Will the trick-or-treaters be coming to your house? Have you noticed a drop off in kids from year to year? Here are some of the reasons that you candy bowl may stay full this year.
When I was a child, there was no mistaking the fact that we would all be going trick-or-treating. I grew up in New York City, and we would knock on all of the doors in our apartment building. Nearly every door opened and handed out one form of treat or another. We dressed as generic characters, such as ghosts, hobos, witches, princesses, and the occasional Wonder Woman (me) or Superman (my best friend, Michael) thrown in for good measure.
Flash forward to today, and I have no idea if trick-or-treaters will be coming to our door. I don’t know if my own kids will be able to go out and be greeted by friendly neighbors who admire the costumes and give out treats. Every year we seem to have fewer trick or treaters. The trend today seems to be away from trick-or-treating.
If you do find yourself with the porch lights on for Halloween night and no one coming, perhaps it is because of one of the following reasons.
Bad strangers
When I was a child, we were warned about razor blades in apples and strangers. But our parents still happily sent us out to trick or treat, provided we only went to the neighbors we knew. In our culture today, families are less likely to know their neighbors and be more concerned about sending their children out for fear of danger. We are bombarded with stories of missing and exploited children, poisoned candy and such. Many families choose to skip going out for trick-or-treat, and instead have parties or simply stay home to carve pumpkins or watch Halloween shows.
Alternate treating
There are plenty of alternatives out there for concerned parents who don’t feel comfortable with traditional trick or treating. There is “Trunk-or-Treating,” in which communities or groups all meet in a parking lot and the kids treat from car to car. There is mall or retail treating, where kids go from store to store for their treats. And, there are a slew of other community and church sponsored events that keep kids out of the neighborhoods. Some of these events, such as fall or harvest parties, are organized as alternatives to celebrating Halloween because of religious or social reasons.
What do you think?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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