Move over, Easter Bunny! No longer does this holiday have the monopoly on baskets!

As each holiday season rolls around, giving gifts to friends or significant others always tops the list. Trending right now are what is called a “Boo Basket.” This term became popularized through social media and has since influenced viewers to jump on the bandwagon. While these baskets have different names for each season–“Burr Basket” for winter or “Beach Basket” for summer season–the Halloween Boo Basket is understandably the most popular right now. Whether preparing one or receiving the finished product, the thrill comes from what items have been carefully selected to go in.

Usually these baskets contain a person’s favorite items or something meaningful the giver would like to share. Flowers, snacks, stuffed animals, and even printed photos of each other are always good choices. Moreover, these can be customized to any holiday theme easily.  Sophomore Lesly Acosta knows exactly what she would want in her basket: “I would like pink flowers or something meaningful to me…like a card explaining their feelings towards me and why they decided to give me the basket!” Pondering it further, she adds, “A gift card from Starbucks or a makeup store would be great, too!” Another sophomore, Rosio Reyes, has her own wish-list of items. “I would like my basket to have my favorite candies–like Nerd Clusters or Milky Way’s.” But, that’s not all she wants. “I would also like teddy bears, like Winnie-the-Pooh.” Acosta reminds, though, that one need not wait until a holiday to present a basket. “Around birthdays or holidays are always good times to receive these gifts, but just giving one out of nowhere as a surprise makes them more special.”

In determining what makes it “more special,” there could be a big difference when it comes to “store-bought” versus “homemade.” Store-bought items may require more money but can be just as personal. Likewise, homemade baskets can make a huge difference with whomever is receiving the gift. Receiving a handwritten letter, a scrapbook, or specially crafted origami will show the amount of effort the giver put into the perfect gift.

However, figuring out the perfect gift idea can be a big struggle. The more one knows the person, the easier it will be to put the basket together. Try secretly asking that special person what his or her favorite items are and keeping a list. Don’t let the struggle of figuring out the items be a reason to not follow through with the gift.

Here are some items that may put the “boo” in a Halloween Boo-Basket:

• Yummy candies wrapped especially for Halloween
• Items that feature the Halloween colors of black, orange, neon green, purple, and white
• A DVD of a Halloween movie–Hocus Pocus or The Haunted Mansion
• A black cat stuffed animal or another cute plushy, like Casper the Ghost
• Homemade cookies shaped and frosted like pumpkins
• Monster energy drinks
• A mason jar filled with caramel corn and candy corn
• Glow sticks
• Starbucks gift card for a Pumpkin-Spice Latte
• Fall-scented candles, like Apple Cider or Cinnamon-and-Spice