# Is trick-or-treating still popular n your neck of the woods? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084 "2010-11-01T13:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/41 "2010-11-02T02:21:32Z")
We moved on Saturday and used the trick or treating as an exercise to meet our new neighbors. Sophie went around in a store-bought costume this time (Hermione Grainger) and it was likely her most lack-luster costume ever. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/42 "2010-11-02T02:37:12Z")
It’s picking up in my neighborhood. More and more young families are moving into my neighborhood, so there are more and more kids each year. Last year, we had 10 kids total. This year, it was probably double that, at least. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/43 "2010-11-02T02:42:27Z")
Alive and well here in my neighborhood in Chicago. I didn’t get home until later (about 6 p.m.), but we must’ve had about 40-50 trick-or-treaters between then and 8 p.m. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/44 "2010-11-02T03:02:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Alive and well here in my neighborhood in Chicago. I didn’t get home until later (about 6 p.m.), but we must’ve had about 40-50 trick-or-treaters between then and 8 p.m. The woman who sits next to me at work lives on the south side and she said they had about 300 kids last night. Apparently, she and her husband have a great big display with fog machines and stuff, though, so it attracts the kids. I live in an apartment complex, so I got none. ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/45 "2010-11-02T03:07:48Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Parents who drive their kids to “nicer” neighborhoods are trashy. So kids who live in rural areas, or who have neighbors who don’t give out candy should miss out. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/46 "2010-11-02T04:25:51Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > As I use to say “Kids going door-to-door begging for sugar. I can’t tell you how many of my principles that violates.” > > In my town, the merchants on our main street voluntarily give out candy, so the rest of the town is pretty much spared this insane practice. I notice some people going down to the main street to hand out candy to the passing children, but the door-to-door practice seems to have stopped. > > Praise God! I totally agree! In my neighborhood we are also trying to put a stop to children singing and laughing as well as running and playing with toys. We have recently voted in an excellent new mayor named Burgermeister Meisterburger and he is putting these children in their place. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/47 "2010-11-02T04:36:09Z")
Still alive in my neighborhood. About 1 house in 5 was giving candy when I went with my son, and there were probably about a hundred kids trick or treating at our house. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/48 "2010-11-02T04:37:06Z")
> [@kjbrasda](#): > > So kids who live in rural areas, or who have neighbors who don’t give out candy should miss out. Best get them used to social Darwinism while they’re still young. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/49 "2010-11-02T04:38:27Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Parents who drive their kids to “nicer” neighborhoods are trashy. Some parents with toddlers and younger are just doing a candy shovel for themselves. It’s pretty pathetic. What’s trashy about it? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/50 "2010-11-02T04:38:41Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] As I use to say “Kids going door-to-door begging for sugar. I can’t tell you how many of my principles that violates.” In my town, the merchants on our main street voluntarily give out candy, so the rest of the town is pretty much spared this insane practice. I notice some people going down to the main street to hand out candy to the passing children, but the door-to-door practice seems to have stopped. Praise God! [/QUOTE] > [@RaftPeople](#): > > I totally agree! > > In my neighborhood we are also trying to put a stop to children singing and laughing as well as running and playing with toys. > > We have recently voted in an excellent new mayor named Burgermeister Meisterburger and he is putting these children in their place. Well, he doesn’t go far enough for me. I’m always haunted by the fact that someone somewhere might be doing something that makes them happy. And for the record, I had 62 trick-or-treaters stop at my house last night. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/51 "2010-11-02T04:43:46Z")
