This year there seems to be an abundance of "Trunk or Treat" events around Richmond, sponsored exclusively by churches as far as I can tell. People decorate their cars and pass out candy from their cars. It seems a bit strange to me to have children trick or treating in a parking lot. Here are the reasons I've been given for having them:
1. It's safer. Okay, but I live in an extremely low-crime suburb. There haven't even been any Halloween vandalism incidents, let alone any children being harmed, for as long as I've live here (4.5 years).
2. Children aren't exposed to "pagan symbols." Okay, but why celebrate a (marginally) pagan holiday at all if you object to the symbols?
3. The children don't have to walk so much. Give me a break - it's a suburb! The houses are packed together. I live in a townhouse development, for goodness' sake. We used to live in a townhouse that had 12 steps leading to the front door and we had children sending one representative up to get candy for the entire group so they wouldn't have to climb the stairs. Andrew refused to go along with this and made all able-bodied people climb the stairs themselves.
What do y'all think?
Posted by Nato (Member # 1448) on :
Man, kids don't even have to exercise to get a little candy these days.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Our church does it just as part of the ward party every year. No reason is given except it's fun and we have a trunk-decorating contest.
Plus, last year, when it fell on Sunday, kids could get some candy and show off their costumes without going out trick-or-treating on Sunday (which many families feel is violating the Sabbath.)
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Sounds kind of weird. I'd have to think about it.
One thing my mom is always complaining about is that the country kids/poor kids come into her neighborhood in droves because it is a nice area and they get nice treats there. She prefers to only give treats to the cute lil kids she knows in the neighborhood. Nowadays my parents go out every Halloween to avoid being home and having to give out candy. Personally, I LIKE knowing that kids who don't have neighbors, or don't have nice neighbors, can come to her area and have fun.
I can see that maybe church groups can create an atmosphere where all kids can go without having to deal with nasty homeowners. Or maybe an atmosphere where certain religious parents can feel safer.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote:One thing my mom is always complaining about is that the country kids/poor kids come into her neighborhood in droves because it is a nice area and they get nice treats there.
I was one of the country kids. There were only 3 houses on my street, the paved part of which is 2 miles long.
I wonder how much of an impact trunk or treating will have on neighborhood trick or treating. Will the number of people not home to give out treats be balanced out by the smaller number of children not trick or treating in the neighborhood?
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
They can also make it more of a festival than just simple trick or treating. They can have face painting and games as well.
Our old church used to have Wild and Wacky Wednesday for Halloween each year. There were game booths where the prizes were candy and every child was a guaranteed winner. Face painting and cakewalks. It was just fun. Lots more fun, IMO than trick or treating, since it was indoor. No rain. Looks like this year is going to be really nasty outside.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I used to go to a church halloween party (not my church, but my godmother's), because my parents thought it was safer than having me out in a neighborhood we didn't know well, and we didn't have a neighborhood. The reason given for this party was most of the kids at the church lived in the country, on very unsafe roads, nothing to do with religious values. We had to play games to get the candy, and we went on a hayride. I haven't heard of any trunk or treat programs, I know you can trick or treat in our mall, and in one of the alcohol free dorms, you walk room to room to get candy, I've never heard any complaints about that one.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
I just went to a Trunk or Treat party on Saturday. It was hosted by my church (because they have a parking lot) but it was sponsored by the neighborhood. I don't know what that neighborhood's official reasons are, but it is right next to the university and there are a lot of bad drivers in Tucson. Add to that the fact that very few neighborhoods have sidewalks or streetlights, and I can see why they wouldn't want their kids to walk around in the dark. Besides, this way they get two haunted houses, games, a jumping castle, and a DJ in addition to all the candy. I would consider it a better deal than trick or treating.
And yes, it was called a Halloween party. Lutherans don't tend to care much about pagan origins for holidays.
--Mel
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: I would consider it a better deal than trick or treating.
See, I find this sad. To me, Halloween was all about moving from house to house in near-silence, accompanied by rustling leaves and the distant shouts and laughter of children on the next block. Each porch light was a tiny little island, and the mere act of approaching -- of moving across that dark, leaf-covered lawn, beneath trees shaped like giant claws -- to ring a doorbell and receive candy from some cooing matron always brought you, just for a second, to an understanding of civilization.
"Here in the darkness am I," you thought, "wearing my monster mask to ward off the real monsters. And there, under the light, is someone's cheerful mommy with a basket full of candy."
