# Halloween, Do You Like It, Don't Like It.....or Don't Care Either Way?



## SeaBreeze (Sep 27, 2017)

I never liked Halloween much even as a kid.  My mother allowed me to go trick or treating a couple of times because I begged her, but honestly I didn't like doing it, asking for candy door to door.....I don't think I did it for more than an hour or so each time.

When my neighborhood now had a lot of young kids, I didn't mind buying fun sized candy every year and giving it out to the neighborhood children.  But as the years went on, those kids grew up, and Halloween pretty much means carloads of kids (or teens) being dropped off from other areas just to trick or treat.  Some older teens don't even bother to dress up in any costume.  So, my dislike of Halloween, the scary movies, the store merchandise, the endless TV commercials, is just increasing as the years go by.

Do you like the holiday or not...or, don't you care either way?  Please take the poll and share your thoughts! :ghost:


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## jujube (Sep 27, 2017)

I always loved Halloween.  We used to get dressed in elaborate costumes I made and go to the big Halloween bashes.  

I also loved handing candy out to the kids.  But, the last Halloween my husband was alive was the end of handing out candy for me.  I opened the door, late in the evening, to a bunch of kids, not in costume and carrying pillow cases.  I started to hand out the candy and they started grabbing candy and crowding me back into the house.  I yelled for my husband; he came and with his "voice of righteous authority" (and, boy, did he ever have one....) he herded them back through the door.   I don't know what would have happened if I was there alone.

So, that was the end of trick-or-treating for me.  Now, we turn off the front door light and don't answer the door.  

I still like to dress up in costumes, though, and go to parties....


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## SeaBreeze (Sep 27, 2017)

I went to a couple of parties on the block when I was a kid.  My husband is always home when I give out candy, one year a long time ago, he was out of town, so I had a gun nearby, but not visible to anyone....just in case something funny happened and someone forced their way into my house, luckily all went smoothly. But you can't be too trusting these days, IMO.   Last Halloween we went out on a 'date' to dinner and the movies, so we weren't home, probably do that again this year.


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## Lara (Sep 27, 2017)

That was scary jujube. 

When I lived in a very nice "safe" neighborhood in southern CA, my husband took my 3 older children out to trick-or-treat while I stayed home with our baby. The doorbell rang shortly after they left. I opened the door thinking it was trick-or-treaters. It was a full grown man who opened his trench coat and sticking out of his zipper was a stuffed lady's stocking the size of a you-know-what. I gasped, slammed the door in his face, ran upstairs, my heart pounding, and I cried until my husband got home. If the man thought it was funny, no, I was frightened beyond belief. I don't know why I didn't call the police. I was just frozen in fear. Plus, I always tended to make excuses for bad people, like maybe he was just thinking it would be funny like a halloween "trick".

Exactly SeaBreeze. I hadn't read your post yet when I posted my story.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 27, 2017)

I loved it when I was a kid in the 50's.  Back then we use to say,"Anything for Halloween?" In a very long drawn out phrase, instead of trick or treat. The more tired we got the longer it took for us to say the words. There was no curfew and we were out long after dark. It didn't even occur to our parents that something could happen to us because nothing ever did happen anywhere. When my kids were young my Mom and I took them around until dark. Then the crazy stuff started. The local hospital would scan the kids bags of candy for razor blades etc. free of charge. After that my kids were to old to go around anyway. My Grand kids now go to well supervised parties or gather in well lit parking lots, usually the church does it, where parents park and hand out candy from the cars. To dangerous to trick or treat house to house. What a shame. I don't care for all the blow up decorations and lights they have now. All I need is a nicely carved pumpkin with a candle glowing inside.


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## Cap'nSacto (Sep 27, 2017)

I love Halloween! I usually go with my youngest son and his wife and kids, to walk with them as they make the rounds. Usually they pick a theme and they all wear costumes, sometimes I do too. Last year they were the Addams Family. But I didn't get to walk with them, so I answered their door and handed out candy. That was fun, though. This one kid, probably about 9 or 10, noticed my son's in-package Star Wars toy collection hanging on a wall behind me, and he was awed. We talked about it, he told me the toys he had and stuff, and after a few minutes his father came walking up the driveway looking at me suspiciously. I told the father we were just talking about toys. He didn't like that. He didn't start anything, just said, "Ok, c'mon, son, let's go."

