I know this is super early but….Halloween

[YadaYadaYada]

I love Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. In fact autumn is my favorite season, living in the Northeast, it is hard nor to appreciate all that goes along with the change of seasons. This year will be really different because our 16 year old son has a new girlfriend so he will be spending it with her or his group of friends.

That leaves us with our nine year old, he has said he would be happy no trick or treating and just getting a bag of his favorite candy but that seems rather uninspiring. We don’t really get a lot of trick or treaters plus we have the pets so handing out candy is off the table.

What do you do for Halloween?

 

[SandraLynn]

I’m from Connecticut although I live in Florida now, and it’s absolutely the most beautiful time of the year. As far as Halloween, I make sure my porch lights are off. Never passed out candy. Lol.

 

[MeowMeow]

Admittedly we are hermits. So we honestly don't do much social for it most years. I'm a little spooky though so I loooove holloween. I like it better than Christmas. But my husband grew up in a home that said Holloween was evil. And while he doesn't agree with that line if thinking. He also doesn't love how some of the things associated with spooky time can be so gory. So we pretty much just get our favourite candy and help our daughter dress up a bit. Occasionally we go to some sort of young child friendly trick or treat thing if my husband's work happens to hold one.

 

[Austina]

Absolutely nothing

Halloween wasn’t really a thing in the UK until recent years. We celebrated Guy Fawkes night on the 5th November instead.

Kids would make a ‘Guy‘ and ask for a penny for the guy, then on 5th November, he’d be thrown on the bonfire.

Guy Fawkes was the rogue who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

 

[Slickk]

My kids used to have their friends over for pizza before trick or treating as we have a nice neighborhood for it. Perhaps you could do a small (1/2/3 bffs) pizza/ice cream party with costumes and some cute props?
I dislike Halloween personally because my neighborhood is crazy on that night! I need baaaaaaaags of candy.

 

[TooPatient]

Grandma used to make popcorn balls for Halloween. She even used orange food coloring to make them feel festive.

 

[marymm]

We don't get trick-or-treaters either -- we usually (re)watch a favorite older movie like Wizard of Oz or ET or Jurassic Park or Honey I Shrunk the Kids etc., and splash out on popcorn & ice cream treats -- depending on timing we may also play a board game, usually Scrabble or Yahtzee

 

[dk168]

Not too early - I have already planned this year's festive menus for the 2 big days in December!

However, I don't do anything for Halloween, sorry!

DK

 

[pearlsngems]

For us, Halloween was always about making a new costume each year, and my DD was very involved from the time she was 4. She loved to go house to house showing it off, and our elderly neighbors said they always looked forward to seeing what her costume was.

One year she was a hermit crab, carrying a huge paper maché shell on her back (using shoulder straps that were cannibalized from one of her old back packs). We modeled the purple shell after the shell of our pet hermit crab. That one took us a month to make! The shell is still in the attic-- she doesn't want us to throw it away!

The candy was fun, too, but it was never the main point.

As she got older she began wearing a costume to give out the candy at our door.

When she reached high school age, we all just stopped. There were always just a few children on our street. and now there are even fewer. So we make sure the outside lights are off, and we don't buy candy. (We would just eat it all ourselves!)

 

[Betty Baguette]

DH and I hang our favorite vintage '60's Halloween decor and watch the Charlie Brown special!

 

[MissGotRocks]

We still pass out candy to the neighborhood goblins! Brings back great memories of when my kids were young and went trick or treating. It is my least favorite holiday though so I don my go all out with decorating and such.

 

[missy]

It’s my mom’s birthday and I love Halloween.

The first party I ever organized by myself was a Halloween costume party in 9th grade. It was a blast.

I love seeing all the Halloween decorations. So creative and fun.

I love the Zombie Walk they do in Asbury park and we go every year. We cycle through it. It’s pretty amazing.

We give out candy on Halloween but don’t dress up. We get the good candy for the kids. Full size. They love it

I think however it’s way too early to be advertising Halloween in the stores. It’s getting earlier and earlier and starting in July as it did this year is, imo, too early.