It’s still very popular in the neighborhoods of MSP. Lots of houses lit up with gaudy decorations and adults in costumes handing out candy. I took my daughters out last night (they were complaining that they could barely lift their buckets by the time we got done), and we passed a house where a lady dressed as a witch was standing next to a real, smoking cauldron. I told my kids, “look, she’s dressed as Christine O’Donnell.” They didn’t get it. In our neighborhood (and in a lot of metro-are neighborhoods up here), it becomes a kind of community thing with lots of lights and plenty of people on the street, so it’s not scary or dangerous. Those who don’t want to participate just keep their front lights turned off, and the kids know to only go to the houses with lights. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/52 "2010-11-02T04:50:34Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Parents who drive their kids to “nicer” neighborhoods are trashy. Some parents with toddlers and younger are just doing a candy shovel for themselves. It’s pretty pathetic. It’s not a question of “nicer,” some families just don’t live in areas where there is anywhere to trick or treat at all (like apartment buildings, without any detatched homes around, or out in the sticks). The point is to give the kids a good time. If you don’t want to give them anything, you don’t have to, but there’s nothing trashy about parents trying to give their kids a good time. Trashy is not bothering to try, or not paying any attention to them. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/53 "2010-11-02T10:04:57Z")
3 kids. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/54 "2010-11-02T10:46:52Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Our neighborhood isn’t particularly ritzy, but it’s perceived as one and is **one of the few walkable neighborhoods in the county**. I suspect walkability is the real factor. I’ve seen and participated in great trick-or-treating in neighborhoods that were well below median affluence. You should support initiatives to add sidewalks and other walking features to all the other areas. Well, everybody should do that, for reasons unrelated to Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/55 "2010-11-02T13:29:25Z")
Last night one of my nieces told me about [Trunk or treating](http://www.app.com/article/20101030/NEWS/10300323/Middletown-s-inaugural-Trunk-or-Treat-event-great-for-the-kids-parents-too). People meet in a parking lot with decorated cars and give candy to the children. I do think any Haslloween giving, like all giving, should be voluntary. ---
**Author:** ![Idee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ba8739/32.png) [@Idee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/56 "2010-11-02T13:37:09Z")
We had 85 wee spooks. I always enjoy them. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/57 "2010-11-02T13:44:09Z")
We had 120 trick or treaters and had to close early (7:30ish) when we ran out of our full-sized bars. We decorate heavily and people love to come to our house because of that and the candy. Someone went by on a REAL HORSE as a headless horseman this year. It was awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/58 "2010-11-02T13:49:52Z")
We didn’t have as many as usual (leftover Hallowe’en candy - whatever shall I do with that? ;)) but the ones who showed up enjoyed it thoroughly. One little one took intense joy in informing me “I a TIGER”. And indeed she was, and an intimidating figure she was, with her little mascara’ed whiskers and felt ears. My favorites are the ones who don’t _quite_ have the drill yet. Doorbell: "ding dong’. _I open the door. A little princess is standing on my doorstep, looking up at me with a grocery bag and a blank expression._ Her mother, three feet back on the sidewalk: “What do you say?” Little Princess: “Thank you”. Her mother: “No, the other one.” Little princess, getting the idea: “Trick or treat!” Me: _Handing over the candy_: “Here you go.” LP: “Thank you.” Then she kind of looks at me, as if to say 'Okay, now what?" Then her mother gives her the high sign, and off they go to the next house. Almost all the kids said “Thank you” nicely, and had at least some attempt at a costume. I miss going out with my kids, though. College is too old for trick or treat. _:sigh:_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/59 "2010-11-02T13:58:30Z")
> [@Caricci](#): > > We had 120 trick or treaters and had to close early (7:30ish) when we ran out of our full-sized bars. We decorate heavily and people love to come to our house because of that and the candy. Someone went by on a REAL HORSE as a headless horseman this year. It was awesome! That is truly awesome. I’d love to have seen that. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084/60 "2010-11-02T14:09:34Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I do think any Haslloween giving, like all giving, should be voluntary. It is. Those not wishing to participate just leave their porch light off. Do you live in an area where this custom is ignored or where vandalism happens to those choosing not to participate? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trick-or-treating-still-popular-n-your-neck-of-the-woods/559084.md?page=4)