Since the 1980's, Americans have been transforming the holiday from an event almost exclusively for children into an ebullient fall festival with an increasingly potent appeal for adults.
This is the root of its potent appeal and the stubborn loyalty it inspires.
David Perkins, in 1990, argued that "Coleridge's introductory note to Kubla Khan weaves together two myths with potent imaginative appeal.
But analysts say it has undeniably potent appeal.
Still, the comment was a clue to the potent appeal of Johnson's naughtiness.
Mr. Guevara's solid tower of chocolate, a mighty fortress on the plate, has a potent, dark appeal that's almost gothic.
What then makes Islam's appeal so potent?
Nor did we make much effort to match the potent appeal of Tory policies on privatisation and council house sales.
Some defenders of these programs say that highlighting this vulnerable population - as opposed to the image of the more affluent retirees - is not only good policy but could be a potent political appeal.
But beyond political opportunism and self-interest lies an even more potent appeal: power-sharing.