Old School Jack-O-Lanterns.
Around here Halloween is A BIG DEAL.
Just about everyone decorates the exterior of their house for the holiday. And most of the families, save the conservative Christians and the Mormons, are home to hand out candy or whatever on Trick-or-Treat Night.
It’s the one time of year when adult neighbors, often with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine in hand, sometimes in costume, accompany their kids to our doorstep, then actually acknowledge and speak with us.
The Harvest Moon.
Trying to set a good example for the kids, I suppose. Be cordial. Even if we, your parents, can’t be arsed to say “hello” under any other circumstances.
Be that as it may, I still find it to be a fun holiday.
If only because little kids dressed up are a hoot to watch stumbling around the streets. And because bigger kids are a hoot to talk with as they try to barter for more candy. Both make me laugh.
Treats For The Beggars.
In the past, on evenings with perfect weather, we’ve had 220 beggars. Because this neighborhood is growing, with many new homes built this past summer, I’m planning for 250 kids who will get a piece of candy OR a bloody eyeball OR a nickel.
And if we’ve handed out all of that before the 2 hours of begging is over, I think we’ll take our chances, turn off the lights and hope that these kids don’t know about soaping windows!
THE SPECTACLED BEAN 
We are turning out the lights, tiptoeing to our car and heading out for dinner! In our neighborhood it’s erratic. One year we’ll get a lot of kids and the next, no one. I’m tired of eating that candy or not get any of it at all so I’ve given up. We are on a cul de sac and I understand from knowledgeable trick or treaters that the houses are too far apart to make it a worthwhile trip up the street! However, at my last house I got the little ones with their costumes falling off and they are a hoot!
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Kate, going out to dinner sounds inviting, but I’m not sure what would happen to our house while we’d be gone. Better to stand guard over it and hand out the stuff kids want. Plus, I have to admit, I think it’s fun.
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You and my husband…..
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Kindred spirits, eh? 🙂
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I’m hoping that I can get everyone out of the Hotel Thompson for their night out. After they leave, I’m hitting the big bed, turning on the big television, setting the Select Comfort to about 65 and passing out with snorts. This little oinker is tired this month and needs some rest. Snorts! XOXO – Bacon
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Piglove, now that sounds like a good plan. I’m tired, too, this month. But I know how this neighborhood works, so I’ll be handing out the goods & hoping I have enough for all the beggars. Then, I’ll sleep.
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Nods head. We really don’t get that many peeps in our hood anymore. Last year, we didn’t get anyone. It’s a lot of older people that live here without that many kids. I’m cool with that. I need a siesta after this month in blogging 🙂 XOXO – Bacon
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Enjoy your snooze, Bacon!
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Um…bloody eyeball? Dang it, why didn’t I think of that. lol But seriously, would you take a moment to give the details around the eyeball deal – I don’t expect you to share your um, sources ;-), wouldn’t want any incriminating information to show up, just perhaps how you came to pass those particular items out and by which methods do you determine which goobers get what. 🙂
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Satin Sheet Diva, we always have a non-candy/food option so that kids who are diabetic or wheelchair bound can have a little something.
This year it’s bloody eyeballs which I bought at one of those fly-by-night Halloween stores that show up in October then disappear until the next year. [Halloween and Thanksgiving pencils also work well.]
As for handing them out, just say: “candy OR eyeball?” I usually ask this of the 5 y.o. and over crowd because the littles always want candy. But bigger kids often forego candy for the toy.
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That is genius – and very thoughtful of you. Man, you’ve got this handing out treats thing down pat. Way to go Mrs. Bean 🙂
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Thank you!
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I miss Halloween. Only crazy people would try to trick or treat our street with our crazy hills and no street lights. Mom and Dad used to get a few but we haven’t seen any in years. In fact, where I lived in Wyoming I only got a handful (the neighbor’s grandkids, mostly) so I handed out full sized candy bars. That makes me the cool lady, right? I love to see the littlest kids toddle up to the door, uncertain what they are doing and why.
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Zazzy, I get a kick out of the little ones, too. They’re so confused by it all, but if the big kids are doing it, it must be the thing to do!
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We haven’t had any trick-or-treaters in more than a decade. We stopped buying candy, because we were stuck with it when nobody showed up. We’re going to a masquerade ball on Saturday night.
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Andra, your Saturday night sounds much more exotic than mine will be. I like where we live and am willing to buy stuff for the kids, but a ball… very glam!
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I love Halloween, but now that my kids are teenagers, it’s barely a blip on my radar. That’s because for the last 14 years we’ve lived on a high-traffic road without a sidewalk which means we get zero trick-or-treaters. Despite my introverted ways, I used to love to pass out candy to kids. But it’s been years since I’ve had the opportunity. 😦
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Carrie, I enjoy handing out the candy. Sorry you, Doc, of all people, don’t get to do that. The kids around here have some of the best nuttiest costumes I’ve ever seen, and most of them say “thank you”! It’s fun.
