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Mrs-M
10-26-12, 5:47pm
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What are your plans?

Jilly
10-26-12, 5:51pm
Stay home, eat cake, give out cheap candy and hope that there are not more trick-or-treaters than treats.

Rosemary
10-26-12, 6:11pm
Early dinner, great a few early trick-or-treaters then head out with DD around our neighborhood. We go to the houses immediately around ours each year and then head to our friend's house about 0.5 mile away, and go around their loop with her and her sons. The kids have a blast running around together in the dark, and the adults get to chat and drink hot tea or coffee while tagging along. Back at home, DD selects the candy she will keep; any kids who come to our house after that get a huge pile of unwanted candy.

bunnys
10-26-12, 7:59pm
I turn off the lights and close the door.

There are virtually no kids in my neighborhood and whenever I buy candy, none show up. When I don't buy candy, they invariably show up (but only enough kids so that I get embarrassed if I open the door.) So I just save them the trip up the driveway with the universal signal "no candy here."

peggy
10-26-12, 8:17pm
We live in the country so, no kids here. But , we do buy at least one bag in case any show up! Actually, I do like Halloween and I miss the stream of kids at the door. It's fun to see all the costumes and knowing the kids are having a blast! Halloween is probably one of the kids favorite holidays cause it's always fun to dress up in costume.
When we lived in Japan, the base would open up the base to any nationals who worked there and their families for Halloween. At first they didn't really understand it, but then they got into the spirit and whole families would dress up and go trick or treating. It was a hoot! I just loved it! They really understood, and embraced, the fun of this holiday! I miss trick-or-treaties living out in the country.

treehugger
10-26-12, 8:24pm
There are virtually no kids in my neighborhood and whenever I buy candy, none show up. When I don't buy candy, they invariably show up (but only enough kids so that I get embarrassed if I open the door.) So I just save them the trip up the driveway with the universal signal "no candy here."

This is me exactly. I do have lots of fond memories of trick-or-treating as a child, so I am not opposed to it, but the 2 or 3 kids that might come to our door will survive not getting candy from us.

We have a fun costume party/lunch at work every year with Mexican food. Woohoo!

Kara

Lainey
10-26-12, 8:58pm
Will be giving out candy to the 20 or 30 trick or treaters that come by. I've already decorated the outside of the house.

I was privileged a few years ago to be the first person to award a 3 year old neighbor his first piece of Halloween candy - his Mom prompted him to say "trick or treat" and after he did so, he watched bug-eyed as I dropped a piece of candy in his sack.

It was like watching the light bulb go off in his head - he looked in his sack, then back at me, then at his sack with a big smile on his face. So cute!

Mighty Frugal
10-26-12, 9:31pm
ooohhh I love the holidays! This is the reason I had kids;):~)

We live on a small street tucked away, so the only kids that come by our from our 'hood. We get about 50 kids. I take my boys out -again in our 'hood, and we're back within the hour with sacks FULL of candy. Being so tucked away means every house gives out a lot of candy (inculding me)

This year I was planning on giving big-gish bags of chips-regular Halloween chips are 16 grams (regular single size chips are about 50 grams) I bought some 28 gram chips-so almost double Halloween chips

Seems fair to just give a packet of big chips, right? But I love Halloween so went out and bought choco bars and fruit snacks and assorted candy and those Halloween bags and will make treat bags for all my TOTers

I love watching all the little ones as they dash from house to house. We are such a small community we pretty much know everyone so it's fun to see bobby as an astronaut and Fiona as a My Little Pony. And the parents get into the spirit of things. Last Halloween I partook in mulled wine from one house, Jello shooters from another and hot chocolate from a third!

I love Halloween!

