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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween....Trick or Treating...Not what it used to be!



LOL, Who remembers the days back when we were little that you anticipated Halloween long before it got here, and the day it finally came, you waited with impatient anticipation for the siren to blow so you could dart out of the house and move as quickly as you could so that you wouldn't miss a single house in what seemed like an unfair little bit of time to collect an exhorbitant amount of candy that no little body could consume in a single Halloween season?  I am quite sure that every Halloween that we went Trick or Treating, we still had candy left when Easter rolled around. 




Now, when I take my kids Trick or Treating, that same excitement that I remember as if it were yesterday is not there.  Yes, they want to go, yes, they want the candy, but that thrill and undying energy that we used to have has not been passed on to my own children.  We get down one block, and they are tired, cold and ready to go home.  This picture is the stash that one acquired on our short trip around our neighborhood.   What has happened to our children?  Do we give them too much?  Do they not appreciate the simple fun and joy of such an activity that comes only once a year?  I wonder that as I sit here and listen to them happily going over all of their new treats content as can be.  Could it be me that has a preconceived idea of how Trick or Treat is suppose to be?  Maybe it is them that has it right and not me.  They are not being selfish.  Happy with their little bit that they got and no complaints at all.  Sadly though, I miss the Halloweens of Days Gone By.  Simple homemade Halloween costumes, tic tacking, costume parties and mountains of candy. 

I will leave you now to revel in my memories of my own Trick or Treat days of long ago.  I hope you all enjoyed Trick or Treating with your kids this year!!


4 comments:

designsfromwithinbycharlotte said...

Hi Carolyn, we just returned from our trick or treat evening and my little one is fast asleep...exhausted! He had a fall festival at his school yesterday where he was able to wear his costume for a little while and today he had the option of going to another fall festival with a friend or trick or treat! He chose the latter because he has been over excited for a couple of weeks now...counting down the days until trick or treating. After an afternoon swimming and jumping into his grandma's pool, he was so eager to go..."is it time yet?" he kept asking!!! We walked about 10 blocks, his little pumpkin bucket was full and finally he was ready to call it a night. He did really well but was ready to go home. It was late for him!
I know here in Miami it's different trick or treating than what I remember from England but for us we are lucky to still see the excitement about this one night in our little ones eyes.
I hope you are feeling better and the boys too!
Big Halloween hugs,
Charlotte
XXX

stephanne said...

It is so very different. I'm not sure why either. I fear our wonderful holiday is a thing of the past, are less decorated houses year by year simply an economical coincidence or are there really less and less people involved year after year?? The mall was stuffed, the streets were empty, and no offense to mall trick-or-treaters but WHAT!!!?? You gotta go earn the loot, mom puts something together for you and you go and show it off and get candy. Am I old-fashioned or what... I hope you had a great Halloween regardless of the short run.
Stephanne

Jane, at Thepaperaffair said...

As a child, I loved trick or treating, I do think some of it may be that kids get too much of what they want, don't you? In my family we rarely got candy so this was a BIG treat and big Holiday. Here in metro MN., although you do get some trick or treaters, it is not encouraged to go house to house but here are many community activities and such to celebrate.

Sue McMahon said...

You wouldn't even believe my childhood trick or treating stories! I'm sure I'm the only one to experience those days! LOL! Looks like they did get some yummy candy. It's funny. I used to save mine. Sometimes I would still have last years candy in my pumpkin bucket when the new Halloween came around. My kids aren't anything like that! LOL!