Eliminating the darkness and turning Halloween into a party is something that grown-ups do, because they're already all too aware of how dark the real world is, and basically just want an excuse to see their hot neighbor in a skimpy French Maid outfit. I don't think kids -- who at heart are better-equipped than any of us to pick up on the spaces between -- need to have Halloween turned into a catered event.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
I do think you have to live in non-scary middle-class suburbs to really have that trick-or-treating experience, though.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I grew up in Gary and Detroit. I think a lot of the "scary neighborhood" bit of Halloween is bunk -- similar to those "needles in candy" urban legends that get hauled out all the time.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I think trick or treating really is fine if you live near houses, and in Gary you would (though I have a really funny annecdote about a farmer from Gary), I only experienced what you're talking about once, Tom, and it was very fantastic, my friend and I walked up and down her little neighborhood street with about 30 houses, stopping at each, there was the family with kids who had left their candy on the porch, the single guy who had one of those fake hands in his candy bowl, and his arm up his shirt, and the dentists who gave out cracker packs and bouncy balls. That was fun.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I was happy my church started one because we were down to a few houses. My main concern was someone poisoning my kids. There's crime in our area, a few known crack houses, and the streets don't have lights. I just feel safer, plus we have cider, cookies, etc.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
ay, my church is doing one (I'm getting ready to decorate my car right now. The car is gonna be the whale and I gotta sit in the trunk and be Jonah. hehe). The area around my church isn't the best ... not really what you'd call slums, but methinks it wouldn't quite qualify as 'middle-class'. So we're trying to do something for the kids. And I personally (and my 3 little sisters) live in a 'country' area where the only people within 2 miles are over 90. No joke. So its nice for them too. I see nothing wrong with it at all.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
See, Tom, I would say that the experience you describe is mostly dead anyhow. In my experience, most parents go with their kids while trick or treating. So already the creepiness of being alone in the dark is gone.
Also, as a pre-teen or teenager, I would be happier to go to a party where I could hang out with my friends, rather than traipse around the neighborhood with my little brothers and sisters in tow.
I dunno, I figure everyone should do what makes them happiest for Halloween (or any other tradition-laden occassion). Calling other people "sad" because they do things differently is rather arrogant.
--Mel
Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
Hey Mel-- I'm in Tucson too. I totally agree with the bad drivers comment.
We don't take the kids treak or treating any more. One, very few people in our area give out candy. Two its not safe anymore, even in safe neighborhoods. I knew a lady who took her kids around with a friend. The adults stood at the end of the street and the kids went up (ranging in age from 2 to about 11 or so). When the owner answered the door she grabbed one of the older kids, pulled them inside and slammed the door. She put the kid back outside just as the parents finished sprinting up the walkway but it was quite scary to all of them. The neighbor was a cop so they went and told him. Apparently the lady is wacky and I don't remember what all happened but this happened in a very safe neighborhood next to my mom's neighborhood. I know its anecdotal but I'm paranoid. Plus my kids get plenty of candy at our church party. They aren't missing out on anything but a few more cavaties by not trick or treating. I remember being a kid and not having to worry about the wackos after dark but thats not the reality anymore. At least not here.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Tom that was eloquent. Crowswife is right though, it just doesn't happen as much. I guess parents feel that there are reasons enough for them to accompany their kids out trick or treating. My parents went with us until we were a certain age, but after that there were always brothers and sisters to drag us.
What Tom describes is exactly what I experienced in a tiny suburb of Chicago during the 80s and early 90s. It really is rather magical and the weather was usually just the right nippy that you could see your breath. Great times. I loved carting my younger siblings around (I've always been rather matronly I suppose) and it was fun to grab a few of my friends and go in a large group.
now I'm getting all nostalgic!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: I dunno, I figure everyone should do what makes them happiest for Halloween (or any other tradition-laden occassion). Calling other people "sad" because they do things differently is rather arrogant.
I called them "sad" for another reason entirely, one that has quite a lot to do with my opinion of the suggestion that it's better for a teenager to go to yet another party and hang out with friends than to escort their siblings through the darkness. But, then, I have a weird take on the essential role of holidays as ritual.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
Heh, it's likely that my experience is unusual, but "yet another party" is not at all descriptive of my teenage years. But, I'm in that bubble of not being a teenager myself and not having teenage kids, so I really don't know what's normal for teenagers now.
I should mention that I enjoyed your description of your Halloween experiences. I had similiar experiences while camping when I was a kid. I understand that you don't want such experiences to be lost, but it seems to me like they already are, at least in cities. There are probably still some areas where that isn't true.
Wendybird: That's a scary story! There are so many crazy people in Tucson. That's one reason we moved out of the city onto acreage. We've got a different kind of crazy out here, but at least they're harmless .
--Mel
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Is it me or does it seem a bit controlling.
'Don't go to your strange neighbor's houses and risk their less than wholesome generosity. Come to the church where all truly good and fun things happen, and enjoy it with the only truly good and fun people.
Your church and your church people--good. Others bad.
Then again, I may just be going through a paranoid phase in life today.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
I would like to point out that at least in my case, the Trunk or Treating was hosted by THE NEIGHBORHOOD, most of whom do not attend the church. It was held at the church, because where else are they going to get a parking lot and facilities?
And I also wanted to add to Tom that I may agree with him about the whole holiday as ritual thing, although Halloween is not one of the ones I consider important. We may have to discuss such things at some time.
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