I grew up in a town where we ran rampant through the town on Halloween night. We lived in a small town where it was safe to turn your children loose on the unsuspecting neighbors and where it was safe to accept homemade popcorn balls and pulled taffy in our Halloween buckets. Such is not the case anymore. I know that in the area, which Mandee and I live, in fact I think the majority of our state now does trunk-or-treat. I HATE TRUNK-OR-TREAT!! I know that a lot of people feel safer in that situation. However, I have a few gripes about it.
For starters, it takes away from the fun of the night. I love walking from door to door in the crisp, autumn air. I love watching my kids running inbetween each house and I love getting a chance to see others Halloween decor. I love the hot chocolate that is a tradition afterwards and I love getting to visit with my neighbors.
I know that Trunk-or-Treat is suppossed to be safer! In our city you have to register your vehicle with the city in order to participate in the town trunk-or-treat. I also know that lots of wards hold trunk-or-treats too. I am not going to list all the reasons I think trunk-or-treats are not safe. Nothing really seems to be safe anymore. The biggest reason I don't like them is you have HUNDREDS of children coming to your car, children you don't know. You bring HUNDREDS of pieces of candy, and yet you run out after 5 minutes, if your lucky to make it that long. All of the other parents also run out of candy and so the night is over within minutes. NO FUN AT ALL!!
Some years we go home to my small town and turn our children loose and follow at a reasonable distance as they run-a-muck. I always make sure they go to Layla's house to get some of her homemade taffy!! Man, I still love that stuff. Other years we go to my in-law's neighborhood to trick-or-treat because they are one of a few that still do! All the cousins get pictures together and then all of us, parents included, except usually for Grandpa, because somebody's got to be home to give out candy, goes along. We have pizza afterwards and hot chocolate.
What do you prefer? Are you a tricker or a trunker? What are your fun traditions? What are your favorite memories?
6 comments:
I AGREE 100%!!!!!!! Trunk or treat is for the birds!!!
Trunk or treat is not my cup of tea. I hate just walking between cars and not getting to watch the kids run between houses. That is so much more fun! Now that I've experienced it once, I REFUSE to trunk or treat.
I have the best of both worlds, I think.
My Ward does Trunk or Treat the weekend before Halloween (we only did on ON Halloween the year of the 9-11 attacks and the year after that)
Im with you...I dont like Trunk or Treat on Halloween. It's not that great on any night. It is over too quickly unless other activities are planned.
I like to be in my own neighborhood, especially since we are the only LDS people here. I dont like to be gone and have my neighbors think I am unfriendly or not celebrating, etc.
My neighborhood is so much fun on Halloween Night. Adults and Children are packed in the streets going door to door. It is like a scene from a movie. I love it. People come to my neighborhood from the rural areas. We have a gated community, but somehow they get in and it has never been a problem.
We start with dinner at my housewith friends and neighbors, then head out with the kids.
We end up at our house for spiced cider, candy inspection and eating, etc.
This year, being a Friday night, we will probably watch The Great Pumpkin movie or something like that.
It is the only night of the year I actually see some of my neighbors.
OK...sorry for such a long comment.
Oh My! and I though that taking my kids trick or treating to the mall was horrible. We would stand in a line that moved like moasses around the mall and hope that you get to the stores before they ran out of candy. I finally live in a small town again where the kids go door to door, stop at the fire department for donuts, coffee, hot chocolate and big candy bars and then off to the American Legion for hot dogs and warm drinks and then swing back around towards home stopping at the homes we missed. The kids get to experience the night the way my brother and I once did.
we do both...trunk or treat at our church and trick or treating on halloween night!
I am definitely a tricker...I too grew up in a neighborhood where parents could follow at a safe distance behind and we could enjoy the freedom (and spookiness) of Halloween as young kids...miss that so much now!!! We do trunkers (mainly because they serve dinner so I don't have to cook, lol) but we also do trickers with mom and dad close at hand! (One good thing for our kids, our trunkers are not on Halloween, so double candy for the kiddos!)
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