Happy Halloween coming
Bwahaha

 

[monarch64]

It’s not that early! I already got a wreath, doormat, some other spooky decor, and matching Halloween PJs for my daughter and me!

In past years we’ve gone to Indianapolis to attend Newfields’ extensive Halloween light show. Amazing time, I’m attaching one pic but it’s really outstanding. I need to get tickets for this year.

I was going to put this in the “do you like to throw parties” thread but I’ll write it here because it’s pertinent: I used to have a pumpkin carving party every year. That was my Big Annual Thing. Started it a long time ago when I was married to my 1st husband in Chicago before most of us had kids; the guys would all get very competitive with power tools and all kinds of craziness, we’d roast the seeds, and hang out into the late night. I restarted the tradition when I moved back to Indiana and started dating my 2nd husband, and I think we had 6 annual parties altogether. I sent out handmade very elaborate invitations in the actual mail, we’d have about 40-50 guests in and out over the course of an evening, and it was a lot of fun. Always had all the neighbors come with their kids until they got tired and the adults had a couple drinks and were ready to go. I just asked everyone to bring a pumpkin, and we provided carving tools, chili, and hot apple cider. Very easy to do with crockpots and disposable dishes/cutlery.

The past several years we have painted or otherwise decorated pumpkins instead of carving. Far less mess!

When I lived in a huge neighborhood (the kind with so many streets you can get lost, ugh) all the neighbors really got into decorating and trick or treating. In fact, ours was one of the neighborhoods that people used to basically bus their kids to, drop them off, and pick them up a couple hours later. It was a constant parade of kids and grownups up and down the streets, very festive.

I take my daughter most years now. But this year she’s 11 and when I asked/suggested a Halloween costume a week or two ago she just laughed at me. I think I stopped trick or treating around that age as well. I saw a cute Wednesday (Adams Family) costume and she was obsessed with the Netflix show, so I thought she might want to do that. Guess not. The past few years we drive over to my best friend from high school’s house and my friend passes out candy while I take her daughter and mine around the neighborhood. 2 years ago we brought home 13 pounds of candy. SMH. We will not be doing that again, but it was a really fun night for the girlies.

I’m debating having a grownup costume party this year. I live where people go to retire so there aren’t any kiddos to pass candy out to, haha.

 

[monarch64]

Here’s what I grabbed for decor this year, the wreath and mat light up, and the letters are stakes you just stab into the pumpkin.

And the matching PJs…

 

[marymm]

We don't get trick-or-treaters either -- we usually (re)watch a favorite older movie like Wizard of Oz or ET or Jurassic Park or Honey I Shrunk the Kids etc., and splash out on popcorn & ice cream treats -- depending on timing we may also play a board game, usually Scrabble or Yahtzee

I forgot to include -- we usually also get together to carve jack-o-lanterns either Halloween afternoon or Halloween Eve

 

[monarch64]

Grandma used to make popcorn balls for Halloween. She even used orange food coloring to make them feel festive.

The best houses we ever went to as kids trick-or-treating were the two that had popcorn balls. That sparks nostalgia for sure!

 

[monarch64]

I love Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. In fact autumn is my favorite season, living in the Northeast, it is hard nor to appreciate all that goes along with the change of seasons. This year will be really different because our 16 year old son has a new girlfriend so he will be spending it with her or his group of friends.

That leaves us with our nine year old, he has said he would be happy no trick or treating and just getting a bag of his favorite candy but that seems rather uninspiring. We don’t really get a lot of trick or treaters plus we have the pets so handing out candy is off the table.

What do you do for Halloween?

Can you get him to decorate/paint a pumpkin with you? That’s one of my favorite things to do with my daughter.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

It’s so nice to read there is so much love for Halloween. Also love your pictures @monarch64, the new holiday decor will look so cute in your new house!

I forgot all about pumpkin carving, we usually do that ahead of time but maybe doing it on Halloween will be the new tradition. We also watch The Great Pumpkin, so that can be another thing.

