ricci is widely recognized for her roles in supernatural and atmospheric films, including “The Addams Family,” “Casper,” and “Sleepy Hollow,” but she reveals that her personal favorite holiday is actually Christmas. Despite her heavy association with the spooky season, Ricci spent much of her childhood working during October, which left little time for traditional holiday festivities.
Reflecting on her early years in the entertainment industry, Ricci notes that she participated in minimal trick-or-treating as a child, mostly limited to family outings when she was very small. As the youngest of four children, her early costume experiences were notably practical. Her mother owned a gorilla costume that was passed down among the siblings, leading Ricci to wear it for four consecutive years by modifying it into characters like a gorilla ballerina or a gorilla teenager.
Over time, her perspective on October 31 shifted. Ricci explains that she has grown to appreciate the intense enthusiasm others bring to the holiday, particularly enjoying elaborate neighborhood displays featuring giant garage spiders and massive animatronic skeletons. Her active engagement with the holiday returned after having children. She shares that Halloween became a major focus in her household after the birth of her 12-year-old son, Freddie, and her 4-year-old daughter, Cleopatra, allowing her to appreciate the celebration through their eyes.
That family involvement recently extended into a national judging role. Ricci teamed up with “Hocus Pocus” actor Kathy Najimy alongside content creators Rachel Iwanyszyn, Zaire Alford, and Macy Blackwell to form a council selecting the winner of Reese’s Trick-or-Treatiest Street in America. The panel crowned East Dudley Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey, as the champion, with Ricci praising the community spirit, individuality, and creativity displayed by participating neighborhoods.
Locally, Ricci maintains personal Halloween traditions with her neighbors, noting that her favorite candy of all time is Reese’s Pieces. This year brings a specific milestone as her nearly five-year-old daughter prepares for her first official street trick-or-treating experience. Following neighborhood rounds, local families plan to gather for a traditional chili cookout to conclude the evening’s celebrations. While Ricci herself chooses not to wear costumes as an adult, her children have already selected their outfits for the neighborhood festivities.
