Dress Up or Decor?

[ramaries69]

I may end up staying home to hand out candy, but I will have to costume even to do that. I will miss seeing other people's displays, though. I have loved that all these years, walking the streets and seeing what other people have dreamed up.

If you enjoy watching others, why? Unless there's some kind of hindrance, why wouldn't you? I don't dress up but I will go out and take pics of other people's neat costumes!!!!! Kids and grown ups, love to have their picture taken! They feel like stars, when you approach them and ask them if you could take a picture of their awesome custome!!!!

[Murfreesboro]

Oh, I may try to sneak away a bit and do that. The thing is, TOT doesn't really last that long. We don't have a formal curfew around here, but the little kids are mostly done by 8 (starting at dark--no more than three hours at most, more like 2 & 1/2, now that daylight savings is a factor). Older kids are done by 9 or 9:30. 10 is too late to see anything on Halloween, especially on a school night like this year. So I guess I'm thinking that I have to decide whether I'm staying home to hand out candy, or strolling the street to witness the fun. But in the past my husband has always stayed home to hand out the candy, so I may just make him do that for forty minutes or so while I walk down to our nearby "carnival" street, where everyone decorates to the hilt.

[ramaries69]

Oh, I may try to sneak away a bit and do that. The thing is, TOT doesn't really last that long. We don't have a formal curfew around here, but the little kids are mostly done by 8 (starting at dark--no more than three hours at most, more like 2 & 1/2, now that daylight savings is a factor). Older kids are done by 9 or 9:30. 10 is too late to see anything on Halloween, especially on a school night like this year. So I guess I'm thinking that I have to decide whether I'm staying home to hand out candy, or strolling the street to witness the fun. But in the past my husband has always stayed home to hand out the candy, so I may just make him do that for forty minutes or so while I walk down to our nearby "carnival" street, where everyone decorates to the hilt.

I really think you should! I love watching people in their customes!!!!!

[Pumpkin56]

While I don't love the fact that people around where I live don't really decorate, I do love the fact that they have come to expect it from me and I have a lot of people taking pictures of my yard and slowing down as they drive by. If only those same people could magically produce some TOTers for me...

[ramaries69]

While I don't love the fact that people around where I live don't really decorate, I do love the fact that they have come to expect it from me and I have a lot of people taking pictures of my yard and slowing down as they drive by. If only those same people could magically produce some TOTers for me...

magically produce some TOTers for me.....huh, Pumpkin56???
You are so funny!

[Pumpkin56]

Do whatever it takes to bring some kids to the neighborhood! That almost makes me sound like some kind of witch looking for victims. But seriously, I want to run out of candy and it hasn't happened yet. I would even be okay if some of the really old people in the neighborhood came TOTing to my door. Just something. When did people stop caring about Halloween?

[ramaries69]

Do whatever it takes to bring some kids to the neighborhood! That almost makes me sound like some kind of witch looking for victims. But seriously, I want to run out of candy and it hasn't happened yet. I would even be okay if some of the really old people in the neighborhood came TOTing to my door. Just something. When did people stop caring about Halloween?

Traditions die down, if we don't encourage our TOTS, to keep 'em alive!

[Murfreesboro]

I don't think people have stopped caring about Halloween at all, but if you notice, neighborhoods have "life cycles." Often a neighborhood will have lots of young kids, and Halloween is big. But then the kids grow up, and you are left with the homes being owned by empty-nesters. Obviously Halloween isn't going to look as big as it once did in that place. Not until/unless a new generation of young parents starts buying in.

In the meantime, it has become very common for people to drive their kids to the streets in town that become known for decorating. There is a vacant lot at the end of our street that becomes a parking lot on Halloween night, because so many people drive in to the street near us where everyone decorates. Those kids are not TOTing on their own street because they have been driven to another neighborhood, one that is almost like a Halloween carnival, but nobody has to pay to enter.

Halloween is still happening in a major way. If it is not happening in your neighborhood, it is happening somewhere else in your town.

[Pumpkin56]

Traditions die down? Yeah the ones that people don't care about do. But every year without fail, I have to hang heavy light blocking curtains up so I'm not blinded by everyone's Christmas lights when I go to bed at night. Call me a Scrooge or whatever, but if you can go to the trouble of Clark Griswold'ing your house, you can put up a few Halloween decorations for the kiddies as well.

[ofwgdgaf]

While I don't love the fact that people around where I live don't really decorate, I do love the fact that they have come to expect it from me and I have a lot of people taking pictures of my yard and slowing down as they drive by. If only those same people could magically produce some TOTers for me...

I wouldn't mind you showing some pictures of your yard sometime

[Pumpkin56]

If I can figure out how to do that, I will be glad to

[ramaries69]

Pumpkin56, if you need help, let me know. Maybe you can email some and I can post
(on your behalf) them for you?

[ofwgdgaf]

If I can figure out how to do that, I will be glad to

Well, a lot of people are willing to help even me!

[Pumpkin56]

Consider it done. I'll get my brother to take pictures at dusk while everything can still be seen well. He's got an eye for photography that I seriously lack.

[Jack Skellington]

I know how you feel Pumpkin56. My wife & I are the only ones who decorate in our street. A couple of other people do put out a Jack O'Lantern but that's it. Some of that could be explained by, although Halloween started in Britain many years ago, it was you guys that started the home haunting in such a big, great way!

The supermarkets here are always stocked with decorations & costumes though, & they always sell out of items. I remember a BBC article last year stating how 'home haunting' & how much more people are spending year on year on decorations is becoming much more common over here.

So people do decorate their homes like me, just not in my area. I really do believe it won't be long until we have dedicated Halloween stores like you guys. Maybe Spirit Halloween could come over here & open some! We won't have to rely on supermarkets & the internet to purchase goods then!