BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 10:50 AM

Hallowe'en as I knew it back in the day is gone, thank God. Vandalism was big, including arson and road blockades, and minor damage (soaped windows, TP'd trees) was ubiquitous. I don't miss it.

One of the major changes since then is the massive involvement of adults. In 1960, the sole role for a parent was as provider of the treats -- typically limited to apples, peanuts, home-made cookies and fudge, and the occasional handful of molasses toffees or penny candy. The only decorations were pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns -- no lawn displays of plastic headstones and blow-up ghouls.

Now the decorations appear around Thanksgiving (second weekend in October for non-Canadians) and seem mostly to be sourced from Wal-Mart. Trick-or-treating begins around supper-time (six o'clock-ish) and is over by full dark. There are no teenagers helling around; all the activity is dressed-up tinies with their parents, and slightly older kids roving in packs. The biggest I saw this year was about 12 and toting an ambitiously large bin liner.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 04:01 AM

I hadn't thought of trick or treaters when I took my dog out for his pre-dark outing but quickly discovered there were tons of people out there. In this neighborhood a lot of people know my dog by name because we scout around three times a day so he had a great time.

Reared the way I was- we lived out in the country besides which we were Amish- I never have gone trick or treating; I didn't even take my daughter out because her aunt always took her along, so this was a new experience for me.

It was kind of fun- many of the young'uns and their elders were in costume and all of the folks were in high spirits. I made sure that I and the dog didn't block or trip anyone which wasn't always easy because most of our city blocks are dark but I still got to linger at decorated yards. People can be pretty creative and I enjoyed that.

Juneau is the capital city of Alaska but it is a smallish town of around 31,000 and we tend to carve our own path here. I don't think of us as backward, it is more that we took a step aside so that we have a different view from most of the country.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 11:15 AM

Wait, what else would you say when trick-or-treating, besides Trick or treat?

We still got'm.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Mrrzy
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 09:35 AM

Yes, please, in answer to what?

Thank you is *after* they get the treat. Which they earn by getting into costume and saying Trick or treat.

They shouldn't be waiting to be asked if they want candy (yes, please), should they? Why else would they be costumed and knocking?

Anyway. Fun holiday, great excuse for too much candy once a year.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: JennieG
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 06:26 PM

Halloween hadn't invented in Oz when I was a little tacker, but seems to be getting more popular with each passing year.

Himself and I have been in Canada a few times for Halloween, and the early darkness makes the whole thing more atmospheric. It's not the same when the sun is still shining and evening is light.

But, when you're a kid, it's still fun.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 04:58 PM

We gave away 98 little bags of sweets and turned some away empty handed so over 100 were doing it round here!

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 12:18 PM

Happy Halloween seemed to be the order of the day near us

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 11:14 AM

Something has been puzzling me about TorT in the USA. Seeing as it seems that anyone will take anyone to court for damages for the slightest thing, how come no parent has taken someone to court for giving their little darlings something that they were allergic to or is not good for them. Or has it happened?

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 05:41 PM

As Senofou said, it's "guising" here in Scotland. We were away from home on Oct 31st, so no idea if any hopefuls came round. Husband forgot that we were going to be away so we now have a nice big bag of mini-Mars bars to eat!
Also, while some people make pumpkin lanterns, the auld Scots tradition is for yellow turnip/Swede/Rutabaga/Tumshie lanterns - MUCH harder to carve out, and a very distinctive smell when the candle is burning inside!

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: robomatic
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 12:27 AM

I live on a long straight connector road with negligible TOT-ers. But, my friends in the cool cul-de-sac wanted their dog tired out to cool her nerous response to all the weird activity. Tossed the chuck-it for an hour alternating tricky bounces with horizon-spanning long runs. She never seemed to tire, but she was breathing heavy wheen we were done. At least no fireworks.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: robomatic
Date: 03 Nov 23 - 02:58 PM

The dog I assisted in PRE-tiring got through Halloween just fine. The owners who actually live with her in a TOT dense area kept their porch lighted and tried to anticipate the kids (of all ages) who approached the door. This young Labradoodle (90% Lab) is gorgeous but very reactive. So she responds to doorknocks and doorbells and she is inteested in EVERYTHING. Anyhow, she got through it and the owners used up most of their candy and threw her a treat ever so often.

Me, nearby but on my long straight feeder road, had no callers. My house and the houses next to me are dark, and across the street is a school, so from the point of view of Treaters, it's a sort of Darien Gap for candy. I do love Halloween and candy, but at present I am lone and fat.

Meanwhile, along comes Guy Fawkes Day. Maybe get something going in the black powder racket...

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 05:31 AM

No kids showed up this year.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Nov 23 - 10:18 AM

I put all the leftover candy in a basket in front of the Drug store.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 07:36 PM

The foot traffic through the neighborhood varies wildly from one year to the next. There are usually events where kids attend in costume that reduces the number that might go door-to-door. When my two were little we went to the "Boo at the Zoo" one year in costume - it was so hot that evening that most of the little ones were reduced to walking around in shorts and t-shirts while parents carried the too-hot costumes. Recreation centers and churches have events. I've also had cold freezing winds on Halloween. This is a nice evening, it'll be in the 50s, so I expect to hear a few walking past the house. I leave all of the lights off and retreat to the back of the house because the costumes and knocks on the door are nerve-wracking for the dogs.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 11:04 PM

They just bark their heads off if I try to open it - the scrum at the door isn't pretty. I could put them in the yard and open the door but they'd be over at the gate watching the road down at the end of the drive and barking at everyone passing by. It just isn't worth it. They love people - but the point when costumes come to the door causes too much confusion. If it was just the Lab, no problem.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Nov 23 - 03:53 PM

They are urban legends. But it doesn't stop folks from repeating them.

