McDonald's Is Officially Getting in the Spooky Spirit With the Return of Their Halloween Buckets
Oct. 7 2022, Updated 2:42 p.m. ET
Spooky season is approaching faster than the Sanderson Sisters on broomsticks — is McDonald's celebrating the best time of the year by bringing back their iconic Halloween buckets?
Back in 1986, McDonald's released their fun Halloween buckets for customers.
A report from Nightmare Nostalgia recounts how the first three bucket offerings were the McPunk'n, an orange pumpkin pail with the classic jack-o-lantern face, the McBoo, an orange pumpkin pail with a ghostly face, and finally the McGoblin, the orange pumpkin pail with the traditionally spooky face.
When was the last time McDonald's offered the Halloween buckets?
The last time McDonald's released a version of their Halloween buckets was back in 2016. The buckets that year were tributes to an iconic Halloween special — It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
However, it was the late '80s and early '90s McDonald's Halloween buckets that has everyone in their nostalgia feels about the return of the Halloween buckets.
As Nightmare Nostalgia notes in their history of the McDonald's Halloween buckets, the company changed the look of the buckets multiple times over the years. Different looks included a glow-in-the-dark McBoo ghost bucket, several takes on a McWitch bucket, buckets featuring McDonald's characters in Halloween scenes, a Mr. Potato Head Halloween bucket, and more.
Many millennial McDonald's lovers celebrated the idea of being able to purchase a McDonald's Halloween bucket for their own children.
Is McDonald's actually bringing the Halloween buckets back in 2022?
A photo of a McDonald's corporate calendar with a note on Oct. 18, 2022, saying, "Halloween Pails Happy Meal begins" has made its rounds on the internet, stirring up some spoopy rumors.
The same report from Nightmare Nostalgia states, "More than a few employees from McDonald’s have confirmed this is indeed true, so I’m happy to run with this for now."
Well, just like Lizzo said, all the rumors are true. "We heard you loud and clear… if spooky SZN doesn’t include McDonald’s Halloween Pails, then you don't want it," McDonald's announced in an Oct. 6, 2022, statement. "That's why we’re bringing back the most iconic Halloween trio – McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin – that first came on the scene back in 1986."
On Oct. 6, the official McDonald's Twitter account also tweeted, "guess who’s coming back," along with a gif of the three adorable buckets. The Halloween Happy Meals are set to return starting on Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, and buckets are available "while supplies last." We don't want to see any Karen behavior erupting over these nostalgic plastic tubs, folks. So make sure you get your butt in line fast.
"Still have my original from the '80s. Can't wait to get the new ones!" Twitter user @kingbutttoast replied in excitement. It's truly adorable.
Considering nostalgia blended with Halloween (a god-tier holiday) is right up our alley, we'll also be heading to the Happy Meal line, ASAP!
So, are you going to buy a 2022 McDonald's Halloween bucket?
