Whats happening to Halloween?

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[alah01]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

[Thorn]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

I hardly ever see kids Trick or Treating any more.  I understand why - it's a scary place out there - but I enjoyed it so much as a kid, it makes me sad.

There are a lot of decorations and stuff around Phoenix, and we've got a couple awesome haunted houses.  So people are still celebrating here - it is Alice Cooper's hometown, after all - just not the way I remember. 

Surprisingly, I haven't seen a lot of advertisments for "Hell Houses" at the local churches.  Seems like there were a ton of them last year.

[sailor_tech]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

Lets put your question in some possible perspective.

How old are you?  If being a "kid" was a long time ago, things change.

How different is This year from the last year, from 5 years ago, etc?  Is this a sudden change, or have you not paid attention to what is possible gradual change.

The economy is down. Fewer yard displays maybe.

Shift in the neighborhood. We didn't have lots of turnover in my local neighborhood from grade school to high school. Each year, the number of kids trick or treating slowly declined. We went from tons of grade school kids to tons of high schoolers then college kids. Guess what, high schoolers don't trick or treat, we had parties in the house that didn't spill out into yard decorations.

[Perzephone]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

I know in my neighborhood for a couple of years we had really good Hallowe'ens, but this year literally every other house on our block is in foreclosure or being auctioned off or is up for sale. My husband & I can't afford the candy prices right now, so for us it's no jack o'lantern or open door this year.

[Allati]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

It's always been that way here (teenagers and adults do not trick or treat unless they're being a pain in the arse), although there've been even fewer this year (only one trick or treat doorbell, HOORAY!). I see it as a good thing. Can't wait until the year we get none. I don't see what the problem is for the kids, really.

Then again, over here, we get to let them blow stuff up a few days later. Far superior.

[mandrina]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

My kids are out trick or treating, the 8 and 11 year old squired (Literally) by their costumed 15 year old sister and her boyfriend.  The 16  year old is manning the table outside.  Our house is not good for trick or treating or  yard displays, it's hard to tell if we have our light on, so one of us sits by the street.  We figured this out after the year in which our kids came back with full buckets, but we had no trick or treaters at all, they went right by our house without realising we were open for business.

[Butterfly30]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

Hi, haven't been here since I've started another spiritual journey, but I felt like I had to say something. No you are not nuts. Things are..or have changed. I volunteer at a middle school in my area. Our morning announcements yesterday mentioned a Halloween  controversy, like should towns  even celebrate it because of others' views. Some say yes..others..no. To me if its on the calendar then you celebrate it or if you don't like it, ignore it like one of my coworkers does, doesn't even acknowledge it..but I think that's the minority as most people I think enjoy dressing up as someone else. I just learned that it isn't just for kids! I went to my first adult Halloween party last night.

[samham73]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

Hello,

Well round my area its quite traditional. I dont think things have changed much in alot of years, but the kids can always get their candy and have a good time dressing up. Im sure that will never disappear 

[Star]

What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

Must be a regional thing...  Halloween is definitely alive and well in my neighborhood.  Plenty of decorations, and tonight the kids were out in droves.  I'm not so much feeling the Halloween spirit myself this year, but others appear to be making up for my lack. 

[RandallS]

Must be a regional thing...  Halloween is definitely alive and well in my neighborhood.  Plenty of decorations, and tonight the kids were out in droves.  I'm not so much feeling the Halloween spirit myself this year, but others appear to be making up for my lack. 

We had a good turn out -- for our street at least.

[Melamphoros]

We had a good turn out -- for our street at least.

Ours did pretty good as well.  We had to refill the giant candy bowl once which is something that does'nt happen every year.

[Devo]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. Today is the day before Halloween and driving around the city its almost as though the holiuday doesnt exsist. Hardly any decorations on any of the houses or yards. And so far I have heard of 3 church "Halloween festival parties". But nothing for what kids look forward to for  this day. Maybe I am way out to lunch but things sure are different then when I was a kid. Soon there wont be such a thing as halloween. which is fine sort of... I'll still do my Samhain thing but what about the kids?


