# What does your family give out on Halloween? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 13, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218 "2003-10-13T17:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/1 "2003-10-13T17:38:06Z")
My dad always gave the same thing every year. “Fun” size Snickers, Krackle, Mr Goodbar, etc. One year he gave out Twix’s…Man, were the kids lucky then. One year at my moms house, I gave out gum. Packs of it, not just single sticks. So what has your family given out over the years? Money? Those mini-bags of goodies? Popcorn balls? Soda? Baked goods? Those vouchers for one free dount? Those disgusting orange and black hard taffy candies? Nothing? Inquiring minds want to know. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/2 "2003-10-13T19:07:50Z")
Chick tracts. oh, and beer. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/3 "2003-10-13T19:42:47Z")
Candy. Smarties usually because I like to eat the leftovers, or the small chocolate bars. Anything individually wrapped, so not candy corn or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![pervert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@pervert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pervert)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/4 "2003-10-13T19:54:50Z")
One year we gave out books. Costco had a large bag of tiny books. they were mostly fairy tales, but some other stories as well. We have not been able to find them since. I feared that kids would be disapointed. I made my wife buy lots of candy just in case. But the kids kept coming back and asking for different stories. It was very cool. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/5 "2003-10-13T20:44:28Z")
Candy, because it ain’t Halloween otherwise. 🙂 Nothin’ wrong with “Fun Size” chocolates, either. Best thing for me is, my son has his birthday in November, so if there’s leftover candy, I can just put it in the goodie bags for his party… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/6 "2003-10-13T21:06:30Z")
Chick tracts and Heroin. (No, I wasn’t copying **lost4life** , that was my answer before opening the thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/7 "2003-10-13T21:10:41Z")
I always always always felt bad for kids who got candy at my place when I was a kid. My dad would alway pick the candy and it was always unshelled, unsalted peanuts and those “disgusting orange and black hard taffy candies.” He loved 'em. I’d usually end up getting beat up at school the next day… The worst was when we moved to a new house in Northern Ontario. The people who used to live there gave out 2-3 full-size chocolate bars per kid. And then they got us. Gawd, it was awful. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/8 "2003-10-13T21:19:56Z")
Hahaha, Chick tracts, hahahaha… The worst you can give out is a handfull of pennies. No lady, I don’t want em either. This is my first year having my own place to pass out candy, and I’m doing it right. Full sized Snickers, Butterfingers, Baby Ruth’s Hersheys bars, Kit Kats etc. Those houses were like chocolate palaces when I was a kid. I must do the same in return… ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/9 "2003-10-13T21:25:36Z")
Ps- those “Orange and Black Taffy’s” you revile are Peanut Butter Mary Janes made by the Necco company. They are my all time favorite candy, especially when they get old and crusty. ---
**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 13, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/10 "2003-10-13T21:54:50Z")
My grandmother loved those nasty orange and black taffys. She would get so excited the day after halloween when all the grandkids would bring them to her. When I was growing up, we had two candies: full size chocolate bars for neighbors and then fun size for everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/11 "2003-10-14T01:37:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* Originally posted by Bad News Baboon\*\* > When I was growing up, we had two candies: > full size chocolate bars for neighbors and then fun size for everyone else. My mom did this too. Any my friends, my brother’s friends, or other neighborhood kids got either king size Snickers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. She still gives the neighbor kids the good stuff. The other kids got one of each of the following: Tootsie Pop Fun Size M&M bag 3 other fun size candies [Homer] Mmm… candies…[/Homer] ---
**Author:** ![YoudNeverGuess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a587f6/32.png) [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/12 "2003-10-14T13:51:58Z")
The tradition in Ireland used to be to give out apples and nuts - even up to as little as 5 - 10 years ago. Now though most people give out chocolate, sweets etc. though some people still give out some nuts and fruit with this and people will always have apples and nuts in their houses for halloween parties mmmmmn (I love nuts, especially brazil nuts and walnuts so this works for me). Though I feel guilty about the whole letting go of the tradition (which was much healthier too) I must admit that I caved in and gave out chocolate biscuit bars (penguins - don’t know if you have them in US) and packets of crisps (potato chips) last year. This year will probably do similar though might through in a mandarin or two or a scattering of nuts as well just to ease my conscience. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![YoudNeverGuess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a587f6/32.png) [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/13 "2003-10-14T13:57:19Z")
through in??? make that ‘throw in’? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/14 "2003-10-14T14:31:32Z")
Last year my wife was away from home, so the decision was mine. I don’t think the kids walked away very happy fropm my place, because I don’t like candy and refuse to give candy to anyone else. Instead, I gave out those little boxes of raisins. We’re doing that again this year, so I suppose we’ll pretty much stick with it. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/15 "2003-10-14T14:47:05Z")
My mom was always the one with baggies of peanuts from the Kidney Foundation, or balloons, or pencils … yes, we were That House. How embarassing. I always felt bad for the kids who came around. But one year she got chocolate and we figured out why she never got chocolate: we all ate it before Hallowe’en Night. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/16 "2003-10-14T14:58:30Z")
I give out stuff that kids like but that I don’t . Sour things and whatnot. Fruity flavored, non-chocolate stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/17 "2003-10-14T15:09:48Z")
Fun Size candy bars - and we go through a lot of it too. But I give out MONSTER SIZED handfuls - I always hated it when I was a kid when the people would only give you one or two. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/18 "2003-10-14T17:07:44Z")
Well I bought a half duplex last year, so when Halloween rolled around I had no idea how many kids I would get. So I bought a box of 130 mixed mini-chocolate bars from Costco. Well I got a total of 6 kids, and gave out 12 mini chocolate bars. So this year, I’m buying a box of full size chocolate bars, and every kid is getting 2 or 3! MtM ---
**Author:** ![Snuggles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Snuggles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snuggles)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/19 "2003-10-15T00:18:54Z")
Every year I make little bags full of stuff to give out. The typical bag contains some sort of mini chocolate bar, 2 suckers, gum, tootsie roll, and something chewy like gummybears or sour peaches. We usually give out mini bags of chips too. We used to get lots of kids but not anymore. On average I’d say we get maybe 10-15 kids if that many. I think last year we got like 8, lol. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218/20 "2003-10-15T01:53:24Z")
Wow, I’m one of those cheap houses that gives out 1 or two. ☹ I’m also in a neighborhood that attracts trick-or-treaters for miles around, they literally bus 'em in here. There’s a diner 1/2 mile away that parents sit at and wait for their kids, after dropping them off to collect all our loot. I average 150 kids a year, giving full sized anything would bankrupt me. I do pass out the _good_ stuff, however. Only buy what I like, as I know I’ll be snacking on it all night. Fun-sized snickers and reece’s cups and skittles and butterfingers and starbursts and the obligatory tiny bags of M&Ms, and I always try to have those safety lollipops for the toddlers, too. I got all excited this year when I found bags of temporary tattoos and stickers, 2 to a box. Those will be my ‘extra’ grab to go with the candy for kids we know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-family-give-out-on-halloween/207218.md?page=2)