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Rant: Overthinking Halloween

Started 1 year ago by SarahScoot
Latest reply from DP

SarahScoot
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Has Halloween really become *that* complicated in recent years? I'm almost 27, so it hasn't been an extremely long time since I was a trick-or-treating kid, yet - wow! - reading through some posts on here, it seems like the whole institution has been transformed.
Is it really in question whether kids trick-or-treat *on* Halloween? From my experience, it never mattered what day of the week Halloween happened to fall on, that was the day we went out trick-or-treating; yet someone has posted asking whether kids will be trick-or-treating on Saturday (*not* Halloween) or Sunday (*Halloween*).
Add this question to the other recent questions about "trick-or-treat house lists," which neighborhoods "participate" in trick-or-treating, and so on, and I really wonder if parents are just sucking any remaining fun from this holiday.
Whatever happened to just venturing out with your kids and some flashlights and knocking on the doors of homes with porch lights on? No worrying about pre-approved homes or any of that crap.
Stop overthinking it and have fun! :-)

Posted 1 year ago #
ellenater
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agreed!

Posted 1 year ago #
CarolPB
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indeed! but i live on a block without sidewalks, and limited street lights! we have vey few trick-or-treaters! Wish it was like in the old days!

Posted 1 year ago #
Kayzel
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Having no children, having previously lived in a neighborhood for 35 years which never had trick or treaters, and being new to the neighborhood I asked what is done here so I'll have something for the kids. And I appreciated the reply.
How about Let's not overthink Forum questions?

Posted 1 year ago #
metrognome
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Unfortunately, everything related to 'holidays' in the broadest meaning has gotten that complicated because they are no longer an opportunity to celebrate or honor something. They have become another business opportunity to over-hype and over-sell stuff most of us don't need and that in fact may be harmful to our long-term health. This forced redefinition of how to celebrate also teaches our kids how to be greedy (I'm not necessarily referring to parents; I am definitely referring to candy companies, etc.)
SarahScoot, I'm a little over twice your age. When I was a little monster (my personality, not necessarily my costume), we went to a few houses in our neighborhood and got things like popcorn balls, apples, fudge, suckers and even some (gasp!!) candy. It was all pretty much arranged by the parents so there was no worry about strangers.
It seems like one way to reclaim the holiday is to return to that small scale event. It's also an opportunity to create more neighborhood connections and to teach kids about gratitude and sharing and all those other concepts that Glenn Beck finds rooted in communism and spirituality.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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Sarah Scoot...

it's the candy.

if you buy too little you feel like scrooge with your porch light off and all those little goblins patrolling the streets..
if you buy too much you have to do something with the leftover candy :(

it used to be that you could talk with the neighbors and get a read on your block...
but unless you are in one of the high traffic neighborhoods.. you could have 3 kids or 50 or 200 any given year.

metrognome...

i really would like to see old fashioned neighborhood block parties come back for Halloween...

if only i had the energy this year to create that on my block:(

Posted 1 year ago #
charlabob
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The Charla/Catl Halloween plan:
* Buy way too much candy
* Turn on the porchlight
* Put on witches' hats and funny teeth
* Plant self in hall with Kindle
* Answer door as appropriate
* Be damned grateful for the teenagers who start showing up about 9 -- give them the rest of the candy so we don't eat the leftovers.

This yeat I *may* add mulled cider, with and without wine, for adult accomplices -- thanks to whomever mentioned that :-) Come early!

Posted 1 year ago #
Ken
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Charlabob has distilled the essence.

I don't need the funny teeth since I am quite good at scaring small children just as I am, and I use a Sony reader since I will not use devices that require DRM. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
josie2006
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I just have to comment on those teenagers, it would be nice if they at least put on costumes before they knock on our door. Last year we turned out the lights at 8:30. In answer to the overthinking, for most parents I think it's just about safety. You'll always have the type A personalities that want to pound out every last detail, but I don't think they're the majority, they're just the loudest ones. The parents I know just want their kids to have fun safely. Plus, it's more fun to go where the people are versus roaming an empty street, so everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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now there's an idea...
remember Christmas streets where everyone decorated?
perhaps we could have halloween streets scattered across West Seattle next year...
i would love to be part of something like that.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnnyblegs
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charlabob...where is YOUR house? I don't have any kids but I'd trick or treat just for that mulled cider. Yumm...

Posted 1 year ago #
guidosmom
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lol charlabob! Last year we didn't get as many trick or treaters as we expected. When the older ones started showing up about 8:30 I was almost begging them to take more candy! This year we bought the huge bags from Costco, got home and thought "what were we thinking??" So please, bring your kids for lots of candy to the 34th/Juneau/Findlay area. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
hammerhead
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I must be the only halloween party pooper, we have all teenagers in our neighborhood, and not the nice ones. we will be closing our gates and turning off lights.

Posted 1 year ago #
Flyonthewall
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My brother in Florida turns on his sprinklers to keep the kids from walking off the sidewalk onto his grass. Is there such a thing as a Halloween Scrooge?

Posted 1 year ago #
AK
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I'm new to Seattle and was really hoping to have some trick-or-treaters. I need them to take these Snickers and Reecees off my hands or else I'll eat them all! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

When I have children, I hope they get to experience door to door trick-or-treating and houses decorated in a ghostly fashion. I hope that businesses won't be the only place to trick-or-treat.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sue
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When I was a kid in NYC in the 60s and 70s, everybody went trick-or-treating door-to-door. Heck, we still sold girl scout cookies door-to-door too, without any worries. And then my parents heard about someone who gave out an apple as a treat, but put a razor blade in it. From then on, we were only allowed to go to pre-approved homes of people we knew, and they would rifle through our candy to make sure it was untampered with. Then we started having Halloween parties where we were safe and supervised.

I'm not a parent, but I can't blame people for wanting a safe environment for their kids to trick or treat and have fun. The world has become a very different place.

We actually don't have any treats for kids anymore. In the 6 years we've lived out here, I think we had 3 trick or treaters, total, and that was the first year we were here. I've lived on major arterials though (Delridge and now Fauntleroy) so I have a feeling that kids are being kept away from the busy street.

Posted 1 year ago #
DP
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Photo from my neighborhood, a few years back:

I don't know about you alls' neighborhoods, but my 'hood has a large number of eccentric people who pretty much talk/look/live however they damn want to, including me.

And you know what?

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT ABOUT THIS PLACE !!!

Posted 1 year ago #