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My kids school is advertising a "trunk or treat" event. Sounds dumb to me... they'll get all they need in their own neighborhood!
My church is doing this on Sunday after church. It's an "intergenerational" acitivity, e.g. the adults give it out and the kids take it! I'll probably particpate.
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Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom
Some of it has to do with the age of the neighborhood...older neighborhoods where the kids have grown up and moved out don't seem to get as many trick-or-treaters.
Last year I bought $30 worth of candy and it was gone in ten minutes. My mom bought a bag of peanut butter cups and she and my dad were still nibbling on them at Christmas time, she only got three trick-or-treaters.
I agree. When my kids were little, we had tons of trick or treaters. Now that they're older, we don't get nearly as many. My thoughts on why:
Many of the families that lived here when the kids were still little are still living here, and their kids, like mine, are grown.
The newer residents with the younger kids don't know us "old fogies" as well, and don't come to our houses, even though they live in the same neighborhood.
Trick or treating is still big in our neighborhood. And <gasp!> kids still actually trick or treat on HALLOWEEN! As opposed to a lot of towns these days that schedule official trick or treat dates/times, often not even on Halloween.
Our town is trick or treating this year on a school night too. Some parents are in a fit over it but really, is ONE night staying up late going to make or break Harvard?
Well, in the area I live, we don't get too many trick or treaters anymore. We only got maybe five last year. But when I was a small child, I remember getting close to 100 children. My Grandparents started noticing the decrease around 2004, which was the peak of the housing boom we had and a lot of families moved away. The new town area still has a heavy amount of trick or treaters though.
However, Trick or Treating was delayed until early November two years ago due to Fantasy Fest. This was something that really ticked me off. Our city unfortunately claimed nasty adult entertainment and profits being "more important" than children having fun. Not to mention, that was the year Halloween fell on a Saturday, but instead they were forced to go on Monday night...
Trick or treating is still big in our neighborhood. And <gasp!> kids still actually trick or treat on HALLOWEEN! As opposed to a lot of towns these days that schedule official trick or treat dates/times, often not even on Halloween.
It is the custom here in metro Denver to trick or treat on Halloween. When I was a kid trick or treating way back in the 50s, each little community in W PA would set up their own night/time. It was usually a Thursday or Friday night from say, 5-7 PM.
Years ago when my kids were little the big thing was going to the Mall or Downtown area for "safe" trick or treating, but that fad seems to be over and now people go out door to door again. Not that we get a ton, one year we didn't get any at all, but that was a reflection of the neighborhood changing (older folks, no kids, etc) and the fact that we live in a cul de sac that people skip if they don't see many lights or decorations. Now we have several families with children who put out pumpkins an have skeletons on their front windows...so the numbers are up again.
I am just curious about this one topic...When I was little in the 1980's, trick or treating was BIG in suburban NJ. If my memory is correct, I used to see lots of other kids walking around trick or treating. Every kid did it. My mother used to take me out all day long and we would trick or treat to just about every house within walking distance. We would fill up a pillow case full of candy by the end of the day. The majority of homes answered and gave us a little something. However, as an adult, I noticed a lot less children trick or treating in recent years. In fact, I now on average get about 5 trick or treaters a year. We used to get dozens way back. What happened? Why is this custom dying out? It cannot be due to the rumors about poisened and tampered candy...they were around when my mother was trick or treating in the 1950's. But it just is not a big deal anymore like when I was little. I can't stop wondering...what happened?
I think much depends on where you live.
But, y'know, this will surprise you, but in the 80's Trick or Treating wasn't nearly like it used to be when I grew up in the 50's & 60's. The 80's is when malls started passing out Halloween candy as a "safer" alternative to door-to-door Trick or Treating. I took my daughter to the mall once, and only once. SHE was okay with it because she didn't have the past to compare it to, but I just found it boring as hell.
So we went Trick or Treating in our neighborhood from then on.
Children of the last 2-3 generations have no idea just how much more FUN Trick or Treating was many decades ago! You could spend hours with a pillowcase going all over to strangers doors, get full-sized candy bars, and some homemade treats without fear of getting sick from them.
Seems times have been relegated to 6pm-9pm and the kids have learned to not waste time on homes with no outside lights on, In our city there are neighborhoods with much T or T ing then other neighborhoods with virtually no activity.The whole activity seems to have become a lean mean candy acquiring machine where the disguises are bought at Walmart along with the bags of junk candy.
Years ago when my kids were little the big thing was going to the Mall or Downtown area for "safe" trick or treating, but that fad seems to be over and now people go out door to door again. Not that we get a ton, one year we didn't get any at all, but that was a reflection of the neighborhood changing (older folks, no kids, etc) and the fact that we live in a cul de sac that people skip if they don't see many lights or decorations. Now we have several families with children who put out pumpkins an have skeletons on their front windows...so the numbers are up again.
Yes, I remember that era. My own kids are a little younger, and T or T came back in favor. I think what prompted that fad was the Tylenol poisoning incident in the fall of 1982, plus some bogus stories about tainted candy,most of which are untrue, or reported incorrectly. The few kids who were affected were deliberately poisoned by parents.
Children of the last 2-3 generations have no idea just how much more FUN Trick or Treating was many decades ago! You could spend hours with a pillowcase going all over to strangers doors, get full-sized candy bars, and some homemade treats without fear of getting sick from them.
Ah, those were the days!
I grew up in a town where Halloween was a major holiday. The kids could go downtown and soap up all the store windows. Then there was a kiddie parade with all of us in our costumes marching down the main street. During school hours.
There was a bigger parade at night with floats and marching bands. They brought in celebs from Hollywood to ride on the floats or sit on the backs of convertibles and wave to the crowd.
And for trick or treating it was nothing to get invited inside someone's house so they could take a picture. (My portrayal of the rosy-cheeked 4-year old German liebchen in authentic lederhosen was a major hit.)
Yeah, all that ain't happening anymore.
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