Many traditions and celebrations take place on or around Halloween (October 31).
Even if you do NOT participate in any of them, which one do you find most interesting?
Please say why it is of interest to you.
I, personally, love Halloween. I love the cute decorations and the bright colors. My oldest son and I are hardcore horror movie fans so we usually have a get together with my brothers and their wives and have a movie marathon with lots of delicious appetizer style foods - all with a 'gory' theme to it, of course! And we watch scary movies as we wait for the trick or treaters to arrive.
And you can't forget the best part... the leftover candy.. or better yet, the bag of GOOD candy you conveniently left behind the door so you can exclaim, "oops! look what I forgot to give out to the trick or treaters.. guess we'll just have to eat it ourselves!" :)
I love the left over candy! Definitely the best part of Halloween once you get older. We don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters where I live so there is always way too much candy left in my house!
Oh yeah, I also love all the horror movies that come on this time of year. Nothing like building a fire on a cold night, getting cozy on the coach with the Mrs and putting a scary movie in.
I agree with you Wendy, the cute decorations and bright colors in Halloween is really amazing . Though I don't like watching horror movies, but definitely I like the leftover candies and trick or treat where kids love.
Megan K. 39 in response to Wendy W.40: I agree, Wendy!! I love all the Halloween decorations and accidental "left-over" candy. There's nothing better than coming home from a long day of trick-or-trating and finding a bag full of name brand Twix and Hershey bars!
Well, of course, I used to dress up when I was a kid. Every couple of years I'll go to a costume party. The main tradition for myself, though, is that I pass out candy. Once all the kids are done walking around the neighborhood, I take the leftover candy and I watch a scary movie. This year I've watched Halloween I & II from 1978 and and 1981, respectively. I refuse to watch the sequels and remakes. (Spoiler alert: Michael Myers very much dead after II.) I also watch the original Scream from 1996 EVERY YEAR. It's the best horror movie ever, in my opinion. It's just so well written and acted out. I love a good "who's-the killer?" film.
In my family we also carve a pumpkin, as many people do.
Jordan D. 40 in response to Bart Stever Hey, I thought the first remake was all right! You are right about the sequels though, they're not all that great.
I like Halloween alot. My personal favorite parts of it as a kid was trick or treating, dressing up in the costume. Now I enjoyed treating the kids with candy and dressing my own kids in costumes. I will never forget my last adult halloween party,I dressed up as a toilet bowel wearing a mask of President Bush. At that time it was around the elections just like this year. I won the best costume at the party, and what made it really funny and unique is that it hand a handle to flush it. When you flushed it; it replied Bushsh--!!! sorry, can't repeat, so I will leave the rest to your imagination. This was my best and most memorible halloween. I like watching the scary movies that come out during this time old and new. I can't leave out the pumpkin pies and cookies..ummmm. So I want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween.
Reply to Bart S. Online 39 Hey I agree with you. I miss dressing up in the costumes and the parties, guess I have gotten old now. I also enjoy passing out candy especially to the little ones and watch their face just light up with joy; if they don't have on a mask. I love horror movies as well and I actually watched the same two movies as you. I must tell you I love Jason (Friday The 13th.) If it came to Jason vs Michael; Michael Myers wouldn't stand a chance. Trick or Treat.
Melissa S. 90 Halloween is one of my most favorite times of the year. Kids get candy and get to dress up and be whoever they want to be and older people get to see their little faces light up when you give them candy, it’s just overall a good time in my opinion. As I have gotten older I have started to wear scarier costumes instead of just being a fairly every year but other than that, nothing has really changed since I’ve gotten older with Halloween. I haven’t gone to any parties like that I’d like to but I just haven’t! I love seeing people who put time and effort into their costumes and makeup, that is probably the most interesting part to me.
Jillian D. 90 I don't participate in any traditional Halloween traditions but I think the best part of Halloween is the tv shows and movies that come on! I love that many sitcoms always have a "Halloween" or "scary" episode and I love the cheesy older Disney Channel movies and the classics from the 1980s like Halloween and Jason.
I agree! I love watching all the cheesy Halloween movies! I actually recorded Hocus Pocus and watched it with my boyfriend tonight. Watching these movies always makes me feel like a kid again.
