Halloween Discussion Forums, Costumes, Horror!

too me it was better in the past because more people were activley involved with halloween and the trick or treating

Maybe I'm getting bitter in my old age and starting to sound like my grandpa but back when I was a kid I do not recall a house in our neighborhood not participating during Halloween of course we didn't have the type of decorations we have now but everyone tried to out do each with other with the treats (i.e. candy apples, popcorn balls, little bags filled with toys/candy etc.). Now were lucky if half of the neighborhood participates and everyone gives out the same type of candy, no imagination that’s why we try and do something different every year and the amount of trick or treat’ers we get increase every year.

I agree, I'm afraid I'm getting old, too, but it just dosen't seem like as many people participate as when we were kids, does it? We used to have a ball going from one house to the other. I'm trying to revive my neighborhood, though. We just do the best we can with our little piece of the world!

Where's the 'As good as it ever was' option?

I'm inclined to be biased as my childhood seems more magical than Halloween in modern times.

Halloween has grown into the second biggest money-making holiday (the first of course is Arbor Day). Yard haunt paraphernalia is larger and more elaborate with an endless array of choices, both in stores and online. Many parents, including myself and my wife, not only dress up now (whereas our parents did not) but have their own holiday parties and activities to attend. Older kids have kept trick-or-treating and the groups of vandals out looking for trouble have all but vanished (at least in the neighborhoods I have lived in).
I'd say Halloween is better than ever.

When I was a kid it seemed like there were loads of TOTers compared to today. But I actually enjoy Halloween more now that I've become an obsessed collector of all things Halloweeny. Like Madam Hooch, I'm slowly but surely getting my "hood" in the spirit. I'm not a major haunter like some of you awesome folks but my decorating is whimsical and attracts attention.

Around here trick-or-treating is fading fast. Each year the number of tot's has decreased because parents are too concerned with letting their kids go out. I think we had around 15 or 20 last year. But back when I was a kid, I remember the streets being PACKED, and houses would get hundreds of kids. And keep in mind this was only 10 or 15 years ago.

I've mentioned before that we've only gotten two or three TOT's in the four years we've been here.
Well, We'll be moving in a few months so maybe this Halloween will be different. I sure hope so!!!!!!

Trick or treating should be done at night, with your friends. We wouldn't think of having it any other way. Now the kids are trotted around in the afternoon with the parents supervising it all. Bah! Where's the magic in that? The jack-o'-lanterns, fog machine, and screaming skull on the front porch all look better after dark.

I totally agree - the fun is when the sun sets and you can see the spooky lighting at peoples homes, see the kids with glowsticks and enjoy the pumpkins sitting on people porches!

Toting was better before.
not saying 20-30 yrs before either, 5 yrs ago it was better

it's a shame that kids can't enjoy the simple things anymore coz some a$$holes (pardon the language) had to ruin it by being sick and disgusting wanting to hurt kids

The poisoned candy scare is pretty much a myth. Snopes has more.

I am kind of curious how much of a big deal poisen candy is. Are there really a lot of cases of childrens candy being tampered with?

You could read the links I supplied in my message above.