For many, the opening of Spirit Halloween stores means it's spooky season, marking the first chance to buy costumes and decorations for fall's most supernatural day. But the opening of the noted seasonal store at the American Dream mall also may be a gift bestowed upon some meme-makers.

The mall announced Sept. 9 that the popular Halloween store would be opening its doors in advance of the holiday.

"American Dream partners with the very best brands to ensure our guests’ dreams come true," American Dream General Manager Bryan Gaus said in a statement. "This is why we enlisted Spirit Halloween to bring its unparalleled Halloween retail experience to American Dream."

Spirit Halloween is something of a meme itself. It generally is thought to pop up in vacant storefronts for a few months each year, sometimes replacing stores that had gone out of business. And the long-troubled American Dream has been the butt of many New Jerseyans' jokes for years.

One particular jokester posted this meme on Reddit three years ago, long before the announcement on Sept. 9, with over a thousand upvotes and dozens of comments.

It took more than a decade and a half for the East Rutherford mall to open, and it remained vacant for many years. Since its full opening in October 2020, the mall has struggled, posting $60 million in losses last year, hampered by the pandemic.

The idea for American Dream Meadowlands was initially revealed in 1991, and it was subsequently reimagined and renamed multiple times since. It is currently owned by Canadian conglomerate Triple Five Group, which also owns the massive Mall of America in Minnesota and the Edmonton Mall in Canada.

Now, the mall is embroiled in controversy after a trustee for investors said Triple Five failed to repay an $8.8 million loan and is even potentially in danger of failing, despite a vote of confidence from Gov. Phil Murphy in August.

"I don't see it failing," Murphy told reporters during an appearance in East Rutherford, two days after news broke that the complex, built with more than $1 billion in state subsidies, had missed an Aug. 1 deadline for a loan payment.

Despite recent shortcomings, the mall did attract a horde of people on Sept. 4, who packed the building for the opening of MrBeast Burgers, a burger chain started by immensely popular YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

Thousands flocked to the opening, hoping to meet Donaldson, who himself attended the opening. MrBeast Burgers is on the mall's third floor, along with Spirit Halloween, making that level an unintentional tribute to the internet.

There is no sign that people are going to stop making memes about American Dream or Spirit Halloween. But be forewarned: If you make a joke, it just may come true.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Spirit Halloween opening at American Dream mall in Bergen