Halloween is Dead

MikeyFingers · #1 10-31-2010, 03:18 PM

I've noticed this happening over the last few years and I'm wondering it's happening everywhere else as well.
There has been a steady decline of kids/trick-or-treaters every year since I was a kid. I'm 24 now, and when I was a kid there would be TONS of other kids out on Halloween. From the time school let out onward, all night, the streets were absolutely packed with kids of all ages running around getting candy, creating mischief, and just having fun.

As soon as we got home from school, it's prep-time. Get the costumes ready, meet up with your friends, and hit the streets. It was an all-day production and it kicked ass. When we finally got home, it was scary movies and candy all night until the sugar-coma set in.

Last Halloween, I didn't get ONE SINGLE trick-or-treater all night. The year before was the same. The year before that, maybe one or two.
Why is this happening? Are parents becoming more protective/over-protective? Is that a reflection of how bad society is becoming? I can understand this if it's a bad/dangerous neighborhood or a big city. But I live on Long Island, about 30 minutes from the NYC, in a pretty quiet suburb. It doesn't make any sense to me.

When I was younger, this was the all-time greatest night of the year. I look around on Halloween night nowadays, and the streets are deserted. Nothing's happening anywhere except for house parties and costume contests at bars. It's like the spirit of the holiday is still there, but it's not even close to what it used to be and the kids don't even seem to be aware of it. Why is Halloween dying?

Oh yeah, and Happy Halloween TalkBass. Keep the spirit alive, let your kids have some fun tonight.

vbsurfer3001 · #2 10-31-2010, 03:26 PM

I blame Zombie Movies....

kesslari · #3 10-31-2010, 03:29 PM

Halloween is still big out here in the mountains - but we all live so far from one another that our small town shuts down the main street for the night and all the kids go and trick or treat along the 2 blocks of shops and businesses. The owners get decked up, decorated, and pass out candy. Works great - otherwise kids would have to walk for 3 hours to get to 5 houses...

mid_life_crisis · #4 10-31-2010, 03:47 PM

They did it last night here and we went through half a dozen large bags of assorted candies.

jp58 · #5 10-31-2010, 03:50 PM

We do GHOST at our university for all the little kids. It usually works well. This year all the fraternity houses are decorated somewhat and all the orginizations have some sort or candy or healthy food giveaway. Some games and things are set up too.

At home though its a different story. Very few kids trick or treat nowadays.

**Staccato** · #6 10-31-2010, 03:56 PM

Trick or Treat...

Commonplace in suburbs twenty years ago, nowadays-a dying tradition? Teenage girls used to babysit for neighbors for extra money, too. Wait-a-minute, people started believing what is in the modern Halloween movies...

vbsurfer3001 · #7 10-31-2010, 03:56 PM

Leaving in 20 minutes to take my little "face of recirculating blood-Scream" out to gather treats with the neighbors kids....

totallyfrozen · #8 10-31-2010, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeyFingers

I've noticed this happening over the last few years and I'm wondering it's happening everywhere else as well.
There has been a steady decline of kids/trick-or-treaters every year since I was a kid. I'm 24 now, and when I was a kid there would be TONS of other kids out on Halloween. From the time school let out onward, all night, the streets were absolutely packed with kids of all ages running around getting candy, creating mischief, and just having fun.

As soon as we got home from school, it's prep-time. Get the costumes ready, meet up with your friends, and hit the streets. It was an all-day production and it kicked ass. When we finally got home, it was scary movies and candy all night until the sugar-coma set in.

Last Halloween, I didn't get ONE SINGLE trick-or-treater all night. The year before was the same. The year before that, maybe one or two.
Why is this happening? Are parents becoming more protective/over-protective? Is that a reflection of how bad society is becoming? I can understand this if it's a bad/dangerous neighborhood or a big city. But I live on Long Island, about 30 minutes from the NYC, in a pretty quiet suburb. It doesn't make any sense to me.

When I was younger, this was the all-time greatest night of the year. I look around on Halloween night nowadays, and the streets are deserted. Nothing's happening anywhere except for house parties and costume contests at bars. It's like the spirit of the holiday is still there, but it's not even close to what it used to be and the kids don't even seem to be aware of it. Why is Halloween dying?

Oh yeah, and Happy Halloween TalkBass. Keep the spirit alive, let your kids have some fun tonight.