He's a good father.


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## AZ Jim (Sep 27, 2017)

I like it better than a root canal but that's all.


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## Marie5656 (Sep 27, 2017)

*We no longer hand out candy but I do not dislike the holiday.  I have good memories of Halloween when I was a kid, where we did not have to worry about razorblades or needles in our treats.  I remember the lady across the street from me was a favorite because she handed out home made chocolate chip cookies to the kids.  We cannot do that now.*


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## GypsyRoadLady (Sep 28, 2017)

I have never understood the going trick or treating. Kids and now adults going to strangers and asking for candy??? No I do not turn the light on:distrust:

And yes the thought of opening the door to strangers is not in my reality!


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 28, 2017)

I enjoyed it when I was little.

I also enjoyed passing out candy to the kids and a shot of peppermint schnapps or a beer to the parents hiding behind the trees and bushes to keep on eye on their kids.

These days I live in a security building and none of the little beggars can find their way to my door.

IMO the days of old fashioned trick or treating should end and be replaced by community parties or school parking lot parties where people pass out candy, tailgate and parade the kids around to show off their costumes.

One tip for the folks that still hand out candy.  Lock the screen door and remove the glass panel or screen so you can reach through the opening to hand out the candy, it helps to keep the kids little and large from trying to come into the house.


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## ossian (Sep 28, 2017)

It is njot a big deal where I live compared to the States. But I have always found it to be an irritating event. Nowadays, it seems to have exploded for commercial reasons and that annoys me even more.


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## IKE (Sep 28, 2017)

I don't recall ever actually going out 'trick or treating' but my two younger step sisters did and I'd always sneak a few pieces of their candy when they weren't looking. 

Things have changed from when we were kids.....it's just not safe now to let kids run around after dark.

We always purchase a bag of candy but we also leave the front porch light off and inner door closed so it's rare to hear the doorbell ring.


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## Pappy (Sep 28, 2017)

Enjoyed it was I was little, but now that we live in a senior community, we have no visitors. I do have a bag or two of candy on hand. Hey, you never know....


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## Temperance (Sep 28, 2017)

Yes, I do enjoy Halloween.  Would say it's probably my third favorite holiday.  Loved it as a child going out trick or treating.  And believe I love it more now as an adult.  Will start decorating the house outside and in the next few days.  Creepy spider webs will take over anything that is standing still.  The creepier that I can make things the better.  Blast horror sounds of screams, howling, chains rattling, moaning and sirens in background.  Most of the kids that come by love it, little ones think twice before climbling up the stairs to ring bell.  Its so fun to see their little faces and their costumes.  It's just the best.
Happy Halloween Everyone!


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## RadishRose (Sep 28, 2017)

Like most, I loved it as a kid and a young adult when my son was small, but don't care about it anymore. That being said, when I do happen upon a group of kids in costume while driving by, I still have to smile.


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## Sassycakes (Sep 28, 2017)

Growing up I really didn't care to go trick or treating. I would go for a little while with my friends and then go home and be the one to give out the candy. Then after I got married and had my first Child on Halloween I started to love the holiday . And of course now having grandchildren I love it even more.


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## tnthomas (Sep 28, 2017)

I enjoyed handing out candy when lived down in the city but out here nobody goes out on Halloweeen as the properties are so spread out.


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## jujube (Sep 28, 2017)

My father was the master of fun-making and he loved Halloween.  One year when I was a freshman in high school (and humiliated by everything my parents did...especially my dad), he made a caveman outfit out of a ratty old fur coat (arm and leg coverings), and wore a fright wig, ugly mask, rubber hands and feet and carried a big plastic club.  We had a long driveway with bushes along the house side.

Yep, he dressed up and hid in the bushes, jumping out at the kids who came by.  We were still the age that we dressed up and went to our friend's houses for candy, so some of those "kids" were my friends.  It was all over school the next day what my dad had done and I was beyond humiliated.  I had begged my mom to not let him do that but she just said, "You have to let your dad have his fun!"

He's been gone for 23 years now, and there's not a day goes by that I don't miss him dreadfully. He was one of a kind.


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## Camper6 (Sep 29, 2017)

I hate Halloween because of the waste of food.  Thousands of pumpkins going to the landfill. My mother would have a heart attack.

She grew pumpkins.  We ate them.


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