Has Hallowe'en been P.C.'d to death?

[ShadowDog]

There could be a whole bit of research on this topic that would be strictly region-based; however, in our area, this holiday used to be embraced by every house in the neighborhood. Now, I took my own kids in the buggy for their first candy-beggar experience, only to be left feeling like somebody stole the baby-Jesus from the local nativity scene and asking, "What the hell is wrong with people these days?"

When I was a kid, a small army of us would trek a 5 mile loop before we'd get home, unload our loot, then have my parents drop us off another 10 miles away in another community so we could circle their area. Every single house had some great spirit with their decorating, but for two or three that I can remember. Now, less than half of these homes even bother with a jack-o-lantern. Most of these homes have new owners, so I can't blame it on age or laziness of an old generation.

I used to spent a whole week building a horror-display in the family yard, complete with torture racks and a guillotine; bloody dummies, mummies and zombies. I had a reputation for intricate costumes in high school, having even been chosen by some people to build them one for their evening Halloween parties. Now, there's nobody left to build these displays for because hardly anybody bothers to drive their kids around the neighborhood anymore... not that there's anyone left in our neighborhood bothering to even buy treats to give out. Hallowe'en has practically died around here and it's just a sad end. I'd like to give my kids something to enjoy the way I did. I guess it's all up to me now since I can't rely on anyone else. Bummer.

So, we went to the mall in one of the local cities where they do the usual kid-safe Halloween nights. It was great seeing kids and their parents all dressed up for the fun. That was how I remember it... even if we had to go somewhere else for that instead of being surrounded by it in our own neighborhood. I spoke with a parent there and he was experiencing the same problem as I. He figures with all the craziness and fear-mongering with peanut allergies, death by speeding cars, cargo vans with no windows driven by child-molesters, etc., some people just fear the holiday altogether and don't remember what it's all about.

I don't really have an opinion anymore, but I'll be damned if I let it die before my kids get a taste of the way it used to be!

What's it like for some of you?

[SAmadei]

I can see what your saying.

Its funny, because according to some infographics, Halloween has grown immensely in the last 20 years... but I imagine this commercial success has come at the loss of good old fashioned home-made Halloween crafting.

Personally, I feel that communities have made the Trick or Treating routine too lame. Scheduling it on the nearest Saturday... or having it during daylight. This year it was 5-7. It wasn't even close to being dark. Everything needs to be rubber or soft plastic... and everything needs to be reflective, it seems. Its DAYLIGHT! Oh, and you're only supposed to visit houses you know... well, that would get me precisely 4 pieces of candy.

In my day, we trick or treated for 4 hours into the late night (but not uphill, both ways, in the snow). And people could opt out of candy giving by simply turning your light out. Visiting houses in daylight, you can't tell if you are wasting your time. Perhaps this is to help train children for disappointment. ;-)

If someone told me we had to Trick or Treat on the 29th at 3pm?? Well, even as a 7 year old, I'd rather just go to the store and buy my own candy.

On that note... How Different Age Groups Celebrate Halloween

[daves87rs]

Same thing here my friend......I took my little boy trick ot treating for the first time. My parents were only of only TWO houses on the block for trick or treaters. Just sad. Even those "trunk or Treats" were slow this year...strange. People just are not into halloween like they used to.

Even worse, some of the new communites being built around here don't allow any holiday stuff there...not even X mas. Crazy.

[PurdueGuy]

Halloween is/can be a lot of fun, but it's not like it's some immoral choice for people to not make a big deal out of it. I understand wishing your kids to have as much fun and the good memories you did, though. Might be an economy issue, too. We spent around $25 on candy, and ran out. I feel that's pretty generous, especially since we don't have kids to take out to get candy.

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't decorate because I feel it's a waste of money. Giving out food to beggars on the street would be socialism. If they want food they should just get a job and quit being so lazy.

Now GET OFF MY LAWN! *shakes cane*

[Intrepidation]

I discovered something cool about where I live now, Athol. On Friday most or all of the business on Main Street had people out front giving out candy to kids. I had no idea anybody did this. Real sense of community. There were hundreds of people "trick or treating". No fear mongering there, just responsible, nice people. This was all being done in mid afternoon on the busy main road that runs through the center of town.

Tonight was actual trick or treating. I had work for 9 hours today, so I just didn't have the energy to participate, but the rest of the family spent today setting up a graveyard in the front yard and webs and stuff. It was pretty cool, especially for a last minute thing.

Where I used to live, myself and some friends used to do the best Halloween setup in the neighborhood. A couple of years we turned the front porch into a mad scientist's lab, and the yard into a mini graveyard with one person dressed as Death. he would remain perfectly motionless until curious people went over to him to see if he was real or not. When they turned around to walk away he would make a movement and scare the crap out of people.

Another year we set up a candle lit path to the back yard where we created a sacrificial alter and would sacrifice someone on it. We used a real sword for the scene too. We used a fog machine to make it difficult to see until you got to the alter. Good times.

We actually had to "dumb it down" when really little kids came by because they were too afraid to come.

We'd scare adults, that's how awesome we were.

I'd love to get into that again, but just didn't have time or energy this year for it. Hopefully next year.

[ShadowDog]

Good replies. My wife and I figure there may be a generation gap around our area; however, that doesn't really explain why all our long-standing neighbors have caught the couldn't-give-a-$h! bug.