Whitney H. Online 38 I absolutely love Halloween! It is a time of many traditions for my family. We always take a trip to the pumpkin patch and enjoy going on a hay ride, finding our way through corn maze and picking out pumpkins. We always have the greatest time carving our jack-o-lanterns. Along with our jack-o-lanterns that decorate the front porch, we also hang lots of scary decorations and lights(even though we live way out in the woods and don't get trick or treaters). I have to say, having kids, our all time favorite part of Halloween is dressing up and going trick or treating. We always get together with a big group of family and friends to go on a hay ride through the neighborhood. We enjoy looking at all of the decorations and seeing all of the wonderful costumes... and the candy is not bad either hahaha.
C Burgess Online 38 I always enjoyed dressing up for Halloween and still do sometimes. I love seeing all the little princess' and evil villians. I would have to agree with you all the candy is one of the best parts. As my kids get older I can't wait to sit around and watch a scarey movie with them. I guess besides what Halloween stands for it reminds me of the change of seasons. Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Cooler weather, beautiful colors, popcorn balls, carmel apples, chili...yummy. It still is cool to see people put on home made costumes or setup scarey decore to see if they scare anyone. Happy Halloween!
Some of my favorite traditions during the Halloween season are corn mazes and hayrides. They are such an excellent opportunity to go out with your friends and family and have some good, clean, southern fun. Every year, my dad puts on a cookout and a hayride at our church. It is quite possibly my favorite day in October because not only do we get to fellowship with our church family, but we also get to tell many different people about Christ and show them a good time at a church event. I also like dressing up for Halloween. Most years I dress up as a cowgirl because I already have all of the attire and accessories from my everyday style, but this year, I went all out and purchased a costume. My boyfriend and I are going to do a Wizard of Oz theme. No matter what tradition we are celebrating during this season, we always have a wonderful time.
I love haunted houses, decorating with carved pumpkins, strobe lights, and skeleton figures. The only fake item I loathe are fake spiders. Real ones are bad enough to me.
Debra B40 There are so many ways to celebrate as you have said. I have six children ranging from 16 to 35. Over the years I have taken my kids out for the house to house trick or treat. It has really changed in the type of candy and the concern over the safety of the candy received. I have only heard of it through my grandkids but they go to a trunk or treat. I think that would be the most safest because of the closeness and organization of it all. Of my five grand children two have a birthday on October 20th. Parents do seperate birthday parties and each was a Halloween costume party. So they have gone to fall festivals at school, birthday costume party, trunk or treat and today they will be doing the house to house trick or treating. Too much candy and I'm glad they are going home to their parents.
Debra B40 I agree with Chris Yount.Online39 on the haunted houses. They were a lot different in my days buy still scary enough. I use to take the kids when they were younger. Now they take themselves.
Nick G online 39 I never really got into dressing up for Halloween, but I am a connoisseur of horror movies. I love the campy ones as well as the really gory ones. If you've never seen Troll 2, I highly suggest checking it out if your into campy, hilarious, and weird 80s horror movies! I've always liked carving pumpkins too. My girlfriend and I carved some really cool ones this year!
Angela J Online 39 In response to Nick G Online 39
I love carving pumpkins! I've won the neighborhood contest many times. I usually carve three or four each year because I enjoy it so much. Sometimes I'll give a couple of them away to neighbors for their front porches.
Melissa Perez 39 I have always enjoyed carving pumpkins with my family. After we gut the pumpkin, we seperate the seeds and lay them out to dry. Then I roast them in the oven. I thought my daughter, Emily, would enjoy the seeds, considering her current obsession with sunflower seeds; however, she announced they were "nasty". My husband and I decided to take Emily trunk or treating this year at a local church. I am fond of the traditional trick or treating but decided against it this year due to my husband's work schedule. I cannot wait to to see how Emily reacts to other children dressed in their costumes, as this is the first year she'll realize what all the fuss is.
Kellianne B. #21038 in response to Melissa Perez 39
I love pumpkin seeds! It's a family tradition to roast pumpkin seeds in the oven as well!! I can't believe your daughter didn't enjoy them. We add salt to our pumpkin seeds and they are addicting! I look forward to carving pumpkins... not because I love carving pumpkins, but because of the yummy pumpkin seeds that we roast afterwards haha.
