# Are you handing out candy this Halloween? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075 "2011-10-28T14:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/81 "2011-10-29T02:20:42Z")
I went and bought another bag of candy just today - I have a feeling that the single bag we have isn’t going to go very far. We had quite a few kids last year. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/82 "2011-10-29T02:33:27Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > I said “other.” > > Kids don’t come to my house. I’d give candy if they did. They don’t, so I don’t. This is my situation too. We’re too rural. I miss seeing all the cute kids. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/83 "2011-10-29T03:20:51Z")
No - doesn’t seem to be done in Australia, while we live in a kid friendly suburb we’ve never had a single visitor in 4 years. NZ was the same. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/84 "2011-10-29T03:46:27Z")
No–trick or treating is not allowed in my apartment building. I bought candy the first year here just in case anybody missed the sign and broke the rules, but no one did. So I ate it all myself. I haven’t bothered to buy any the last few years. If anyone shows up, I just won’t answer the door. My parents live in one of those large, family-friendly suburban neighborhoods that gets 200+ trick-or-treaters, so they’ll be busy. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/85 "2011-10-29T04:33:39Z")
Sadly, no. The kids in our neighborhood have all grown up. We continued to “turn on the light” for a couple years, decorate, have candy ready. But we only got a couple groups. Kids who, I think, had been driven in. Some people do that; I don’t have a problem with it. But even those were so few and far between that we’ve retired our Halloween-ness. 'Cause we only ended up eating the candy ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Bosstrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstrain)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/86 "2011-10-29T04:52:00Z")
Halloween? Tricks? Treats? sorry to say, but… no. Mostly because of religious issues, but also, that SNL skit had a point, if you’re just a little too old to be seen in a silly costume, you can always take the candy from the younger kids :D, therefore any candy I hand out will probably already belong to them. (no candy was stolen in the telling of this joke) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/87 "2011-10-29T04:55:12Z")
I’ve never done it, and I still didn’t this year (Beggars Night was on the 27th this year in my town). Only one group came to the door; I didn’t answer. The main activity, from what I could tell from the window, was in the back of the subdivision. There are only six houses on my street, and none of them have young children, so there wasn’t really a lot of foot traffic here. The back of the neighborhood is full of kids, though. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/88 "2011-10-29T05:40:36Z")
I have owned this house for 18 Halloweens now and if I get six groups of kids, it will be a big year. There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood now but my house is a little off the beaten path. I’ll be ready for them though. I will be shutting down shop a little early this year because I’m going to a concert that night and have to be downtown at 8pm. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/89 "2011-10-29T12:48:12Z")
Oh yes! I love Halloween. I also have my loot in three tiers: Goody bags with cool trinkets and candy for neighborhood kids (we know them specifically and go drop them off. We call it a drive by booing) Beers wrapped up in bags for those parents of said families (our neighbor friends only, obviously). Regular candy Lame candy for the teens that didn’t even bother but I feel “obliged”. We do get a lot of kids from out of the neighborhood and I don’t mind at all. This is my payback time. As for the dogs, we dress them up (bats!) and I walk them and my daughter for trick or treating. Mom passes out the loot. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/90 "2011-10-29T13:24:14Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > Oh yes! I love Halloween. > > I also have my loot in three tiers: > Goody bags with cool trinkets and candy for neighborhood kids > (we know them specifically and go drop them off. We call it a drive by booing) > Beers wrapped up in bags for those parents of said families (our neighbor friends only, obviously). > Regular candy > Lame candy for the teens that didn’t even bother but I feel “obliged”. > > We do get a lot of kids from out of the neighborhood and I don’t mind at all. This is my payback time. > > As for the dogs, we dress them up (bats!) and I walk them and my daughter for trick or treating. Mom passes out the loot. Winner of the thread (IMHO) for being a true believer in the spirit of the day/season. I am duly shamed for my geezer/humbug approach to it all. But I’m still going to turn out the lights and hide and hope they don’t come after MY candy! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Purple\_Scottie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Purple\_Scottie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purple_Scottie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/91 "2011-10-29T13:39:19Z")
