McDonald's 'Boo Buckets' are back: Iconic Happy Meal set for annual return with two new faces; check date and other key details

McDonald's is set to bring back the Happy Meal Boo Buckets on October 21, 2025 (Tuesday). The multinational fast food chain has announced the "haunting" return of the “iconic Happy Meal.” The 2025 lineup is set to feature the classic faces of a ghost, pumpkin, and goblin, the company said in a press release.

In addition to this, there are two new additions—Cat and Zombie—who will also join the crew. Just in time for spooky szn," the release further stated. The buckets will only be available while supplies last. “Make sure you head to your local McDonald’s to grab your eerie-sistible Boo Bucket while supplies last!” the fast food chain’s release revealed.

Acknowledging replica buckets being released, the company said, "Imitation is the most BOO-tiful form of flattery," but noted, "There's only one OG Halloween bucket." "Boo Buckets" were first introduced in 1986. Back then they were seen as a Happy Meal staple of the spooky season for several years before they "vanished for a while," according to NBC Chicago.


The three iconic throwback buckets returned for 2022 after a prolonged absence. They also returned in 2023 with the same vintage designs—Monster, Skeleton, and Mummy—plus a purple Vampire bucket, a nod to the "OG purple Boo Bucket."

McDonald’s announced on Sept. 29, 2025, that its Monopoly game is making a return to the US after a decade of hiatus. Beginning October 6, 2025, for a limited time, customers across the country can rediscover the “thrill of the peel” with new digital game pieces in addition to the classic ones.