When the boys and I get home I shove my whole head inside their Halloween bag and inhale..mmm..I love that scent of mixed candy, the chocolate the chips the licorice and bubble gum..all mixed together-this is what Heaven smells like, this I am certain.:D

I also give candy to anyone who knocks on my door. I don't care if you are 13 or 35, I don't care if you are wearing a costume or not. If you knock on my door on the evening of October 31st, prepare to get a treat!:)

I also watch out for flying witches....

peggy
10-26-12, 10:28pm
ooohhh I love the holidays! This is the reason I had kids;):~)

We live on a small street tucked away, so the only kids that come by our from our 'hood. We get about 50 kids. I take my boys out -again in our 'hood, and we're back within the hour with sacks FULL of candy. Being so tucked away means every house gives out a lot of candy (inculding me)

This year I was planning on giving big-gish bags of chips-regular Halloween chips are 16 grams (regular single size chips are about 50 grams) I bought some 28 gram chips-so almost double Halloween chips

Seems fair to just give a packet of big chips, right? But I love Halloween so went out and bought choco bars and fruit snacks and assorted candy and those Halloween bags and will make treat bags for all my TOTers

I love watching all the little ones as they dash from house to house. We are such a small community we pretty much know everyone so it's fun to see bobby as an astronaut and Fiona as a My Little Pony. And the parents get into the spirit of things. Last Halloween I partook in mulled wine from one house, Jello shooters from another and hot chocolate from a third!

I love Halloween!

When the boys and I get home I shove my whole head inside their Halloween bag and inhale..mmm..I love that scent of mixed candy, the chocolate the chips the licorice and bubble gum..all mixed together-this is what Heaven smells like, this I am certain.:D

I also give candy to anyone who knocks on my door. I don't care if you are 13 or 35, I don't care if you are wearing a costume or not. If you knock on my door on the evening of October 31st, prepare to get a treat!:)

I also watch out for flying witches....

:D:D
Love it! Fabulous!
This is the only time of year I wish we lived in the city!:)

Stella
10-27-12, 9:13am
MF, I'm like you. I love Halloween! We live in a neighborhood that gets into the Halloween thing. We come home with bags and bags of candy, some of which I save for Christmas and Easter, some of which we eat and some of which we give to our friends who are too old for Trick-or-Treating.

The kids are mostly going to be Superheros this year. Cheyenne is going to be Firestar from the 1980s Spiderman and his Amazing Friends. Bella is going to be Wasp, James is going to be Captain America and Travis is going to be Thor, all from the Avengers. Charlotte is going to be a bear, if she goes out at all. She's too little to care and I have a brown coat for her with bear ears.

Zach is going to go as an electrocuted electrician. He is going to spray his hair striaight up and put some white in it. The kids have decided that I should be Black Widow from the Avengers since I often wear black and I have red hair. Works for me. LOL.

SteveinMN
10-27-12, 9:35am
Lights off at our house. MiL is having hip replacement surgery that day, so we won't be home this year anyway. But this neighborhood seems to attract a bunch of "kids" who are well into teen age and, really, don't even make an attempt at a costume, and I'm just not a fan of keeping candy around just for the few kids that actually are willing to play along or handing it out to the ones that don't. Besides, we don't need leftover candy around the house. Bah, humbug, right? :devil:

Rosemary
10-27-12, 11:36am
SteveinMN, I'm a Halloween humbug in that I absolutely detest the candy and marketing aspects of it. Homemade costumes are one thing but there's no creativity involved in buying a $30 costume that will be worn for one night. And all the stuff... ugh. And the candy? Our local elementary school has enough kids who already have weight problems by 2nd or 3rd grade. We're handing out Halloween magnets this year. We don't need it - and neither do the kids.

The thing I do like about Halloween is greeting the neighbors that we only see rarely and having a brief conversation with them.

Float On
10-27-12, 11:41am
I'll buy candy....even though we won't get trick or treaters.

goldensmom
10-27-12, 11:59am
We will buy candy (fun size Snickers), stay home, turn the lights off and eat the candy while watching the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin movie with the shades pulled.

goldensmom
10-27-12, 12:04pm
Regarding my previous post, I think I should clarify that we do not get any trick or treaters probably because we live 1/2 mile back from the road. If children were to venture back here we'd gladly share the Snickers.

bunnys
10-27-12, 12:17pm
But this neighborhood seems to attract a bunch of "kids" who are well into teen age and, really, don't even make an attempt at a costume

Yeah, the kids I do get are older and costumeless, as well--when I do get them.

I do like Halloween and wish I got kids. But I don't...

