Officialy time for trick or treating??

[Eden]

Silliness if you ask me.... condemn Halloween and you sure better not celebrate Christmas or Easter, which have just as many roots in Paganism..... (hmmmmm harvest, solstice and equinox) the only real difference is that the latter two were successfully assimilated into Christianity while Halloween has not been.

I for one will give candy to any kids that show up on my porch. Being a Sunday I'll probably actually be here... (IMHO having Halloween at a mall or before dark would take lot of the fun out of it - poor kiddos today so sheltered these days)

[Koronin]

I grew up in Ohio and it was always on Oct 31. I moved to NC 10 years ago. One year the town did try to change it when it was on Sunday and there were protests of them trying to change it. Of course some of the really religious people then protested it being on Sunday. (It ended up being on Sunday.) And the new city I'm living in is having it on Sunday. Personally I don't care, just would like to be informed so I know when to have candy around in case anyone shows up. Since we moved I have no clue how many, or even if we'll get any kids. Plus this is a military city and people are always moving in and out of the neighborhood.

[Selkie]

I really don't like Halloween. When did this become a holiday that adults celebrate and go nuts over for a month? It's like another excuse to get drunk.
I would say I am getting old, but I remember feeling like this in my twenties and thirties...

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. It was one of the few times during the year that my mother let us have candy (my brother and I trick or treat for hours to amass a big supply of goodies).

I agree w/Crankin -- As an adult, I don't see the attraction of dressing in a costume and drinking, but that's just me. To me, it's like forcing a dog to wear a costume---it's undignified! [please note the winky/smiley and don't flame me]

[Bike Chick]

I never thought of Halloween as any other time than October 31. The local towns here do set and publish certain dates, times and age limits for trick or treating. A lot of local organizations also have what is called "trunk or treat" where members of the organization park their cars in a parking lot with the trunk open and the children walk from car to car for candy. I don't think it would be as much fun for the kids but we have had a lot of incidents with razor blades in apples and this is a little safer.

Now as far as the religious aspect of Halloween, we celebrate it in my church. Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day and is when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church knowing people would be coming to church the next day and would read it. It is considered the beginning of the Reformation and we celebrate it with a church service. It is called Reformation Day.

[GLC1968]

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. It was one of the few times during the year that my mother let us have candy (my brother and I trick or treat for hours to amass a big supply of goodies).

I agree w/Crankin -- As an adult, I don't see the attraction of dressing in a costume and drinking, but that's just me. To me, it's like forcing a dog to wear a costume---it's undignified! [please note the winky/smiley and don't flame me]

I'm not a die hard Halloween fan, but I do enjoy it. I love to dress up and interact with others at parties when opportunity arises. Maybe I'm still a kid? Maybe it's a throwback to living near Salem, MA? Honestly, the best Halloween's I've ever had were the couple of years that I was dating a guy who lived there. That town takes Halloween VERY seriously! It's like they live all year for it. The decorations go up on Labor Day...no joke. They do it all out - haunted cemetaries and buildings, ghost tours, huge costumed balls, bonfires, you name it... Of course, the town has such a haunted history that they are kind of just living up to their past! It's honestly a REALLY good time - alcohol totally not necessary.

[ScaldedCat]

I'm afraid I don't like trick or treating, I can't comment on how it is conducted in the U.S but here in the U.K it seems to be little better than demanding money (or sweets) with menaces.

Since when was it ok to go knocking on doors and expecting to be given sweets or money?
I have notices that the local Police provide to put on my front door and windows saying 'No Trick or Treat'

I've nothing against Halloween, I'm an atheist with slight pagan leanings, I just don't like the idea that gangs of teenagers or even young children with their mothers can just knock on my door and expect to be given something, it's cold, dark out and people knocking on my door every 2 minutes for a couple of nights causes I disturbance that I'm just not willing to put up with.

[Pedal Wench]

-- church groups wanting Halloween to be declared to be on Saturday for religious reasons.