[ocnblu]

Maybe it's the economy, ppl are cutting back on schtuff they feel is discretionary.

[Delta Force79]

Not a single trick or treater to be found, it's been an ongoing trend for the past several Halloweens, quite sad really. When I was growing up, my neighborhood was filled with kids all Halloween afternoon into the night ( same neighborhood I live now ). Makes me sad to see how Halloween has died during the past 10 years, some of my best memories are from Halloweens as a kid.

[SoCalCTS]

Halloween was alive and well in Southern California. Lots of kids and parents were walking around in the dark. There are far more houses with orange Christmas style lights and inflatables. I'm not sure that Halloween isgetting more PC. I would have to say less PC because now the older kids are wearing those French maid style costumes. The teenage boys were skate boarding between houses to save times and their trick or treat bags were backpacks worn on the front kangaroo style.

I did notice that the houses on hilly streets were a lot less busy than the flat neighborhoods.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I agree...

But I don't think it's a result of fear as much as the state of finances for a lot of families.

The GF and I LOVE Halloween, so we try to 'do it up big' every year with AUTHENTIC COSTUMES (EX: when I was Jason from Freddy vs. Jason, I had a real machete and an under mask complete with a custom airbrushed hockey mask. When I was the reaper, I carried a real antique sickle, etc.) We have our annual (4 years running now) "Pumpkin Massacre" which amounts to a halloween party where you bring a pumpkin(s) and we provide the tools to carve. And this year we were SO excited because we actually live in a house now and our neighborhood is awesome, so we expected to get a lot of trick or treaters. But it SERIOUSLY strained our budget to even do anything this year. We spent probably $100 on costumes alone, $30 on candy, $40 on pumpkins and gourds, god knows how much to throw the party and a lot of $$$ on decor.

Halloween is ridiculously expensive these days. The decor either 1) sucks altogether or 2) is super expensive and falls apart when a good wind gust comes. The costumes are a joke. $50 for a bagged rag that you can wear one or two times before it's trashed. That's one reason we go authentic, because if we're going to drop coinage on specific one night clothes they're going to be functional and look good.

Our neighborhood is awesome, more of a sense of community than I've EVER found anywhere else (And that says a lot since I'm from a mill town) Our street is a bunch of college aged kids and we all did it up real well, but the rest of the hood. Well, it was hit or miss.

I also think that's another factor. With my generation Halloween is increasingly becoming an ADULT holiday (Much like St. Patrick's day and Cinco De Mayo) I had to work Saturday night and EVERYONE in the neighborhood was dressed, and well dressed too. I was actually pretty floored because most of the costumes were SO good.

My big 'beef' with Halloween is that the holiday has become so cheesy. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older or because I'm a cynical bastard, but NONE of the decor or entertainment creeps me out anymore. When I was a kid, sure, I knew the props were fake, but they were done well enough to creep me out (or at least make me a bit uncomfortable) It was fun! Now, even the programming on TV sucks. I wanted to see classic, creepy movies and enjoy ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween. But all I found was stupid slasher flicks or bull$h! like Pirates of the Caribbean. What ever happened to CREEPY (like Nosferatu) and spooky?

Now it's just 'redneck vampires' (yes, that is a jab at True Blood) and stupid low rent crap like Paranormal Activity

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I can see what your saying.

Its funny, because according to some infographics, Halloween has grown immensely in the last 20 years... but I imagine this commercial success has come at the loss of good old fashioned home-made Halloween crafting.

Personally, I feel that communities have made the Trick or Treating routine too lame. Scheduling it on the nearest Saturday... or having it during daylight. This year it was 5-7. It wasn't even close to being dark. Everything needs to be rubber or soft plastic... and everything needs to be reflective, it seems. Its DAYLIGHT! Oh, and you're only supposed to visit houses you know... well, that would get me precisely 4 pieces of candy.

In my day, we trick or treated for 4 hours into the late night (but not uphill, both ways, in the snow). And people could opt out of candy giving by simply turning your light out. Visiting houses in daylight, you can't tell if you are wasting your time. Perhaps this is to help train children for disappointment. ;-)

If someone told me we had to Trick or Treat on the 29th at 3pm?? Well, even as a 7 year old, I'd rather just go to the store and buy my own candy.

On that note... How Different Age Groups Celebrate Halloween

Yeah, a lot of people did the daylight crap here too. God forbid parents have to take responsibility for their kids after dark. The GF and I worked Sat night and went out last night. So each night we left a giant cauldron of candy out with the place fully decked, hoping people would get the picture. Sat night, it's as if no one even came and last night we came back to find all of our candy AND the cauldron gone as well as our decor trashed. Im pretty pissed about it. I mean, I half expected someone to take all the candy at once, but the cauldron AND trash my decor?!?! REALLY?

Next year, I'm going more authentic with the decoration. And as part of that (if I wont be home) I'll be finding a real IRON pot to put the candy in.

Even worse, some of the new communites being built around here don't allow any holiday stuff there...not even X mas. Crazy.

Even more reason to NEVER live in 'a community'

[Croc]

Uh...I think Halloween was lower-key this year because it fell on a Sunday night. Now, Thursday, Friday and Saturday were hopping, but not last night in my neighborhood.

[A Horse With No Name]

Uh...I think Halloween was lower-key this year because it fell on a Sunday night. Now, Thursday, Friday and Saturday were hopping, but not last night in my neighborhood.

Kind of the same way here.