ApatheticNoMore
10-27-12, 1:55pm
Always has been my favorite holiday. Even if it's a $30 costume worn once, it's fun and funny to pretend to be something else and play the role. One night of collecting candy and a few weeks worth of candy after, isn't the cause of anyone being obese (really was the only time of year I got candy, though there were plenty of homemade cookies and so on in my childhood and I was a real skinny kid).

It's very much a break from everyday life. The only holiday we have that aims at being I don't know the word, it's a common mythic theme, a break from the culture really. ALL cultures need this. The other holidays are mostly about enforcing aspects of the culture. Darkness and scariness and death are banished most of the time, on halloween they are celebrated in a playful way. Sticking rigidly to one's role and persona (which of course we all know is ultimately an illusion) are part of the culture (maybe of all cultures) on halloween be someone or something else! Even generosity, asking nothing in return, not even if the kid deserves it and shouldn't it be their parents responsibility to get a job and supply their kids with candy, and just giving, meaningless giving, giving to give, are counter cultural, but on halloween sweets for all! (and sweets are a pretty good symbol for giving love, giving pleasure, although yea this can definitely become unhealthy in excess). Depending, maybe not knowing most of the neighbors one lives amoung is part of the culture (I had neighbor kid friends, but nontheless the isolation of growing up in suburbia is ever so real), but on halloween greet the young neighbors as they show up on your own doorstep (trespassing on private property even! :~)). And the time of year is always a pretty magical time of year.

However, in apartments I have never tended to get many kids, so usually don't bother. :\ I'm sometimes in costume though :) Fun.

iris lily
10-27-12, 1:56pm
What night is it again? Probably we will hide in darkened rooms to keep the trick or treaters away.

ApatheticNoMore
10-27-12, 2:42pm
What I do think is tacky is those who drive from neighborhood to neighborhood to neighboorhood collecting massive candy stashes. Ugh.

Tradd
10-27-12, 2:58pm
No trick or treaters here since I live in an apartment. However, it's tradition in my office for people with smaller kids to bring them to the office in the late afternoon and they visit everyone's cube. I'll buy a small bag of candy - maybe only 10 kids will show up - and have the rest for chocolate attacks. ;-)

Miss Cellane
10-27-12, 6:49pm
Well, as I posted in another thread, my town has moved trick or treating to Tuesday night for some reason.

Tuesday night is when we are supposed to have the strongest winds and heaviest rain from the Frankenstorm Sandy.

The town has emailed us all again to tell us that trick or treating is still planned for Tuesday, but stay tuned because that might change.

I wonder if we will end up having TOT on Halloween night the way it's supposed to be?

Last year, not one single person came to the door. So I won't, for the first time in years, be giving out candy. I did buy several bags of candy that were on sale and will be sending them over to Afghanistan in care packages, so I got some good out of it.

SimplyL
10-27-12, 8:39pm
Our neighbors all get together. Those of us with kids, grandkids walk together to trick or treat. Another neighbor, who has no children, she does it up big. Her townhouse is all decorated and has orange lights :). And she buys the 'good candy' and gives the kids handfuls every years. Last year, she also did trays of lasagna, I hear we're all doing a big potluck, this year. So, I need to get the details. Kids have a half day off.

The kids were so into wanting to make an costume from home. However, I surprised them with a visit to the consignment shop. They each found a costume that fit them, that they also liked. Daughter: Jasmine Son: Wario (Mario Bros.)

Stella
10-28-12, 10:14am
SimplyL, that sounds like a wonderful Halloween! So much fun!

ANM I really like your outlook on Halloween. I think that's a pretty good description of how I feel about it too.

CathyA
10-28-12, 11:09am
I like the halloweens of old. Seems like there's too much blood and gore in some of the newer stuff.
Trying to remember what I used to be when I was little..........a ballerina, Robin Hood, a sleep walker (carrying a role of toilet paper......haha)
None of this hatchet-in-the -head and face masks that circulate blood.
Remember bobbing for apples? (yuk, now!)
I loved halloween evenings that were windy and cloudy, but you could see the moon occasionally. I so wanted to see a witch flying across the moon.

JaneV2.0
10-28-12, 11:21am
What night is it again? Probably we will hide in darkened rooms to keep the trick or treaters away.


Yeah, I'll turn out every light in the house and hunker down in a back room, as usual. I usually get one group of clueless tricksters. There are a lot of dark houses on my street at Halloween.

