The Internet Is Obsessed With Hocus Pocus Charcuterie Boards
Actually, the internet is just obsessed with "Hocus Pocus" in general. Though the Disney film came out more than 25 years ago in 1993 to mostly lackluster reviews (and still has just a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes), it has steadily risen in popularity to become a cult classic, says E! Online. Many '90s kids who watched "Hocus Pocus" growing up now remember the movie more fondly — so much more that Quartz likened it to "the 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' of Halloween," referencing Mariah Carey's 1994 song that blew up in the 2000s.
Charcuterie boards have grown in popularity in recent years as well, with the rise of "cheese plate influencers" beginning in 2019 (via Vox). While your childhood cheese snack of choice might have been the kind that pulls apart in strings, today's version has been elevated to a full-on entertaining art form. There is even a comedian, Jared Freid, also known as the Board Lord, who is solicited to rate charcuterie boards by fans on Instagram. Mix a love of all things spooky with the heightened number of hosting opportunities around the Halloween season, and it only makes sense that the two popular concepts of "Hocus Pocus" and cheese boards would come together to create a viral sensation.
"Oh, look. Another glorious (cheese board)"
A classic song performed in the "Hocus Pocus" movie, "I Put a Spell on You," plays in the background of a TikTok by @rachplusfive as she carefully puts together a cheese board for the ages. What at first seems like an ordinary snack plate actually shapes up to be a depiction of the Sanderson sisters, the three witches featured in the film. Their cheese-wheel faces are complete with edible eyes and mouths, and their iconic hairstyles are mimicked with expertly arranged crumbled cheddar, salami, and blackberries. Viewers of the video approved of the creative board; even the Freeform channel weighed in, calling it the "perfect snack board for watching Hocus Pocus during" its 31 Nights of Halloween TV special.
While other social media users have created "Hocus Pocus" charcuterie boards this year, it was Courtney Wright who first popularized the trend on Instagram in 2020, Popsugar reports. The board enthusiast even made a sweet version of the snack this year using only candy and what appear to be giant marshmallows (via Instagram), which means that even people who don't like cured meats and cheese can make their own "Hocus Pocus" snack plate. You could even pair your Halloween candy with cheese to make a sweet-savory hybrid. Are you in on the obsession?