I have said many times on this blog that I don't like most people. While I have fun with it, it is not really a joke. I don't. I also do not care for children, but for some reason Halloween is the day that not only are kids allowed to knock on the doors of complete strangers, but they are encouraged to ask for candy from those strangers. A practice that is staunchly discouraged any other day of the year.
Before anyone calls me a Scrooge*, be assured that I do not hate the entire holiday.
*I know Scrooge is a Christmas-y term, but I couldn't think of the Halloween equivalent of Scrooge.
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| Everybody loves clowns!!! |
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| Best costume ever.
Have I ever said I don't like kids? |
I participated in this activity a few times when I was a kid. It was done the same way every year. We would get into our costumes, my mother would drive us around to the houses of people we knew and then we would go to a party somewhere. Note the bold print. We went to the houses of people we knew. It never even crossed our minds to go to a stranger's house and expect them to give us free stuff just because we showed up.
The very idea that children are allowed to walk up to the doors of anyone they please is appalling. Then the person who lives there is expected to hand out candy.
A few years ago, I was working on Halloween and got home about seven o' clock. Getting out of my car, I was met by a family of trick or treaters. They saw me pull up and cut me off before I could get to my door. After I apologized for not having anything, the mother called me a nasty name.
She actually thought she was entitled to that opinion and was in the right because I hadn't done something she felt I was supposed to do. As far as I know, there is no law that says I have to give these people candy. I am not being stingy, greedy or even insensitive if I choose to not give handouts to a bunch of strange kids I have never seen before in my life. I am free to participate if I want to and some years I have, but if I choose not to that is my choice. I don't even need a reason.
Never quite put the strangers with candy connection together, and I am admittedly ashamed of missing it, but I still love Halloween. Free candy is free candy!
ReplyDeleteOf course, who doesn't like free candy? I just don't believe that anyone is obligated to give it to you.
DeleteI agree. I am not big on Halloween either. Although I do like the free candy part, I hate the dressing up part. Instead of trick or treating I bring my kids to a local event - usually the zoo. They get a bit of candy and get their face painted. Wins all around, I say!
ReplyDeleteThat works. A couple of years, we let our kids put on some costumes and then went to Chuck E. Cheese. Everyone had fun and avoided some of the madness.
DeleteI can't believe that woman would get nasty with you. For one, you just got home. For another, not everyone hands out candy on Halloween. Let me ask you this...Was your porch light on? The general rule is that if your light is on then that means you are passing out candy.
ReplyDeleteI know the porch light rule, but it is rarely obeyed in my experience. Most years, I just go someplace else on that night so I don't have to deal with it.
DeleteLiving in town, it is hard to get away from. I have had kids ring my bell at 10 o' clock. A few times with parents in tow thinking the fact that they couldn't get off work in time to take their kids out during posted hours makes it okay to disturb the neighbors at bedtime.
I can't agree with you on this one. I have a fondness for Halloween and love it when kids stop by. I enjoy seeing the costumes and excitement this season brings out. It's only one day. Of course parents should accompany their little ones for safety sake. Just leaving your lights off should keep kids from knocking on your door.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against Halloween and can even get into seeing the kids. It's the sense of entitlement that some people carry that irritates me. If I choose not to participate one year, that is my right. I have run into several people who don't seem to understand that it is optional.
DeleteI enjoy dressing up in costume, but I can understand why you feel the way you do. Some parents expect you to provide candy for their children if they knock on the door. They think you are obligated and some will get an attitude. It's just one more aspect of the increasing rudeness and entitlement that's in our society :-/ My take is, if someone's house isn't decorated and the lights aren't on, don't knock on the door and expect to get candy corn.
ReplyDeleteI do participate some years and other years I am just not in the mood or working. This year, I know that I will not be joining in and hope to not have any unpleasant incidents.
DeleteI haven't worn a costume since I was a kid and if it wasn't that my kids are still old enough to trick or treat, I'd be sitting in my house with the lights off so nobody rings my bell. I guess it's a good payoff that I take the kids out so at least I'm not hiding in the dark for a few hours. Although if they were too old to trick or treat, I wouldn't have had to drop $50 on costumes.
ReplyDeleteI lost most of my interest as soon as my kids got older. I passed out candy last year for the first time in about 5 years, but it was a nice warm night and I just sat outside and enjoyed interacting with people. This year is cold and I know that the third or fourth time I have to get up to answer the door, I will be tired of it.
DeleteMy lights will be off and I might even be in bed.
Your mommy drove you? Wimp! When I was little, we would go in a large group of pre-approved kids, to any houses within walking distance IF THEIR FRONT PORCH LIGHT WAS ON. If not, it meant they were not participating. It was a small town, so pretty much everyone knew us anyway.
ReplyDeleteAfter trick-or-treating hours, when it was dark and teenagers were out playing pranks, Dad would sit on our DARK front porch, in a dark corner, wearing a wolf mask and paws and dark clothes. If any kids dared start up the sidewalk to the front door, he'd lunge and scare them back.
Yes, my mommy drove me. I didn't live in town and there was not a single house within eyesight of ours. We went to specific friends houses and that was it
Deletethat is one of the first Papa stories for the kids!
DeleteRed's sis
I'm all for terrorizing small children. I just save it for the summer months. I don't like to sit outside in the cold.
DeleteWhen I was little, we would walk around to all the houses in the neighborhood and go to the houses with the lights on. When we knew somebody (which was rare, or we probably would have only gone to people we knew) they would usually give me double the candy. We never went to a house with the lights off unless we were invited (which was only one year when I was meeting up with a friend from school so we could go together).
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty nasty thing to do, to insult somebody who isn't even in the house though. Your idea to keep people off your property is ingenious. I'll have to remember that if somebody starts bugging me.
When you live in town, it makes sense to go door to door. As long as everyone adheres to the established rules, there aren't usually any problems. However, since I am feeling pretty antisocial most of the time, the violators just make it worse.
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