'Wednesday' Christina Ricci explains why she missed Halloween celebrations in childhood

Christina Ricci says her acting career limited childhood Halloween celebrations, but motherhood changed her experience

Christina Ricci has revealed that her childhood acting career meant she missed out on many traditional Halloween celebrations, despite becoming widely associated with spooky films such as The Addams Family, Casper and Sleepy Hollow.

Speaking to TODAY, the 46-year-old actress explained that work commitments often prevented her from dressing up and going trick-or-treating with other children. She did, however, experience some celebrations when she was younger.

"I did a little bit, and certainly when I was really small I would go with my family," Ricci recalled.

Despite her association with Halloween-themed entertainment, the actress revealed that Christmas has always been her favourite holiday.

"But my favorite holiday is Christmas," she said, explaining that she does not necessarily identify her personal interests with the characters she has portrayed on screen.

Ricci also admitted that she enjoys seeing elaborate Halloween decorations, including oversized spiders and animated skeletons displayed around neighbourhoods.

Her relationship with the holiday has changed since becoming a mother to Freddie and Cleopatra. Ricci said her children have given her a new reason to participate in Halloween traditions.

"Halloween has been a thing ever since I had my own kids," she told TODAY. "So now I do Halloween because of my kids, and I've really learned to appreciate it," she added.

For Halloween 2026, the actress planned to take her children trick-or-treating around their neighbourhood before hosting a family gathering with a chilli cookout.

Ricci also recalled a childhood costume tradition involving a gorilla outfit passed down among her mother's four children.

As the youngest, she inherited the costume and wore it for several Halloweens, creating different variations, including a gorilla ballerina. Her mother eventually stuffed the outfit with rice and displayed it inside the family home.

The actress has also joined Hocus Pocus star Kathy Najimy in a Reese's campaign celebrating neighbourhoods with elaborate Halloween traditions.