I didn't hear anyone out walking in the street this year, though it was nice weather.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: leeneia
Date: 03 Nov 23 - 04:34 PM

We had a graceful string of purple lights and were one of two lit houses on a short block. We had 102 trick or treaters. I was surprised because it was quite chilly, almost winter-time cold.

Some people around here go wild with Halloween decorations - lights, skeletons, inflatable ghosts, plastic pumpkins - all in the same yard. One day while we were out driving, the DH let out a big guffaw. Somebody had crossed two realms and put up a skeleton of a flamingo.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: leeneia
Date: 09 Nov 23 - 03:38 PM

I've read that reports of razor blades, etc are just urban tales.

We enjoy trick or treating. The kids are so friendly and cute.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Thompson
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 06:46 PM

We haven't had any for years, but this year we got three lots. Bizarrely, they use the American "Trick or treat?" catchcry, and then say "Happy Hallowe'en" when you've put a handful of sweeties in their bags.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 03:26 PM

It's raining stair-rods here, so I'm hoping it'll put the little buggers off. I find the whole Halloween thing very disagreeable.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 05:03 PM

That'll keep the dentists in business (if you still have any...)

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 08:53 PM

We've lived miles from anywhere for the last 37 years, and the farm tracks are ridiculously sloshy and muddy tonight after a day of heavy rain, so we got no visitors (our Halloween norm). We did get a bunch of lads one year, so we gave them a big bag and told them to filch some of the apples left on our trees. Better for their teeth!

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Neil D
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 06:50 AM

I loved it when I was a kid, one of the great nights of every year. It lasted 2 hours in my town and we took advantage of ever minute, coming home with pillow cases bulging with candy. My best friend's older brother used to put his stereo speakers out on the porch roof and play some LPs of Halloween music and sound effects to be heard all over the neighborhood. Does anyone remember carrying a bar of soap in their pocket to decorate the windows of people who chose not to treat. It was always after dark in those days, as someone mentioned, much more atmospheric.
Most towns now do it from 3-5. Some places have a new event called Trunk or Treat where everyone gathers in a large parking area and distributes candy from the trunks of their cars. Different towns do different days from Friday through Tuesday this year. My son and daughter-in-law took my five year old grandson 4 of the last 5 days. He now has 4 buckets of candy sitting around his bedroom. My son says he hasn't shown too much interest and has only eaten a couple of pieces, which is probably a good thing. Shamefully, the adults in this household have eaten more than little Niall.
When we lived in a small town I loved seeing all the kidees in costume coming to our door. Now we live in the country and our house is 400 feet from the road surrounded by a soybean field, which last year was a corn field. Obviously, nobody is going to trek up to our front door.
Now I know it's not the healthiest custom and lots of people find it annoying, but I'm glad this tradition has survived into this century in spite of pandemics and a generally much grumpier populace.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Neil D
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 06:02 AM

leeneia, you're correct about the urban legend part. There have been some incidents of candy tampering, most notably a dentist that dosed the children of his neighborhood with a laxative in 1959, but in the entire history of T or T not one single child has died from it.

Subject: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: keberoxu
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 03:13 PM

In my experience,
my childhood Halloweens had regular trick-or-treating,
but this was well before the year 2000.

I know of few people who still host trick-or-treating at home
and few who go out in costume to do trick-or-treat.

Does anyone out there still follow the archaic custom?

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: keberoxu
Date: 31 Oct 23 - 08:57 PM

Dear me, Stilly,
I always remember the Fourth of July
as being punishing for dogs,
but of course all those people trooping up to the front door
is too much for the dogs as well.
Never thought of that before.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Nov 23 - 08:40 AM

Dave, it is now several generations ago that
trouble started with the "treats";
the troubles are now well known to most people here.

Stuff like razor blades and broken glass turned up in treats.
As I say, this was many years ago.
This contributed greatly to turning off many households
to giving out, or indeed bringing in, any Halloween treats.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Senoufou
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 04:37 AM

We used to carve a pumpkin and buy sweets for the trick-or-treaters when we first moved to this village. But the children would hammer on our door and then dive into the sweets and grab as many as possible. Luckily nobody chucked eggs at the door when we started to ignore their hammerings.
I don't remember 'trick-or-treating' when I was small, just 'apple-bobbing' in a bowl of water.. But in Scotland, where I lived for many years, they did 'guising' which was much more pleasant, and involved the children (with blackened faces) merely performing a little song.
Last night, some village children were around, but if one hadn't put any decorations up, the rule was 'no banging on the door'. I was glad of this because I was alone in the house (husband at work until 10pm).

Subject: RE: BS: anyone still doing trick-or-treating??
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 04:53 PM

Mrrzy, "yes, please" and "thank you."