Halloween revolt!

[Moonshadow]

At my previous house, we used to get TONS of kids. We'd basically sit on the porch from 6 to 9 and hand out treats non-stop. The first year we lived there, we were completely unprepared for the huge number of kids; when the candy ran out, we were handing out granola bars, gum, even baseball cards!

A lot of the kids were being driven into the neighborhood by their families. It turned out that the vast majority were coming from out of town - in fact, from a very underprivileged area. Most had no costume at all. My first reaction was like, why are they coming all the way out here? But it was all put into perspective when one mom thanked us and said that it was nice that her kids had some place safe to trick or treat. After that, I felt like such a jerk. I never thought twice again about the lack of costumes or the huge numbers of kids. We got really into Halloween each year, with lots of decorations (we even dressed up the dogs!). The kids really seemed to appreciate all the stuff and we felt really good about making them happy.

[BaronLatos35]

We had a low turn out as well. It rained earlier in the day, but it turned out to be a beautiful fall night during trick r treat time.  It got to the point I was starting to think we would have no trick r treaters!

The first bell rang around 7:15 during Dracula and we jumped up. The kids all had costumes, some monsters, Transformers, Comic Book characters, Princesses and angels. Hey they had costumes and they came out so it was all good. We gave each kid big handfuls of Snickers.

One thing I noticied was how small the amount of candy each kid had. We were the only house decorated on the block and all the kids had parents driving them. I felt bad for them when I would remember I would get half a pillowcase full of chocolate goodness!

[Inkfink]

After years of disappointing Halloweens, I've decided everyday except Oct. 31 is Halloween.

[Wicked Lester]

It's really weird how our experiences and turn outs were way different from each other. Our official TRT  hours were 2-6 pm. I had a couple 10 or 12 Y.O boys hit me up before noon as I was setting stuff up.
I live on a side street so around 5pm or so I went around the block to my backyard neighbors who are the highlite of the area. They had 2x as many kids as us. Don't kids know about actually walking AROUND a block? Anyway that is where I had fun chasing a group of kids down the street with a ghoul/zombie mask on. By 6pm it was dead as a tomb.
Next year since it is on a Sunday I am doing more outdoor stuff. Sticking with solely my front bay window and doing more theatrics. The kids love the interaction but I can get a bit carried away on this and have had kids crying down my driveway.   As long as I don't get parents too angry (I have had my house boycotted by a few families with small kids for disturbing outside props) or get egged it's all good.

[BlackLagoon]

After years of disappointing Halloweens, I've decided everyday except Oct. 31 is Halloween.

Well said. Basically I celebrate Classic Monster goodness and horror/sci-fi/fantasy in one way or another almost every day!! I keep thinking everyone else on the "outside" is gonna catch up to me on Halloween.

[CreepysFan]

 Halloween turn-out was pretty poor and disappointing around here as well, far less kids than ever.  The few that did come around were mostly Disney Princess' and superheroes, less than ten monster related costumes this year.  No one else decorated houses anywhere to be seen either.  I was disheartened with the way this Halloween went, like my favorite day of the year was stolen.  I can't remember a more depressing Halloween ever, every year it seems like the holiday is dissapearing forever more and more.  At least I have the memories of the great way Halloween was celebrated when I was a kid in the seventies. 

[CreepysFan]

 P.S. - Three cheers for the Wolf Man.  Thanks for your efforts to keep our monster holiday alive and kicking so well in your area, your post made me feel better about how sorry things turned out around here.  You made me ~ sniff ~ proud, way to go fur ball. 

[Bogey]

Halloween turn-out was pretty poor and disappointing around here as well, far less kids than ever.  The few that did come around were mostly Disney Princess' and superheroes, less than ten monster related costumes this year.  No one else decorated houses anywhere to be seen either.  I was disheartened with the way this Halloween went, like my favorite day of the year was stolen.  I can't remember a more depressing Halloween ever, every year it seems like the holiday is dissapearing forever more and more.  At least I have the memories of the great way Halloween was celebrated when I was a kid in the seventies. 

Keep your chin up and your spirit alive, Creeps.  My two kiddos really enjoyed the houses that went the extra mile.  I bet a number of those super heroes and princesses were talking about your house hours after the candy was sorted and who knows, one or two may be future monster fans due to your efforts and all those here and not that made Halloween more special.

[deannadeadly]

I'm revolting against Halloween!

Let me explain...

