WASHINGTON — It's the spookiest time of the year again, and McDonald's is celebrating Halloween season with the fan-favorite "Boo Bucket" Happy Meal pails.
The Boo Buckets are limited-edition carriers for Happy Meals that celebrate the Halloween spirit and give trick-or-treating kids a place to hold all their candy on Oct. 31.
This year, fans can get a Boo Bucket at any participating McDonald's starting on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
The plastic buckets come in four designs this year: Monster, Skeleton, Mummy and Vampire. Each one is a different color and is painted with a different monstrous design.
According to McDonald's, the purple vampire Boo Bucket is "launching for the first time since the OG purple Boo Bucket."
The Boo Buckets were first offered at restaurants in 1986 as a limited time promotion, but "vanished for a while" before reappearing for the first time in decades in 2022.
Last year, the buckets came with skeleton stickers so fans could dress up their pail with spooky designs. It's unknown if stickers will be included this year as well.
The throwback designs were a hit last year, and were hard to come by at some locations. In a statement, McDonald's warned customers to get the limited-time buckets while supplies last.
But McDonald's isn't the only fast food chain to get in on the holiday spirit (emphasis on the spirit).
Burger King confirmed on social media that it was bringing back a fan-favorite burger in time for Halloween: the Ghost Pepper Whopper.
The burger includes spicy queso, crispy jalapeños, bacon, ghost pepper chees and a toasted orange and black sesame seed bun.
Alongside the black-speckled burger, the company is also adding Halloween fries to the menu.
"Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries" will also be available for October, and appear to have sesame seeds embedded into their fried batter coating.
“Earlier this year, we asked guests if we should bring back the Ghost Pepper Whopper or introduce Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries. The results were split, so we’re adding both products to our menus nationwide* this Halloween season, giving Guests multiple ways to enjoy the perfect combination of flavor and heat,” said Pat O’Toole, Burger King's Chief Marketing Officer for North America, in a statement. “We’re excited for fans to have a new way to enjoy our signature Chicken Fries and bring back the Ghost Pepper Whopper with an eye-catching orange bun achieved with the use of paprika, showing that spook-tacular innovations don’t mean you have to sacrifice quality or flavor.”
The promotion, like the McDonald's offering, is expected to last through the end of October.