That said, I'd like to see a three-day holiday to encompass Halloween, All Souls, and El Dia de los Muertos. I really like that cluster of events--costumes, celebration of dead loved ones, haunted houses, open portals, scary tales and random spookiness, parties...Activities for adults and children. I'm with ApatheticNoMore in theory. Practice, not so much.

Fawn
10-28-12, 6:59pm
We live in a very kid friendly part of town. They get bussed in here from some of the scarier neighborhoods. We have good candy, you know. Weeir have upwards of 300+ trick or treaters here every year. And we can have a lot of fun with the mail slot--we have one of those metal slots in the door that the mail drops on the floor--and if you do not open the door, just thrust your hand out the slot with the candy, well, you get a lot of startled looks which is always fun.

But the kids are at their dad's this year...and I am working on a big project...so I will likely be at the library and not home.

But I must state that I do draw the line with the older teens--if your chest hair is curling over the top of your sleeveless gown--you are too old for candy at my house. If you drove yourself and your friends to my neighborhood (and can therefore afford your own gas/candy/cigarettes/beer) you are too old to trick or treat.

Mrs-M
10-29-12, 8:43am
Really nice hearing from everybody.

I've noticed a change of attitude related to Halloween, as compared to when I was younger. Many parents of young children, at least in our area, are migrating away from traditional trick-or-treating, and instead, opting for a more modern celebration of the event. Gatherings, parties, and galas, are definitely gaining in popularity.

We've noticed a continual drop (year-by-year), in the number of visitors (trick-or-treaters) we get, but most disappointing, is the number of visitors we get who are well beyond the trick-or-treating age.

As for Halloween this year, we're going to hold strong to tradition, and do the house-to-house thing, but are hoping to migrate away from the same-old- same-old (as of next year), and get in on tickets for the annual Halloween Spooktacular, held in a neighbouring community.

SimplyL
10-29-12, 9:58am
I also don't care for the blood and gore, however, spooky can be fun. :) Maybe it's because I associate the Halloween with coinciding with Fall Festival (church). Example: Ours was yesterday. There were hayrides, a bluegrass band, games, food, face painting, cotton candy. Some of our churches also offer Trunk or Treat, and congregation will decorate their cars and line up in the parking lot like a stop at the door of each house. They get really creative, and it gives the kids and parents a way of having fellowship and celebrating.

Gardenarian
10-29-12, 3:19pm
This may be the first year my DD goes trick or treating without me!

Now that I think of it, it is kind of odd, but DD and her BFFs always wanted me (and the BFF's parent/s) along. (I would never have wanted a parent to go out on Halloween with me!)

DH has always stayed home to give out candy, and the past few years he has had invitied other musicians over and they play tunes in our driveway. We get 150+ kids coming by. We'll see how it plays out.

The tradition has been that we start with a photo shoot, then end up back at my house and have a beer while the kids do a candy trade, swapping out for their favorites (I get all the Tootsie Rolls, my fave.)

DD is dressing up as a character from her favorite manga series, Black Butler.

We've already carved our jack'o'lanterns. I hope they don't rot by Wednesday!

Zoe Girl
10-30-12, 7:44am
Okay Halloween, I love it!! I wore the cheesy Halloween sweater i got at a goodwill yesterday. Today i am bringing my witch hat to go with my outfit. I will wear a black knit dress and my red and black cowgirl boots and be a cowgirl witch when i put on the hat. Then on Wednesday I will wear the renaissance ladies costume that I made, all the layers of it and I can JUST still fit into the bodice. I made it for my daughter a few years ago including the long cape out of beautiful light blue wool but she is being a dead and bloody cheerleader this time. I have always wanted to be a 'punk Dorothy', a Dorothy with shiny red Doc martens for the ruby slippers and a blue checkered dress with the underskirt in black. I have not gone to a party in so many years that it does not make sense to spend money on a costume I would not wear at school. However my current costume obsession is a traditional viking apron dress, oooooh.