I am so tired of the "politically correct" nonsense and insipid, banal, watered-down Halloween costumes that seem to dominate the landscape. I'm seeing tons of sports costumes (ie uniforms), political personages, and silly stuff like clowns, ballerinas, cowboys, as well as kids walking around in partial costumes with no masks. It's just ridiculous! Where are all the monsters? This is Halloween, after all, not a costume party! Why so few witches, vampires, ghouls, zombies, mummies, aliens, etc? Do these kids even realize that masks are part of the costume?

So, I am now awarding extra candy to those kids who practice the tradition the right way...in monster costumes! Hell, instead of candy, I may just give out a fistful of uncooked white rice to all those goofy doctors, cowboys, ballerinas, and clowns!  Or maybe worse yet, tell them to come back in an appropriate costume if they want a treat! 

And what's this nonsense with trick-or-treating on the day before Halloween? No candy for those kids! And forget going to my house trick-or-treating in broad daylight as well! Go at night, when you're supposed to go!

I'm re-claiming Halloween, one trick-or-treater at a time! 

Its sad that its so neutered, The designated hours where I live are only 3-6, right when it starts to get dark!

[deannadeadly]

After years of disappointing Halloweens, I've decided everyday except Oct. 31 is Halloween.

Thats how Ive always thought

[ramsey37]

This was the second year in a row with a dismal turnout for Halloween in my neighborhood. When my daughter was little, the whole neighborhood was active with groups of kids trick or treating. I think part of the problem is that there's fewer young kids in this part of town than there used to be. Also, one of my neighbors used to be known for doing large outdoor displays for the holiday, but their home was burned in January and is still not fully renovated, so they had no display this year to draw large crowds. Also, the last couple of years someone's been vandalizing and stealing parts of their display, which is mostly why I've refrained from setting up anything in my yard. I was disappointed in the turnout, but made sure to give extra candy to the few kids who did show up.
I did get a chuckle out of a couple of young kids who were afraid of my Dracula blowmold. I set him up indoors so he's looking out my front window, and I think they weren't quite sure from a distance if he was real or not

George

[BlackLagoon]

I just want to go on record that I personally have NO problem with what the kids are dressing up as...its the kids who werent dressing up at all that I have an issue with!

Hey some kids like Frankenstein, and some kids like Princesses or whatever...thats fine!! Keeping in the spirit of fun and innocence of Halloween is dressing up! To whatever a kid's heart desires!...Personally, I like monsters and stuff..but if a kid wants to be a Disney charecter or whatever..its all good, dress up and have fun!

The big problem that I have was the 15 yr old kids in jeans in a t-shirt that rang my bell at 10 pm...that is ridiculous!!!..

Regardless of what the kids dressed as, kudos to them and their parents! For everyone else...seriously, next year, no costume no candy...if you werent gonna dress up or atleast pretend to care about it...go to another door!

[Toy Ranch]

Our neighborhood doesn't have many kids at all, so we go to my sister's house because she has TONS of them coming over.  My wife dressed as a witch, my son was Freddy Krueger, and I was Teenage Frankenstein this year.  She has several full size animatronic figures so it's easy to scare people who think you're just another one of those.  Freddy stood on the porch and pretended to be a fake animatron but suddenly came to life.  Meanwhile, I was a statue in the yard, off in the shadows next to a tree, but when they went up on the porch and were getting candy and then being scared by Freddy, I would amble up behind them and as they turned away and ran screaming from Freddy they ran right into me and sheer terror frequently ensued.  Some ran and ran and didn't look back.  Some came back for a closer look from a distance.  Most all of them had costumes and many were elaborate.  It was a good night.  I brought Trick r Treat and Let the Right One In along and my sister, her friend, and my mother watched those and loved them both.  They usually avoid "scary movies" so that was another success.

[CreepysFan]

 Wicked sweet, well done Toy Ranch.  Sounds like you've given another generation some great Halloween memories.  And BlackLagoon, you are right.  It's the spirit, not the costume choice that's important.  Thanks for pointing that out to me.  The posts on this thread have rekindled my faith in our holiday, and maybe if I decorate even earlier next year, maybe I can inspire this neighbor hood around here to get with it.

[Buzzkill]

a lot of the kids in my neighbourhood didnt even bother to wear costumes. not even a cheapo mask. i ragged on them about it too. they just rolled thier eyes. the kids these days....................

I've heard stories about the kids coming up to the door and sayin," Are you doin' this or what?" Can you imagine that? And then what happens if you tell the little creeps to get lost?  Sad, Sad, Sad. and the worst part is that so many of these kids have never known any different, Parents and municipalities have been so spazzy about it for so long now...