Craving pumpkins is the best prt. I was able to craves pumpkins with my daughter this halloween and she loved every moment of it. Looks like we just created a new tradtion for our little family
Halloween is by far my favorite "holiday". Not only do I love the day, but I love the month of October and I love the season as well. There are so many things that I enjoy about Halloween. Being an eighteen year old, I don't go trick or treating anymore and I don't get together with friends unless it's for a party. Costume parties are fun because you can still get dressed up and show off your costume, but you don't have to go door to door for candy in the cold! Although I don't go trick or treating anymore, I still like to watch Halloween movies that I grew up on. Disney Channel made my Halloween every year. Watching movies like Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Beetle Juice, and Underwraps made me love October! I love seeing candy everywhere in stores and I love seeing halloween decorations. I love the weather because I am not a huge fan of the heat. Seeing Starbucks come out with their Pumpkin Spice Latte and things like Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer at the grocery store, just excites me. Things like apple cider and chili are comforting because my family makes it every year. I love seeing leaves all over the ground and I love having to put on a jacket to go outside. I love everything about Halloween!
Dana B.38 I have always loved halloween the most. I enjoyed dressing up and going trick or treating when I was younger. I miss being a kid! I love getting scared. I enjoy watching scary movies and going to haunted houses. The best part of halloween now that Im older, is that I get to take my son trick or treating.
Lakin 36 I love halloween! I miss the days where I used to dress up and knock on every door for that candy. My mom always had to limit how much we could eat so we didnt get crazy on that sugar. I also still love carving pumpkins. As the years go on, I tend to get better and better and always try to out-carve my families pumpkins!
I do not participate in Halloween neither do I let my children do. The reason is because I do not know the meaning of it. I also do not like what I see, like the skeltons and coffins infront of people's houses. What interests me most is that I have asked several people who participate and they also tell me they do not know the meaning of it. It fascinates me to see someone dressed as a ghost and does not know the meaning of it. All the same, Happy Halloween to those who enjoy it!
I find everything about Halloween interesting and fun! The most likely the reason is that as a child I was not allowed to participate in Halloween activities. After becoming an adult I found Halloween to be fun and exciting. I still dress up in costume for parties and I'm old enough to have grown children...and a few grandchildren. In fact, I dressed up as Dr. D. Capitate, Surgeon for a party last Friday evening and made it to the top three in the contest. Oh yeah, and... my birthday is the day before Halloween. I love when Halloween falls on a Sunday because the parties are always the day before and I have tons of fun! Happy Halloween ya'll! Everybody have fun and be safe!!!
Ashley M online 39. in response to Angela J Online. I love that you celebrate halloween now! It is one of the best holidays, in my opinion. I love that you still dress up, when I'm old enough to have kids you bet I will still be dressing up! Happy halloween!
When i was a kid we would dress up and make the rounds to everyones house for candy . Then head home and change customs and make the rounds again expecially the houses that had the good stuff. We would go the the park and see the bon fire and watch the people trying to climb a greasae pole to the top to get 100 dollars it would take all night but eventually someone would get it. Then we would make the rounds to the house again to get more candy to see who get gather the most.Then of course eatting as much as possiable be for you got home and your mom took most of it away.If you had a bowl out with the sign to take one forget it it was all mine. and dont be giving out money i would change as much as i could we would change between each other and run home and change again ..
Kennedy A 38 in response to A martin 55 It is in fact an interesting experience. I made remember back in Africa where is have to play when the moon shines so bright and running around doing hide and seek.
In response to Martin Ha, we did the same thing. Take one, ha! Gone. I grew up in the burbs, no grease pole, sounds fun to watch . I look at my son now and see the crazy look in his eye, he'll be taking all the candy, I know it.
When I was younger I used to love dressing up and going out to trick or treat. We used to take pillow sacks with us because the plastic pumpkins were just too small. We used to go around our neighborhood till we couldn't fit anymore candy in our bags. Now I still love this time of year, but avoid the costume parties.
Danyelle N.06 In response to Rhyno Hawg 35 It is so sad how many people do not hand out candy any more the kids go 3 blocks and maybe there are 5 houses with lights on. When I was a kid we used pillow cases, and we came back with them almost full everytime, but its just not the same.I still love this time of year though.