It‘s so weird when you have a teenager who all of a sudden is not part of the plan on a holiday. Don’t get me wrong, happy for him but I wish we could rewind the clock.

Thank you for all the ideas!

 

[monarch64]

It’s so nice to read there is so much love for Halloween. Also love your pictures @monarch64, the new holiday decor will look so cute in your new house!

I forgot all about pumpkin carving, we usually do that ahead of time but maybe doing it on Halloween will be the new tradition. We also watch The Great Pumpkin, so that can be another thing.

It‘s so weird when you have a teenager who all of a sudden is not part of the plan on a holiday. Don’t get me wrong, happy for him but I wish we could rewind the clock.

Thank you for all the ideas!

When I went through my camera roll to grab those pics, I also wanted to rewind the clock. It’s all going too fast, just like everyone said it would. I think we all deserve an additional couple years of our kids being kids because of the pandemic…that stole away a lot of experiences for everyone.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

When I went through my camera roll to grab those pics, I also wanted to rewind the clock. It’s all going too fast, just like everyone said it would. I think we all deserve an additional couple years of our kids being kids because of the pandemic…that stole away a lot of experiences for everyone.

Glad I’m not the only one! I just don’t know where the time went but I’m glad that he is enjoying his high school years.

 

[Mreader]

My fave holiday. Our neighborhood is very active so it’s always fun. Where I live in TX, people sit outside with tables and hand out candy for trick or treating - nobody knocks on doors. It’s like a big block party. I also love dressing up. I was Halloween crazy even before having a kid, so it’s really nice to experience with my 7 year old.

We usually watch The Nightmare Before Christmas the week of. It’s one of my favorite films.

I do miss fall season though. In TN we had fall color - not in TX!!!!

 

[Mreader]

Pic of me and my kid last Halloween. Idk how to put hearts and emojis over faces like you guys do!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

So cute @Mreader and I need that shirt in my life!

 

[mom2dolls]

I love Fall and Halloween! I usually put up Halloween decorations September 1st. Last year I hung witch hats from the ceiling throughout the downstairs. We hand out candy to the neighborhood kiddos. I love that we have young children in our community again.

 

[Austina]

We turn out the lights and pretend we’re not in

 

[Calliecake]

@Too Patient, Thank you for the memories. One of my friends mom’s made popcorn balls and taffy for Halloween. Everyone wanted her popcorn balls.

I recognize that Elsa costume @monarch64. Bought the same one for my grandniece one year. Your daughter is adorable.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Mate ! its only just August !

dont do hallowean but always have a bag of lollies incase any neighbourhod kids knock on the door

dont really see the point of it as it has zero connection to our own culture here but love to see what American's do with decorations

have fun

 

[Slickk]

We turn out the lights and pretend we’re not in

I sometimes do that now that my kids are grown! Otherwise, I’d be spending upwards of $75 for candy since they practically bus them into my neighborhood. That’s no joke either. I’ve seen people put hay in their open trailers and pile ten plus kids in it!!

 

[Mreader]

I sometimes do that now that my kids are grown! Otherwise, I’d be spending upwards of $75 for candy since they practically bus them into my neighborhood. That’s no joke either. I’ve seen people put hay in their open trailers and pile ten plus kids in it!!

Yes this is happening now - I buy online in advance bc my neighborhood is so busy and $75 is actually a modest amount! It’s ver fun and lively if you’re in an active neighborhood but it’s also a bit sad bc growing up my neighborhood was “normal” - not busy but not empty. But today where I grew up it’s deserted bc people drive to busy spots. I think this happens a lot now.

 

[Dee*Jay]

When I lived downtown I used to do a giant pumpkin carving party in the parking lot. The biggest one I've had over the years was about 450 lbs. It was a blast! I just said to TR the other day we should do that out here this year!

And apparently it's NOT too early -- I walked into Costco on Thursday and was stopped dead in my tracks by a giant display of X-mas bows and paper. Ack! I was not ready for that!