What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

I was noticing that today. I mean, up here in Flag, we get lots of people that dress up, but most ppl don't walk around the neighborhoods anymore asking for candy- they go to parties and festivals run by the city and local churches. I would guess hte main reason in the decline of trick or treaters is that parents are scared that something will happen to their kids. Other than that, I have no idea. Makes me sad, tho.

-Devo

[Balakirev]

I was noticing that today. I mean, up here in Flag, we get lots of people that dress up, but most ppl don't walk around the neighborhoods anymore asking for candy- they go to parties and festivals run by the city and local churches. I would guess hte main reason in the decline of trick or treaters is that parents are scared that something will happen to their kids. Other than that, I have no idea. Makes me sad, tho.

-Devo

Ours is a relatively upper middle class neighborhood in northern Ohio, pretty new--just 9 years old or so--and the parents take around their kids, individually or in groups for trick-or-treating.  Oddly enough, there's a local law that says they can only do it between 6 and 8 PM, which means verging on dark.  We get mostly little tykes, but there are also assorted ages up through mid-teens.  We even overheard one parent out front loudly telling one of the kids he was chaperoning around, "You take them," pointing to three others," go to the end of the block, turn left, go into our home, and stay there.  Don't go anywhere else.  Just listen to me!  Go there, go exactly like I said, don't talk, just do it, now."  It was pretty horrible, and exactly the kind of stereotype I don't see among many others.

I should also mention that when my wife and I first started looking for a home in this area (we've owned three others over the last 25 years), our realtor--the best we've ever had--saw some halloween decorations, and had to make a pointed reference to their being "Satan's work."  She at least had the brains to stop after I made a quiet remark about they're just being inoffensive if highly commercial decorations.

[ehbowen]

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in this city its sad. [...] What do you guys think? Am I just nuts or what?

Well, tonight I dressed up as a railroad conductor and my parents dressed up as hippies and we went and worked at the "HullaBOOlu" festival at my church. Nothing elaborate, but about a dozen of us decorated our car trunks for a "trunk or treat" and there was a hay ride and some carnival game booths for the kids. [Trunk or Treat was free; crafts and activities took 50c tickets]. Weather was wonderful; the full moon was a nice touch. We closed up at 8:30 and I got back home a little before nine; about a dozen trick or treaters came by before I locked the gates at 9:30.

I enjoy the holiday; I enjoyed it as a kid and now I enjoy the chance to be a host. With that said:

If you're old enough to shave or operate any kind of motor vehicle [learner's permit included], you should not be trick-or-treating.

If you're wearing the same clothes you would wear to school on any day other than Halloween, you should not be trick-or-treating.

Anyone else have observations along the same lines?

[mandrina]

Well, tonight I dressed up as a railroad conductor and my parents dressed up as hippies and we went and worked at the "HullaBOOlu" festival at my church. Nothing elaborate, but about a dozen of us decorated our car trunks for a "trunk or treat" and there was a hay ride and some carnival game booths for the kids. [Trunk or Treat was free; crafts and activities took 50c tickets]. Weather was wonderful; the full moon was a nice touch. We closed up at 8:30 and I got back home a little before nine; about a dozen trick or treaters came by before I locked the gates at 9:30.

I enjoy the holiday; I enjoyed it as a kid and now I enjoy the chance to be a host. With that said:

If you're old enough to shave or operate any kind of motor vehicle [learner's permit included], you should not be trick-or-treating.

If you're wearing the same clothes you would wear to school on any day other than Halloween, you should not be trick-or-treating.

Anyone else have observations along the same lines?

We insist that our kids are too old to trick or treat at high school age.  After that point, they can dress up and squire the younger siblings around and I will make sure they get candy at home.  So, the 14th century lady  and her boyfriend the ghoul took 8 year old mother nature, and an 11  year old ant trickor treating, and the Terminator handed out candy here.

We got a total of 7 kids,  besides ours, but ours came back with their buckets full, so plenty of people were handing out candy.  We could hear alot of kids, but we didn't see very many of them.

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