Halloween 2010 - anyone notice...

**Libby** · 10-31-2010, 07:07 PM

As I went to pick up our pizza for dinner....I decided to detour and drive through the neighbouring hoods to see how people have decorated for Halloween, how many pumpkins etc. Usually everyone goes overboard and well...this year, not so much. Barely anyone has a real pumpkin out

So not typical for this area. More and more people are buying the plug in/illuminated decorations that are reusable. Ourselves included...I'm going to hunt out the bargains on them tomorrow am if I have time - for next year

So....I was wondering what y'all noticed today after taking your kids out trick or treating. Think everyone has cut back with their decor budget and decided to focus just on handing out the candy instead?

Any other odd things you noticed while out?

**dancemommy** · 10-31-2010, 07:42 PM

Around here I think there is MORE decor than usual, but fewer carved pumpkins as you said. More people with lights in bushes, animated items, etc. But just not as many pumpkins.

**imagine** · 10-31-2010, 07:44 PM

lots of carved pumpkins around here, real pumpkins.

**Sara Noel** · 10-31-2010, 08:01 PM

Lots of Halloween decorations in our neighborhood. People go all out here. So many houses do their own mini version of haunted houses complete with music and moving full size characters. It's awesome for the kids. At my house, we carved real pumpkins, have illuminated plug-in pumpkins and fake pumpkins that can be carved (but we put those stick in face parts like Mr Potato Head pieces on them), too.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-31-2010, 08:19 PM

I didn't decorate as much because of lack of time and lack of energy. I know a few houses that do go all out, but won't see any this year. I'm staying here while DS7 goes out with his friends.

**sueh** · 10-31-2010, 08:20 PM

We just got back from trick or treating and we too were surprised by not only there were hardly any decorations but there were hardly anyone handing out candy. The kids did get a bunch of candy as the ones that were giving it out gave them handfuls of candy.
It was just surprising to us to see alot of houses in the darkness

**Michelle68** · 10-31-2010, 08:57 PM

Now that my kids are 22 and 14 and we've been so busy this school year with our son in band, I have to admit that we didn't decorate near as much as we usually do. We do have 3 real pumpkins on our porch right now. We just never got around to carving them. Besides, I've been working in our church's pumpkin patch--how sad would it be if I didn't buy one? (Or two...or three?

)

**Libby** · 10-31-2010, 09:25 PM

How ignorant is this? Not only is trick or treating an act of kindness - strangers buying candies to give to random children - I've had my porch light turned off for an hour now, the pumpkins pulled in etc. A dad and 2 children just rang the bell screaming trick or treat. Reluctantly I did open the door but did not give them any candy.

I asked the dad - in front of the children with overflowing bags and dad who was pulling an overloaded wagon full of candy - why he thought it was OK to continue trick or treating to a dark closed up house? What is he trying to teach his children? He apologized and was all embarrassed but muttered something to his children how I was a grouch about giving out 2 pcs of chocolate.

Really? I'm the grouch? He's lucky I didn't answer the door screaming at him blaring an air horn in his face. I don't care how 'cute' you are dressed up - NO means NO. Halloween is over its after 9pm on a school night. I was not advertising for more 'customers'.

Am I really out of place here? I know I could've chosen to NOT open the door but I had no idea if it was my neighbour across the street with her kids nor if they had a problem - which was why I did open it. *sigh* What is the world coming to?

**stinkbug** · 10-31-2010, 09:30 PM

We ended here at 7:30....I only buy so much candy, and when it's gone it's gone. Most of the little ones come early.....after dark it is usually teenagers. Most of the kids had pillowcases.....

**heartofmine** · 10-31-2010, 09:42 PM

I don't decorate for Halloween but I do for fall and this year I didn't buy a real pumpkin although I wanted one. They were so expensive around here. I just could not bring myself to pay $5.00 and up for a pumpkin. It was more a want than a need so I did without. I did run across some bigger faux pumpkins at the Dollar Tree and purchased those instead so for $1.00 I can reuse them each year.

**Missourimom** · 10-31-2010, 09:49 PM

I try hard not to be a downer, but tonight was really rather sad. We went to the neighborhood we always go to only to find about 1/2 of the homes giving away candy that used to give it away and we saw FIVE foreclosures.

This isn't a ritzy area....the homes are all small and nothing fancy. I just felt sadness for that old neighborhood.

**annymoll** · 10-31-2010, 09:59 PM

Just got in , went out with daughter and kids. We grew our own pumpkins and cut them out, noticed several cut out pumpkins and alot were stencilled. They were really neat! Everyone decorated as usual- lots of yard decorations as well.People were generous with the yummy treats. I did not think as many kids were out this year, but we have large parties with candy and games at the nursing homes and churches, plus it is Sunday night-school tomorrow.I really enjoyed watching the youngest grandson- it was the first year he was old enough to really get in to it! Fun times!!!

**mndtrp** · 10-31-2010, 10:05 PM

We had as much as usual in our neighborhood. Real pumpkins, fake pumpkins, blow-up things, tombstones, ghosts, zombies, the whole nine yards.

**LynnLC** · 10-31-2010, 10:23 PM

I was the only one with the lights on and I have lots of neighbors. Only had 2 kids...by the looks of the streets you wouldn't know it was Halloween.

**valerian** · 10-31-2010, 10:24 PM

I didn't notice a difference in decorations, but did notice that fewer people seemed to be giving out candy. We only go to a few places of people that we know well and at least four of them weren't lit up tonight. My kids still got a lot of candy though 'cause the people that gave candy seemed to give several pieces rather than one or two. I didn't see as many kids out as usual. It was kind of strange.