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I’ll be up early and armed with my leftover candy and Squirrel O’Lantern. It’s usually a trickle in my neighborhood, but even the year it rained, there were still some who braved the elements for candy. Also not enough kids to TP my yard when Halloween falls on my bowling night like it did last year…
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evilsquirrel13, I hadn’t thought of the TP thing. It’s been years since we’ve had that happen, but with all the candy+ I’ve got lined up here I think we’re safe.
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I love Halloween and miss our old neighborhood which really had fun. Most of the kids here go to parties instead of trick or treating – which I understand, but memories or ranging blocks and blocks as a kid ( along with huge mobs) and all that candy. Oh, well, we’ll have about an hours of the littles we know on the street and then turn out the porch light.
Still working out logistics with cat, Molly, and The German who hates doorbell dingdongs and loud children. (We’ll all be tired by the end of the night…maybe she can be The Hound of the Baskervilles?)
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philmouse, I’m wondering if there will be fewer kids because Saturday is a party night. Z-D thinks they’ll go trick-or-treating first, then go to the parties. I wish you well with your pets. I can only imagine how tiring the evening will be for you.
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And you know that rain storm with Patricia? Last night it looked like second verse started up. May clear by late afternoon…but the flooding will dampen some enthusiasm. Raincoats are such a bother for the little Princesses!
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For the most part, kids here do not go door to door for Trick or Treat. several churches and businesses set up “trunk or treat” in their parking lots. That way, all the kids are guaranteed to get lots of candy in a shorter period of time. I miss having the kids come to the door. I always was amazed at the home made costumes. I can’t believe how many kids come to your door! Have fun. Love your choice of treats!
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Beth, the Mormon church does trunk or treat. Very efficient and safe. But around here it’s still good old beggar’s night with kids galore– and a number of inebriated parents as well! Love the costumes, love the chaos. Halloween can be such a hoot. 😉
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We haven’t participated in years. We keep our porch lights off and sometimes aren’t even home. Our neighborhood is inundated with van loads and carloads of kids from other neighborhoods, many of whom don’t even bother with a costume. Once our boys stopped trick-or-treating, we heaved a sigh of relief and gave it all up gladly.
There’s never an issue with “tricks” for the many of us who don’t have lights on. It’s pretty well supervised overall by the ones who do.
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nance, we don’t have any kids but always participate in Halloween. Never even thought not to. My mother used to say that handing out candy was the best insurance policy against property vandalism that she knew of! I enjoy the whole trick-or-treat thing, so you’ll know where to find me Saturday night. *Bwha-ha-ha*
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I enjoy giving out candy to the cute little kids in costumes, but am not fond of giving out treats to the surly teenagers in no costumes. Still, I want to keep the peace, so I just grin and bear it. 🙂
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Margaret, we get lots of littles in cute costumes, but our bigs almost all dress up, too. Plus kids around here are super polite. I like it, but am amazed that they are more mannerly than their parents often times. Our school district is doing something right, I tell ‘ya.
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It’s a mystery here – it’s the first year in the new house, so I have no idea how many trick or treaters we’re going to get (I keep forgetting to ask the neighbors/don’t want to creepily flag them down while I’m walking Choppy in the dark, which is already the only time she gets walked – boo winter!). I will hope we have enough candy!
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Sarah, we moved here when there only a handful of houses on the street, so we’ve seen it go from 20 kids to hundreds. Kind of amazing. I bet that if you run out of candy & turn out your lights, no one will think a thing about it, you being new neighbors. But next year… 🙂
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Next year, I figure we’d feel the wrath of the neighborhood kids if we run out. I’ll take our ‘new neighbors’ excuse this year for all it’s worth!
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My neighborhood goes nuts at Halloween. The community was designed to include a small strip of shops in the center who have taken to banding together to throw a festival as part of a co-marketing initiative. As a result kids from several surrounding areas make their way into the neighborhood and people can be seen walking up and down the sidewalks for hours. I love it.
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Allie, that sounds like oodles of fun. Smart planning. I’m tickled to read about another community that goes all out on Halloween. Crossing fingers that the dry weather here holds through tomorrow night.
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Always loved Halloween too! We hadn’t dressed up in six years, but I had a work party so we got to have some fun last night.
Cool that your neighbors are so into Halloween!
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Britt, it’s fun to live around people who enjoy the holidays & this neighborhood whoops it up for all of them. Now if only these people could break out of their shells and learn to say “hello” when it was a normal day!
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