Here's what I think is going on in the field of the collective _sub_conscious. People have it in mind of the impending "doomsday" of Dec 21, 2012. So just in case the One True God makes His advent and finds displeasure in people having dabbled in "satanic" stuff, they're hedging their bets and keeping their decorations packed in the garage. I started feeling this trend happening since a few years back, and this year is the most "minimalist" I've ever experienced. I gave it the benefit of the doubt a few years during Halloween, thinking that perhaps people are saving on electricity and extraneous purchases, but come Yuletide, i.e., Christmas, it gets done up to the hilt.
Went to the store this evening and as I was driving thorough our familiar neighborhoods, I noticed that most houses have no Halloween decorations or lights. Since a few years ago, the decorations and festivities have gotten less and less, and now, there's practically nothing out there. It's somewhat disheartening and unnerving at the same time.