In our area, a lot of the communities have designated a specific night other than Halloween for trick or treating so there are some who did it last night, some who will do it tonight, some tomorrow, etc. I think the arguments are to avoid having it on a “school night” or Sunday but it makes it a pain. I also have a unique house in that it fronts onto both streets and the doors on both sides look like front doors with the entry ways, etc. I’ll probably place a bucket with candy outside with a note to take some. The most fun “trick or treating” experience I have had as a candy giver was working in a hospital with a pediatric hospital attached – the kids (the ones who were stable enough) would come to the different nursing stations and lounges for the doctors/residents to trick or treat. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/92 "2011-10-29T13:42:04Z")
I would like to say: It’s for my daughter. She’ll only be young once, blah blah blah But honestly… I love holidays! I especially love Halloween. It’s everything fun: Candy! Costumes! Every year I go to target on the 1st of November (that’s me at the door: open open open!) to get stuff for next year. Last year I got a fog machine that blows bubbles!!! Score! ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/93 "2011-10-29T15:38:34Z")
The last option. I live in a secure apartment building so nobody can just come in from off the street. There are a few kids in the building, but none have ever knocked on my door in past years. I have a bag of Almond Joys just in case, so I assume I’ll have an entire bag of Almond Joys to myself! ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/94 "2011-10-29T19:08:57Z")
We only get about five trick-or-treaters, so the ones that do show up get full size candy bars at our house. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/95 "2011-10-29T19:27:21Z")
We would if we thought anyone would show up, but we live in a dense urban area in an apartment building. Every year until this year, we’ve bought candy and ended up eating all of it ourselves. Besides, I’m going to be at the dentist this year - it’s the one evening a month that he works. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/96 "2011-10-29T21:45:01Z")
My financial situation is so precarious that I can’t do it this year. We never get trick or treaters at my house. For the last five years we’ve gone to the home of friends in a neighborhood with a reputation for being a trick or Treating hot spot. They started inviting a crowd after their first year in that house. They had bought what they thought was a lot of candy and ended up, after an emergency grocery store run, turning out their porch light out a little before 8:00. Now, 10 or 12 of us pool our confectionery resources. I just called the host to ask if I was still allowed to show up without candy. Mercifully, I was told “of course.” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/97 "2011-10-29T23:13:03Z")
Of course! I love kids (I have 3), and I especially love when they are all pumped because they are wearing their costumes and hauling in the candy. Seriously, this is a big deal for them, and before you know it, they’ll be all grown up and gone. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/98 "2011-10-29T23:40:05Z")
Hell Yes 😛 Snickers, Three Musketeers, Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, 100 Grands, Reeses, Twix, Creepy Peepers, Tootsie Pops… etc etc. In handfulls, to everybody. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/99 "2011-10-30T02:20:17Z")
Another “I’m working the late shift” here. Won’t be home until 10. I’d only found this out AFTER I’d bought 3 enormous bags of candy. One year I _DID_ get a rock. As did my brother and friend. Someone had a spooky tent set up on their (gravel) driveway and you’d walk up to it and yell “Trick or Treat!” and an eerie hand would reach out and drop something in your sack. Apparently he was just picking up rocks from the driveway and handing them out to people all night. My hat is off to him. (Am I the only one who spent my entire childhood eating Play-Doh?) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075/100 "2011-10-30T02:31:49Z")
We used to, but our dog is just so high strung and gets so freaked out, it’s just not worth it. The cats are fine, but the dog – she’s another story. So what my mother does is she gives candy to our next door neighbor to hand out. He started telling people it was from us (that we weren’t home, or whatever), and so it all works out. 😃 (When I was little my cousins and I would all go trick or treating together, because my aunt and uncle lived in this HUGE plan. So my dad and my uncles would take us around trick or treating, and then my mom and my aunts would hand out candy.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-handing-out-candy-this-halloween/601075.md?page=6)