It Was Halloween? – Guest Post
November 1, 2010 by admncc
Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my own posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they’d like to complain about. Leo Nevoli took some time off, but he’s back today with some Halloween musings. Enjoy, and without further adieu, here’s Leo…
Halloween has come and gone – another celebrated event that seems like it was not there. So even though stores already have their Christmas items for sale (it feels like we miss Halloween) I made a few observations about Halloween that are worth sharing.
I found it odd that I had the time to type this on Halloween itself, while I waited for the live “Ghost Hunters” show to air – something I have watched the past few years on Halloween while giving out candy. It felt out of place that it was actually the 31st, yet I was not handing out candy in the normal 6p to 8p timeslot like I had the past seven years that I have lived in the house (and like my neighbors have done for the past 35 years in the neighborhood). My neighbors and I are not sure why, but our trick-or-treating was moved to Saturday, October 30th instead. It caught some people by surprise – they did not have candy to give away or they had Saturday night plans. The other neighborhoods surrounding mine had theirs on the 31st, so this may explain why I had 215 kids instead of the normal 100 that have come over the past few years. Good thing my daughters came home early with candy I don’t like, because that became the emergency handout candy. I had a feeling that we would have more kids show up because my house is near the boarder of the other neighborhood, so those kids would hit my house first.
When I grew up, my neighborhood always had trick-or-treating the Saturday before Halloween, so I am used to it not being on the 31st. However, I firmly believe that tick-or-treating should universally be on Halloween itself. I am sure kids would disagree with me, because that means less candy, but if it’s the 31st, everyone knows and can plan accordingly. Years ago, the City of Pittsburgh would celebrate July 4th on July 3rd. The mayor believed that by celebrating it a day early (and by having the fireworks on the 3rd), more people would not call off from work the next day – and the City would not have to pay the police holiday overtime. This idea lasted several years, but when a new mayor came in, the fireworks were moved back to the day most people thought they should be celebrated. One common joke that came out of that was that the mayor, who was Jewish, would try to have Christmas celebrated on December 20th.
Anyway, depending on how you look at it, the final year I “unofficially” went trick-or-treating was age 16. Was that too old? Maybe, but considering that I was a newspaper carrier, my neighborhood had trick-or-treating the Saturday before Halloween and everyone was normally home, I was able to get paid for delivering the paper and they were kind enough to give me a treat.
This past weekend, I saw kids (if you want to call them that) about 18 years old out there asking for candy. Which kind of made me wonder just how old is too old for trick-or-treating? I also find it annoying that a few parents were carrying bags asking for candy for their “sick” kid at home. The one mom did not know how to respond when I asked her, who is at home with the sick kid if she and her husband are out with the other kids?
Then there was my one neighbor, who decorated their house, had a strobe light and music playing – but refused to give out candy because he does “not believe in handing candy out.” I casually commented that I found it interesting that he did not believe in handing treats out, but yet he was more then willing to take his five kids house-to-house asking for the same. The general rule of thumb should be that if you are not going to hand any candy out, then you should not send your kids out for the same reason.
I hope everyone had a nice Halloween, because it is now time to get caught up with the stores who have had the Christmas stuff out since July. I’m Leo Nevoli, and that’s my ponderings.
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Leo beat me to the punch. I was literally sitting at home last night typing up a Halloween complaint post when his arrived in my in-box. I was in the middle of a rant about 18-year-old punk kids trick-or-treating without any type of costume whatsoever.
Just for the heck of it, I actually said to one of them, “So what are you dressed up as?” Her answer, “Myself.” Wow! Mental note to self – have more sour candy available for the bad trick-or-treaters next year.
Oh, and the other thing worth noting is that this year, more than ever, we noticed teenagers driving down the streets, instead of walking, and whipping in and out of everyone’s driveways – extemely dangerous for the little kids who were walking around.
I’m so sad for Halloween. It used to be fun. It’s not fun to have teenagers begging for candy. Yeah, give him the icky stuff you don’t like.
It’s not fun to buy candy and have no trick or treaters. Our neighborhood didn’t have any this year.
Trick or treating should be on 10/31 otherwise it’s too confusing, as Leo pointed out, the Saturday event left people unprepared.
It’s also pathetic to decorate and not have anything to hand out and at the same time, allow your kids to go trick or treating.
When I moved in to my first apartment, on Halloween a little boy knocked on the door. I didn’t even realize that it was Halloween. I felt bad for the kid and didn’t have any candy. So I gave him a can of Coke. You see; I do care.
I would say honestly… Reserve last years left over candy for anyone over the age of 13. If you can’t play “little league” Then you don’t deserve a sugar buzz to drive your parents insane. You probably already do that anyway.
As for the shifting of Holidays for convenience.. it’s all garbage. Let the kids have their candy day in the fall. Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. (Followed up by GMA Got Run Over by a Reindeer, which I found on vinyl from 1984 never opened). Valentines day on the 14th.. (BTW Only Valentines Day.. Sweetest Day doesn’t count in my book).
I used to have an 80 yrd long driveway, and when kids came down.. they got hooked up. Now… we will see next year.
We had a few teens dressed in everyday clothes carrying a a pillowcase full of candies. I didn’t make a fuss when they came around. Halloween is only once a year.
I agree- Halloween should be celebrated on the 31st.
I have to admit, my college room mates and I trick or treated our freshman year of college! We met some of the nicest people who wanted to hear about where we were from and what we were studying. We didn’t get much candy that night but we made a lot of new friends 🙂 I think if depends how you go about it. If you are demanding (like our late trick or treaters who sent one kid to the door to collect candy for a car full!) people are much more likely to be turned off.
WELL..I personally hate halloween. I will let my son walk up and down the immediate street, but that’s all. Too many bad things can happen when kids out at night, unsupervised, walking around hopped up on candy/sugar. Too many bad peole have too many bad intentions. I will just buy him buy as much candy as he wants. I hope that by the time he gets to that age where halloween is cool, mayors and city managers get rid of the whole freaking thing…
We sat on our front pourch with our son and handed out candy to the little beggars.
I took my 3-year old nephew trick-or-treating and we went to a few houses where there were two bowls of candy: crappy candy and good candy. The good candy was for the little kids and the crappy candy was for the teenagers who came around.
I think 13 should be the age limit for trick-or-treating. The little kids are so excited to go out. Some of the teens we ran into didn’t even have costumes on. They just walked around with plastic bags and didn’t even say thanks when they got candy.
Oh, I absolutely hate the parents that sit in their car and creep slowly along the street so they can ‘keep an eye’ on their kids. Is it really that hard to walk with your kid down the street so they can get candy? Really?