Have I said enough? I really like this one cow-hithis would be a good costume too

domestic goddess
10-30-12, 10:45am
I am also a Halloween lover! A purely hedonistic holiday with no real thought involved, and chocolate!! What's not to like? While dd and dsil take the girls trick or treating, I will man the front door with candy (and steal a few pieces for myself!). I never buy the candy until the 31st, when it is on sale everywhere, then I buy a good bit. I hide a bit for myself in my room, and the other 2 adults eat most of the rest, since the kids are busy with what they got on their rounds. I have to admit that I get less annoyed here in the 'burbs, where only the kids trick-or-treat, than I did in the city when teens and even parents carried around pillowcases and begged for treats, always saying it was for a child at home who was sick. Heck, the whole family was out with their pillowcases; who was home minding the sick kid?! Anyway, except for that one spot of irritability, Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, especially as an adult. But I will be glad to move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas, about which I am already thinking and planning.

Greg44
10-30-12, 11:14am
Learned LAST night that my dw & dd have planned a pizza party for my dd's friends from school & church...I am the last in the loop to find out these things.

Pizza, soda, candy, 10 high schoolers, movie - Mummy. Did I mention we have a very small house. I think I am the last to find out because I would have said NO! ;-)

Mrs-M
10-30-12, 12:05pm
http://th224.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/carjoy39/smilies/th_punkinscaref.gif

Halloween, is one of those holidays (like Thanksgiving), that falls at the most perfect time (season). The weather is cool, the scape lit-up with colour, and with the trees naked, their crooked arms waving and rattling like skeletal hands, it all lends a sense of spookiness to the holiday.

Ghouls, goblins, witches, and ghosts, no matter how old I get, I welcome Halloween each year!

Spartana
10-31-12, 8:36pm
Am not at home tonight (not at home now) as I'll be watching a scary movie with a friend. Hope there's candy!!

treehugger
10-31-12, 8:48pm
We had a really fun party at work today. Lots of people dressed up, costume contest, cupcake decorating contest, pumpkin carving contest, Mexican food for lunch. I even got some work done. ;) I have class tonight, so I won't even be home to see if there are any trick-or-treaters running around.

Kara

Blackdog Lin
10-31-12, 8:51pm
Greg44 - you made me LOL. Of COURSE they didn't tell you 'cause you woulda said no!

Still, teenage pizza party could be fun. Hope it went well.....

SimplyL
10-31-12, 9:23pm
We had a great, great night. Dad came home in time. Daughter was dressed so beautifully, hair, and makeup (Princess Jasmine). Son had his costume on. We met up with neighbors/friends/classmates. The group grew to about 30 or more adults or children winding through our neighborhood, before winding up at another neighbor's house for a potluck with another 20 neighbors. Baked ziti, chicken, ham, salads, desserts. Woah, we are full full full. And the kids hit the motherload candy-wise. :)

How was everyone else's night? Thinking of SL members in North East.

SteveinMN
10-31-12, 10:26pm
Change of plans here. My wife brought home a 50-piece bag of candy that we don't like so much :) so the light was on and we were home. The candy was gone by around 8:30. Almost every kid showed up with a parent or two and they all said 'thank you' and 'Happy Halloween'. Not a bad evening....

RosieTR
11-1-12, 10:34pm
We had a bunch of TOTers too. Often the weather is awful on Halloween (snow and/or rain and/or wind) but this year it was absolutely perfect. Weather was nearly 60F, no wind, completely clear and snow a few days earlier had caused most of the leaves to fall off trees so it was very Halloween-like. DH dressed up in his Navy uniform and gave out candy, but we still have some for hiking snacks.
I found it really interesting the difference in timing and tradition between here (northern CO) and Phoenix. Here, we had the majority by 6:30 or so and they rang the doorbell for the candy. In Phx, the kids didn't really start until 6:30 or later, and everyone put tables out on their driveway or in their garage, and kids walked up to the tables. We arranged the laptop with a movie playing and had a couple of beers for the interim between kids. I think the difference was in climate (nearly always dry there, and 75F in the evening vs anywhere from e0F to below freezing here) and the culture (people didn't trust folks coming to the door much and people didn't want their kids going up to a door in some areas).

Mrs-M
11-27-12, 3:49pm
Catching up with this thread a little late, but nevertheless, catching up with it.

Our Halloween was nice. Uneventful, quiet, and rewarding, but have to say it's nice to see it behind us again for yet another year.