'The Haunting Begins Early': 21 Spooky Season Memes Waking Up the Ghosts Before October and Raising Halloween Spirits

Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor

Sep 14, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

Spooky season has officially begun! These memes are summoning Halloween early because the whole of October is Halloween, but September is Halloween Eve. Plastic skeletons and pumpkins in store aisles are enough to change our mood and give us that Halloween thrill.

There are two kinds of people in September. Some think Halloween preparations should wait, while others have already started planning their spooky costume for October. The first group loves pretending they're not counting down the days until October 31 while adding horror movies to their watchlist. But these memes are for the second group, the ones who get lost in the Halloween decorations aisle and have already found a place at home for decorative pumpkins.

The excitement arrives when you spot the first orange leaves and see them fall to the ground. That's the official announcement of spooky season. Oh, and no, that black cat is not just sitting near the tree. It is contributing to the atmosphere.

Starting early also gives us more time for the important decisions. Do we want to decorate the house with cute ghosts or gloomy ones? Are we carving pumpkins this year or buying them? Which scary movie should we rewatch before October 31? And what costume are you going to wear??? You need to think about it beforehand because you need your mother's help with sewing that costume.

September doesn't always cooperate. The weather can still feel a little bit like summer. But once the spirit is willing, Halloween enthusiasm won't be controlled by the forecast. Paper bats and cinnamon-scented candles start getting your house ready for Halloween. That is the energy these memes are bringing. We are impatient and completely ready to let the ghosts out early. The children can have the candy. I came here for the fog machine.

The first day of September felt like a ceremonial opening ot the crypt. The anticipation is real. If you feel Halloween in the air, then these spooky season memes are for you. Because the anticipation is part of the fun, and September is much more entertaining when we all agree to make it a little haunted.