Are you handing out candy this year?

[VMI77]

No. We stopped years ago. We don't care for haloween, and the proliferation of all the broadcast media glorifying demonic forces seems to grow each year at this time. Haloween has morphed into a celebration of darkness.

YMMV.

Anygunanywhere

It's self-glorification. Of course the most demonic influence in the world is going to glorify itself.

[mamabearCali]

Every other year we do the neighborhood things then on the off years we go to the church's party. This year is a home year, supposed to be anyway. I have not decided what we are going to do. The last year we did it we had 6 foot 2 kids not from our neighborhood trick or treating. Not taking their brother along, but coming and either being in horrible costumes or having stuck a paper bag on their head. I am not sure. It was pretty intense that one year. If my husband is home we might do the neighborhood thing.....if not we may do the church thing. We will see.

[CHLLady]

We've got a 5-year old, and we live in a neighborhood on the west end of Houston. So yes, we do it each year.

This year, however, I'll be in London...so I'll have to miss.

Envious! I'd rather be in London.

Funny, when we took our kids out in the village, most do not pass out candy, but if they know an American lives there, all the kids show up.

We celebrate Halloween, but with no devil type costumes. We keep it fun. Yes, we will pass out candy.

[Jaguar]

Houses out here are too far and few between, no one comes out here for Halloween unless they are up to mischief.

[nyj]

No. We stopped years ago. We don't care for haloween, and the proliferation of all the broadcast media glorifying demonic forces seems to grow each year at this time. Haloween has morphed into a celebration of darkness.

YMMV.

Anygunanywhere

Since when was Halloween not like that? Must have been that movie "Halloween" in 1978 that changed everything!!

Halloween used to be more about community with a little about ghosts and goblins and has grown to what I described in previous post.
Mrs Anygun and I used to take gift/treats to all of the neighborhood children instead of handing out candy. Much more personal.

This degradation and loss of meaning has happened to many holidays. Thanksgiging used to really be about giving thanks to God for our blessings. Now it is about football and start of the "holiday shopping sesason". Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Saviour, is now just a holiday season devoted to material posessions.

The word holiday is derived from the term "holy day".

Anygunanywhere

I do agree that other holidays have changed overall, but how you celebrate them with family is in your control.

Halloween has always been about terror, blood, guts, gore, scaring people. That's nothing new.

I love Halloween and only celebrate by watching all of the cult classic horror movies.

[WildBill]

I do agree that other holidays have changed overall, but how you celebrate them with family is in your control.

[Texas_Blaze]

Texas_Blaze,

Are you being silly or serious - I can't tell...

completely serious.

[snatchel]

Interesting views on Halloween..

Wife and I always hand out candy to the young kids who dress up. We are also quick to dismiss the teenagers who are out for freebies, those kids are lame.

I always am packing, of course.

[Vol Texan]

We've got a 5-year old, and we live in a neighborhood on the west end of Houston. So yes, we do it each year.

This year, however, I'll be in London...so I'll have to miss.

Envious! I'd rather be in London.

Funny, when we took our kids out in the village, most do not pass out candy, but if they know an American lives there, all the kids show up.

We celebrate Halloween, but with no devil type costumes. We keep it fun. Yes, we will pass out candy.

London is OK, but the week after, I'll be in Kazakhstan. It's getting cold there this time of year...brr...

[TexasCajun]

We won't be home, otherwise yes. We'll be taking the 15mo old for an early trick-or-treat then going to the 15yr gold's freshman football game.

[tqu9047]

We give out every year. Our house is the "Cool" house on the block. We have a large display with spider webs hanging from the roof, spooky music playing, strobe lights and smoke from a smoke machine. Some of the smaller kids won't come up the drive so we go to them. Heck, even some teenagers won't come up the driveway. Also, we are decked out in our costumes, my wife a witch and myself a monster. Standing behind the strobe light, the kids don't see me until I pop out, scares the heck out of the teenagers.
Also, back to the thread, yes we sit outside.

Tim

[mot7981]

We'll pass out candy as always but have two bowls... One with the "good stuff" for the cute kids we enjoy seeing and one with dollar store junk we give to the older teens with nothing but a pillow case.

[WildBill]

We'll pass out candy as always but have two bowls... One with the "good stuff" for the cute kids we enjoy seeing and one with dollar store junk we give to the older teens with nothing but a pillow case.

Excellent idea!

[TheCytochromeC]

We'll pass out candy as always but have two bowls... One with the "good stuff" for the cute kids we enjoy seeing and one with dollar store junk we give to the older teens with nothing but a pillow case.

That's what I'm thinking. I'm going to have three bowls though. I'll be lowering candy from the balcony to trick or treaters though. It'll ensure they don't see what candy I have to offer and distract them while my room mates do the scaring. For the good ones, they get a quarter-pound Hershey bar. For the bad ones, I'm mixing my own awful recipe of Red-Hots, Mounds, Dots, Candy Corn and Twizzlers. Ugh, a concoction so disgusting it makes me cringe just thinking about it. I don't know if I can give that out with a straight face - oh that's right I won't.

[mewalke]

We'll pass out candy as always but have two bowls... One with the "good stuff" for the cute kids we enjoy seeing and one with dollar store junk we give to the older teens with nothing but a pillow case.

That's what I'm thinking. I'm going to have three bowls though. I'll be lowering candy from the balcony to trick or treaters though. It'll ensure they don't see what candy I have to offer and distract them while my room mates do the scaring. For the good ones, they get a quarter-pound Hershey bar. For the bad ones, I'm mixing my own awful recipe of Red-Hots, Mounds, Dots, Candy Corn and Twizzlers. Ugh, a concoction so disgusting it makes me cringe just thinking about it. I don't know if I can give that out with a straight face - oh that's right I won't.

Now THAT is evil!