Whose religion? I love how people forget that not all religions observe the Sabbath on Sunday and want the goverment to only enforce THEIR religion's beliefs.

[SheFly]

Whose religion? I love how people forget that not all religions observe the Sabbath on Sunday and want the goverment to only enforce THEIR religion's beliefs.

I was thinking the SAME thing! Isn't Jewish Sabbath (or holy day) on Saturday???

Geesh. It's Halloween. Always October 31, regardless of the day of the week.

SheFly

[ACG]

Oh PLEASE

I grew up and still live in SoCal. Pasadena.
I'm hispanic Catholic, 12 years of Catholic school Halloween is on Oct.31

I remember as a child, in the 70's Halloween fell on a Sunday and some neighbors tried to trick or treat on the Saturday, saying they couldn't celebrate on a Sunday.

My dad told the neighbors to go away and come back tomorrow.

I love handing out candies to the kids.

I DO NOT give candy to the grown adults, my age or around there who come dressed up wanting candy. I tell them this is a kids holiday and send them away. Yes I'm a Halloween scrooge.

[ClockworkOrange]

.........................The Christians like tying their holidays into already preexisting ones. I have always been somewhat amused that Christmas is around the Saturnalia, a lawless time in Rome when roles were reversed and people sang naked in the streets - early caroling.

Veronica

".........when roles were reversed and people sang naked in the streets - early caroling"

I so hope that doesn't catch on again!

Clock

[Atlas]

Well I feel a little backward now. Trick or treating was always done on Beggar's Night which was the 30th. I don't think I ever went out trick or treating on Halloween. Not all of Iowa does this, but there are a few areas.

Here is a link about the beginning of Beggar's Night in Iowa. I guess it was to curb vandalism and it worked pretty well.

[Koronin]

Scalded Cat, in the US you are not supposed to knock on doors if the porch lights are not on. You are only supposed to knock on doors with the porch lights on. Basically the light means you are invited to knock and get a treat. Some still knock on doors with lights out which is just plainly stupid and annoying.

[ScaldedCat]

Scalded Cat, in the US you are not supposed to knock on doors if the porch lights are not on. You are only supposed to knock on doors with the porch lights on. Basically the light means you are invited to knock and get a treat. Some still knock on doors with lights out which is just plainly stupid and annoying.

Here they knock on every door in a street, porch lights are not the norm on every house so people just pretend to not be in, turn the lights off, turn the tv volume down etc.
Unfortunately it is not uncommon for kids to put dog dirt through peoples letter boxes or throw eggs at your house if you don't give them anything.
Many elderly and vulnerable people feel threatened at this time of year and there is a spate of burglaries and petty theiving that the police tie in to trick or treating also.
Sometimes kids, or teens more commonly don't even bother dressing up and still expect to be given handouts.

[lph]

I'm a grouch when it comes to Mothers day and suchlike, but I LOVE Halloween. The whole spooky, get to stay up late, cold and dark, children roaming around thing just appeals to me. And I don't think Halloween had even come to Norway when I was a kid, so this is my experience from seeing it from my sons point of view. I think it's because I feel many kids lead such a sheltered life indoors, that it's really a special occasion for them to roam around and feel a bit wild and independent for one evening.

But it's definitely for small kids. We've had many small kids at our door, I make an effort to spook them a little each time, and always give them candy. Teenagers I just turn away. My own son is now 13 and was told last year that that was the last year he could go trick-or-treating. Many neighbours do not like it, and my take is that if the kid is big enough to be considered menacing in any way, he's too big to go knocking on strangers doors.

I can understand those who don't like it too, especially if they've experienced bad things. But... if kids are mean enough to put dog poop in peoples mailboxes, those kids need some serious talking to and empathy training no matter whether it's Halloween or not. Banning Halloween wouldn't remove the problem, just the occasion.

I guess as a mother I see Halloween as a good occasion to do just that, talk about how to interact with strangers, about empathy and what's acceptable and what isn't.