After Halloween Blues?

[Sean]

My zombie graveyard is still up, with the green lighting.  My lampost still has the bulb that shorts out in it.  It will stay that way until Saturday.  We had about 50 trick or treaters compared to 70 last year.  I think there were more little tots early last year.  We were home to hand out candy from 4:30-7:30pm, then we went to the big trick-or-treat street in the area.  I dress up as Frankenstein and pop up to scare trick or treaters once the street lights come on, then go trick or treating with my girls as Frankenstein.  I wish the last day of every month was Halloween.

[the_horror_man]

I wish the last day of every month was Halloween.

This is probably one of the greatest ideas I have ever read. I always say, I wish everyday was Halloween. However, if it was always the last day of every month, one could plan for the entire month to have a different set up each month or whichever months they chose.

thm

[Hepcat]

I wish the last day of every month was Halloween.

Once a month may be a bit much, but decking out the house and lawn to celebrate Walpurgisnacht six months from now would be very doable! An added side benefit for you fellows living in the Bible Belt would be that you could annoy or even appall the neighbours by making a big deal of Walpurgisnacht.

[Sean]

I always scour the supermarkets and discount department stores for post Halloween sales in early November. Halloween doesn't end for me anyway until the candy's gone.

Exactly, Hep.  50% off in the Spirit Halloween store by me. 

[Sean]

Once a month may be a bit much, but decking out the house and lawn to celebrate Walpurgisnacht six months from now would be very doable! An added side benefit for you fellows living in the Bible Belt would be that you could annoy or even appall the neighbours by making a big deal of Walpurgisnacht.

Let's meet in the middle.  The last day of the QUARTER.  October 31st, January 31st, April 30th, July 31st.   

[Count Zero]

i have the blues real bad this year

[Sean]

*Sigh*  I just removed 6 homemade PVC zombies, 11 tombstones and 6 green Fire and Ice lights from the front yard (aka, the Zombie Graveyard)...

The lawn looks naked.  Barren. 

It's awful. 

For now, the skeleton remains on the front door outside.  And indoors, 90 bats remain.  Along with Jack-O-Lanterns, ravens, black cats, skulls, ghosts and reproductions of 1930s paper decorations on the walls...

[BRICK]

I don't know if this really belongs in the "After Halloween Blues" thread; but this year, at my house, trick-or-treaters were met by a life-size, glow-in-the-dark Kharis at the front door!

[Count Zachula]

I am actually firmly against the saying "Everyday is Halloween" which if it were, Halloween would not be a special time of year.  I still enjoy Uni monster movies and my collection every day of the year, but for pumpkins, ghosts, witches, black cats and bats...that's only October for me.  It makes it more special. 


Also anyone else think Halloween day should be changed to the last Friday or Saturday of October.  Its always a bummer when the 31st is on a weekday. 

[Mike Scott]

Also anyone else think Halloween day should be changed to the last Friday or Saturday of October.

That when many communities have their "trick-or-treat" night. People can still have private parties on the 31st.

[Monsters For Sale]

That when many communities have their "trick-or-treat" night. People can still have private parties on the 31st.

Actually...   that could stretch the holiday for everyone.

Kids wouldn't have to decide between going to a party or trick-or-treating - they could do both.

(Waiting for the Great Pumpkin wouldn't make Linus miss tricks-or-treats.)

[Sean]

That when many communities have their "trick-or-treat" night. People can still have private parties on the 31st.

My 9-year old's school had a Trunk or Treat and Monster Mash party in the gym on Friday Night.  Then the town had a "Safe Trick or Treat" at the Municipal Buliding early on Saturday, she went to a Halloween Party at a schoolmate's house late afternoon Saturday and we had our Annual Halloween Party Saturday night.  The last time Halloween fell on a Saturday, we held our party on the 24th.  I will admit, I like Trick or Treaters starting early on a Saturday.

[SpeedierThantheGrave]

To make matters worse, all candy is suspect and she is allergic to tree nuts - She'll never know the unbridled joy I had as a free range kid on Halloweens past.

It occurred to me while watching the new season of Stranger Things the other night, that it's pretty crazy to realize that my age group is really the last that will remember a life before the Internet and cell phones.  Arcades, magazines, payphones, cassette tapes... struck down and made obsolete, and in such a short span of time.  Just the other day at Disney I overheard a father explaining the concept of a pay phone to his daughter (it was by the bathrooms where there used to be payphones mounted) "There used to be phones there, and you'd put a quarter in them and you could call somebody..."

I remember being a "free range kid" in rural NY, wandering the back roads and woods on adventures.  And then you were a privileged senior in high school if your parents bought you a flip top cell phone with a colorless screen (but NO TEXTING! That stuff's expensive!).

As for feeling hollow after Halloween, I relate to all of you.  Even with two months leading up to it, it was such a flash in the pan, and retailers shove it out of the way with lightning speed to make room for Christmas.  While I love the discount post Halloween goodies, it feels like a twist of the knife to watch it all get picked over more and more each day, scattered and broken on the shelves, until it's disappeared altogether.

I'm voting for QUARTERLY HALLOWEEN! (somebody Tweet the President and tell him it's the best idea ever)

[Hepcat]

Then the town had a "Safe Trick or Treat" at the Municipal Buliding early on Saturday....

"Safe Trick or Treat"? Oh groan.



Look up "hysterical" in the dictionary and you'll see a picture of the typical 21st century parent.

I remember being a "free range kid" in rural NY, wandering the back roads and woods on adventures.

The free range kids are no more. They've all been hunted down, trapped and put in small cubicles equipped with TV's and video games to keep them occupied.

[The Batman]

Does anyone else get depressed after Halloween leaves? Halloween has always been one of the biggest parts of my life. Definitely my favorite day/holiday. As I have gotten older, I don't get depressed for as long as I used to, but still do get depressed for maybe a week or so. I think that a small part of why I have a horror/monster collectibles room is because when I go in there, it is like Halloween everyday.

thm

Early Sept I have a lot of Halloween stuff on display.  Then the coming of 10/31 seems to take MUCH longer to arrive, it feels like an extra long wait and so even the waiting part is more delicious. We know it will end around a week or a month after 10/31, so might as well get maximum mileage out of it. Then keep stuff on display in the extra bedroom year-round always.