Same here. It seem to have almost completely died in my neighborhood over the last 4 years. I haven't a kid ring the bell in years! Some other neighborhoods still do it a bit, but it's nothing like it was 10 years ago (and earlier). One problem around here is that all the stores sell the same cheap, junk costumes for kids here than they do in the warmer states. Then on Halloween, all the kids have to wear coats over their costumes (cuz it's freezing cold with ice on the streets and sometimes snowing on Halloween) so that takes some of the fun out it.

Oh well. Halloween is just another ruined holiday that pressures you to spend a ton of money and then sugar up your kids until you can't stand to be around them anymore. Easter and Christmas have been ruined the same way too.

pedroims · #9 10-31-2010, 04:30 PM

No Halloween here, at teast in this neighborhood, I saw only one kid last night. My kids do not celebrate Halloween at all, they have learned from dad and mom that we celebrate life and life , not darkness and death. Seems like most of family around here have same beliefs.

tplyons · #10 10-31-2010, 04:31 PM

I've noticed a decline over recent years but it seems to have picked up again this year. Maybe it's the six foot tall red vampire M&M in my front yard, but I've been getting trick or treaters for just under an hour and have gone through three pounds of M&M Fun Size and a pound and a half of Twix.

Selta · #11 10-31-2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedroims

No Halloween here, at teast in this neighborhood, I saw only one kid last night. My kids do not celebrate Halloween at all, they have learned from dad and mom that we celebrate life and life , not darkness and death. Seems like most of family around here have same beliefs.

Marley's Ghost · #12 10-31-2010, 04:39 PM

Not around here. Going strong as ever,

Muaguana · #13 10-31-2010, 04:40 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of parents being overly-protective; they've gone completely nuts over the years with sheltering their children from anything they deem not Leave-It-To-Beaver-perfect. I mean, is it really hard to imagine the people freaking out over the Kate Perry/Sesame Street non-incident are just as paranoid about their kids going out on Halloween to have fun?

It may also depend on how long you live in a neighborhood; if you've lived somewhere for a while (13 years straddling two neighborhoods for me,) the kids grow up and and many just stop trick-or-treating.

MonetBass · #14 10-31-2010, 04:41 PM

I think more parents are taking kids to the 'safe Halloween' activities at churches and community centers. But in our neighborhood, we still get a ton of trick-or-treaters. Including teenagers. (Get a job and buy your own candy ya moochers!)

Nappa · #15 10-31-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muaguana

I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of parents being overly-protective; they've gone completely nuts over the years with sheltering their children from anything they deem not Leave-It-To-Beaver-perfect. I mean, is it really hard to imagine the people freaking out over the Kate Perry/Sesame Street non-incident are just as paranoid about their kids going out on Halloween to have fun?

This.

What the parents around here do is get a group of kids in a car and park at the end of the street then drive slowly to the other end and pick them up. When it is cold out they chaperone them down each street, usually waiting at the end of the driveway.

anyonefortennis · #16 10-31-2010, 04:45 PM

I think it has become a nation wide college costume party.

tplyons · #17 10-31-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nappa

What the parents around here do is get a group of kids in a car and park at the end of the street then drive slowly to the other end and pick them up. When it is cold out they chaperone them down each street, usually waiting at the end of the driveway.

I've seen this a lot this year... kids trick or treating from cars... what's up with this?

But on the flip side, a lot of them aren't kids I recognize from the neighborhood, so I guess parents bringing them to a denser neighborhood? Who knows...

Pilgrim · #18 10-31-2010, 04:54 PM

I've noticed that it varies according to the age of kids in the neighborhood. They grow up, maybe come around for a while in high school, then we have to wait for the next group of kids to get old enough to come around.

OTOH, I live in a neighborhood that's decently funded, so I think the word is out that we're a good place to come. Fine with me! Bring those kids and we'll all enjoy the evening.

I don't think it's dead - just somewhat cyclical.

Nappa · #19 10-31-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

I've seen this a lot this year... kids trick or treating from cars... what's up with this?

But on the flip side, a lot of them aren't kids I recognize from the neighborhood, so I guess parents bringing them to a denser neighborhood? Who knows...

It usually only happens when it is snowing out or the weather is bad.

poorbassist15 · #20 10-31-2010, 05:07 PM

In my community, everyone is so paranoid of each other they won't even go out trick or treating. All the teens my age go to parties to get stoned, all the kids go to the city to actually try and have fun. What am I doing? Wasting my Halloween on Talkbass.