What’s halloween like for people nowadays?

[TAMAnnoying]

So it’s an ongoing meme in my community that halloween is a dead Holliday that is only celebrated if you go to a park to trick o treat or invest in the “I have the best decorations” award.

I’ve SEEN videos where people still have large trick o treating communities with kids running around and teenagers still “going to three other neighborhoods before the night is over.” But that’s just not a thing anywhere near where I live.

I guess I’m wondering which one is more common for people to see? If I’m just living in a dead community with a bunch of old people for several hundred miles OR if halloween really is a dying breed unless you live in a very lively/young community?

[rajillustration]

Yeah I'm going a party. We never get any trick or treaters because we live on top of a dark hill so we'll leave out some candy and maybe some lucky fool -- the one single kid who drops by -- will get all 20 snickers.

[Mari]

Halloween is not a holiday in my country, so young people throw costume parties sometimes, and that's about it. It's been steadily becoming more popular to do something small, but it's still just kind of like an afterthought? No trick or treating or anything. Visit graves, maybe costume parties.

Interestingly, in finland (and other fenno-scandinavian countries as well I think) our "trick-or-treat" tradition is around easter. Though instead of tricks our children go around dressed as nordic trolls or witches doing pagan magic for good fortune/harvest with willow branches, and then trade the branch (often decorated with feathers and coloured paper) for candy, or pay.

(here's a traditional outfit for a child during this tradition- I have also sported this look when I did my rounds as a child)

[joannekwan]

I'm really out of touch ever since we moved out of our single-family home in the suburbs. Now everyone's in a condo or apartment complex, and they usually have organized events for the kids in the community rooms, or have a trick or treat walk where units who want to give out candy register on a list.

[TAMAnnoying]

Aaaaaww that’s so intresting!! Thank you so much for sharing that Mari <3

[burginlewis]

In suburban Ohio, if you're in a mid- to upscale neighborhood, with well-lit maintained sidewalks, traditional Halloween is very much a thing still. A lot of the families put fire rings in the driveway and sit outside in their own costumes, grill hot dogs or burgers for the parents, etc. And a lot of families from India have joined the area in the last few years, and they take pretty much any holiday and run away with it... their decorations are amazing.

[VibrantFox]

well our city (miami) usually holds a big "Monster Mash Bash" every year that's got a bunch of small rides for the kids, booths and a performance stage so there's a dj/local band to perform and a costume contest. Turnout it usually big but I've no idea the numbers and it's a fun way to get the community to come together and friends to hang out.

Actually peeked in for a few minutes and it's almost as active as it was during last years Winterfest but the energy seemed pretty low (I wanna say cause it's a school/work day in the middle of the week but i dunno)

Lots of fun costumes though

[komiktaksa]

We're in Indiana and it's snowing today! So unfortunately because of that, most of the kids are going to stay indoors due to the cold.

However... our grandma lives in a fancier suburbs and they've been getting kids trick or treating starting as early as 6 pm so it might not be that dead at this part hahaha

[bakasama25]

I just give out candy tonight and visit my dead relatives' graves tomorrow.

[Jenny-Toons]

We got hit with snow over here in Chicago, but because it been colder these past Halloweens anyway, most neighborhoods have taken to celebrating a week earlier. All of the local stores will open up for the occasion too, so you'll see a bunch of kids walking with their parents to each store to get candy.

As for myself, I past out candy throughout my dorm building. I've been dorming for the full 4 years I've been on campus, and each year, I've dressed up and went around the building, passing out candy. The housing program also sponsors parties and events for Halloween. You'd be surprise how fast a college student lights up when they hear "free candy".

[Cavechan]

Luckily here it wasn't freezing cold today! Even though it's been cold every other day this week. It has been a bit drizzly today though, but when I went out I did see some trick or treaters! We saw a Star Wars family with a baby ewok! Unfortunately, I live in an apartment where doorbells don't work so we don't get any trick or treaters. But there were a number on the side street next to us and a number on another "main" side street.

[aspiderjonny]

I live in a fairly suburban area of Queens and it seems like there's less trick-or-treaters each year. I remember when I was a kid on my whole block would be lit with crazy decorations. A lot of those people moved and I don't think the new people coming in understand Halloween. There is still some really good decorations out here. Also it's pretty little stormy here so that could be a thing keeping kids away.

[Rhonder]

Varies neighborhood to neighborhood where I live (north of Seattle). Like some still go all out and have large amounts trick-or-treating going on, others are dead lol.

As for me personally, I haven't done much for Halloween since high school lol... I kept trick or treating through then because around 9th grade some family moved to WA from a different state and had 2 young kids, so I'd go out with them. Afterwards a party here or there through college, and since I've graduated Halloween has been on week days every year so far so I'm usually just at work (like I am currently ) Closest thing to celebrating I did this year was dressing up in 2 cosplay for PAX West 2 months ago (Ken from Persona 3 and an Inkling from Splatoon~), and last weekend a few of my friends held an Oktoberfest party, to which one guy came straight from a Halloween party and was thus in a like Irish kilt costume and... that's about it

[GamerPrincessXI]

When I lived in Milwaukee, there was an entire neighborhood contest for the best walking dead theme. People celebrated Halloween, early and gave away Giant candy bars. Now that I moved back home, kids are go to my house for giant candy bars.

[vfinnigan]

I live in one of the few bright spots of civilization between Yellowstone and the Utah border. We're in a centrally located, older neighborhood with sidewalks, lots of kids, and this year, brutally cold weather. Still I wore a black dress, black shawl, and long a black lace veil covering most of my face, with bright red lipstick on. If people thought I was a vampire, so be it. But I was just generic scary Mrs. Finnigan today. And we did a full scale home haunt with me at the end handing out candy to the proud few who braved the frigid temperatures and the dangers of our front lawn. All ten of them. We usually get a lot more, but it usually still gets above freezing this time of year.

[erudenedure]

Where I live, we celebrate it the night before Halloween, which is called Beggar's Night. And - traditionally - the kids are supposed to tell jokes. This is also an area where most schools get out early on Wednesdays, because there used to be tons of people who went to church on Wednesdays. (This is starting to be phased out.)

This was all news to me when my kid was old enough to trick or treat. I grew up in another state, where we did Halloween properly and went to school the entire day on Weds! (#joking)

We'e visited other communities for Beggar's Night and they all seem pretty active.

[Prometheus]

Where I live, it’s started to become all about Trunk or Treat, instead of Trick or Treat. My parent’s neighborhood used to be really lively. Now it’s kind of dead. Though it did snow this year. Thank you, Santa. Now what we tend to do to celebrate the holiday is watch Halloween movies and go to haunted houses. Well - everyone else does. I hate haunted houses. I’d rather stay home and watch Harry Potter to celebrate.

[irene_addler]

We live in an area with lots of rural neighborhoods, so everyone goes into town to trick or treat. They even have a big event in the local park that businesses and churches and other places have booths to hand out candy at. My whole family goes with the two under 18 year old kiddks in the house lol all 5 of us kids, and my brother's wife (so all6 kids, I guess!! Lol) typically dress up! My mom has loved Halloween her entire life b/c her bday is the day before it, so we love it too! As far as I'm concerned, Halloween is alive and well even in small town KY, thankfully!