Ashley M. Online 39. I LOVE everything about halloween! The traditions I participate in include: taking my little sister trick or treating, watching scary movies all day, and decorating. I always make it a habit to go the day after halloween to get a bunch of decorations and candy that is on sale! I still love dressing up with my little sister and taking her around the neighborhood! The best part for me is watching scary movies! You have to go out and rent the best ones get the family together and have a good time!
I have yet to decorate for holloween myself, but this is something that I feel I may enjoy also. The scary movies seem like a very good idea to get the family together whether you trick or treat or not.
Kennedy A 38 online I think Halloween has been on for years and generations, and it is like part of the western culture to celebrate their dead ones. I do not believe in or do it at all,but all the same i wish people that does it happy halloween!
Danyelle N. 06 I love halloween it has always been a time for family gathering, although it has changed in the past few years I still love it, because I have my own kids and they love to dress up and get candy. As a kid all 10 of my cousins would come over to my parents house and trick or treat and say the sayings like trick or treat smell my feet.... and laugh about the costumes our parents come up with and eat chicken and dumplings then the fathers would take us around the neighborhood while the mothers stayed at home with the candy handing it out although we have only received 2 trick or treaters for almost 30yrs so mostly the women just talked. Halloween has always been very memorably for me and I am glad to pass on those traditions to my kids and hope they do the same for their families someday.
I think the moms getting together to talk is just as much a tradition as the kids going out in their costumes for candy!I saw a lot of dads taking their kids around last night! Hope you had a fun night!
I celebrate Halloween if I'm in the mood. For the most part I'll go to a Halloween dress up party, or take my children trick or treating. It's important to me because it gives me another reason to socialize, and I'm a very social person.
Priscille Fleurimont Pierre online For Halloween my husband and I normally go to some party. But for the past couple years we have just been taking the kids to church instead of trick or treating door to door, its just to dangerous.
As a kid, I dressed up and went trick or treating with friends. That is my favorite part of Halloween. I love to see how creative the kids are with their costumes. As an adult, I usually don't dress up. Although a few years ago, my husband and I dressed up as black eyes peas. We wore T-shirts with pea pods on them and blacked our eyes. This year my kids were a sassy cowgirl a zombie and a sharpie highlighter. They are old enough that they go out with their friends. I sat with my neighbors and handed out candy and enjoying some adult time. We did not get a chance to carve a pumpkin this year. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!!!
I love Halloween.It is one of my favorite Holy days.The horror movies,the candy , and the costume are defiantly my favorite things about it. I like to put on costumes and pretend and someone else.
Patrick H Intro to Sociology 11/1/12 I love Halloween. It is so much fun to dress up and pretend to be a monster even for a night. As a kid I loved to scare people and go trick or treating around my neighborhood and other neighborhoods as well. It was the feeling of being different for a night that was cool about if for me. I loved being scary and frightening people. After all Halloween is supposed to be scary. Once I got back inside I would eat my candy until I was full or when it was time to go to bed, whichever came first. Then the next day I would come home and eat more candy. We didn’t have too many traditions for Halloween but we did start off trick or treating by taking the candy at our house first. In conclusion, Halloween is a time to just have fun and be scary.
Kouam M.40 I agree with you on the fact that Halloween is one night celebration and you don’t even want to waste one minute of enjoyment. I think the purpose of terrifying movies is to take you away from everyday routine and give you the taste of scary dresses. Additionally, Halloween without trick or treat is similar to Thanksgiving without turkey.
Halloween is such a great holiday. I like watching old horror movies, especially the corny ones like Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Each year we decorate the hill behind the house to look like an old cemetery and we always have alot of fun with it. The costume parties each year are great too!
Cassie H. I absolutely love the holidays and all the traditions that come with them. Halloween is one of my favorites though, and love seeing everyone dress up. We always have a party and make fun food and themed cakes/desserts. And dressing up is a plus. Last but not least, cannot forget the movies, Hocus Pocus, the best Halloween movie and definitely a classic in my life. :)
AnsleyC. I love every single holiday! i love getting in the spirit and really enjoying seeing everyone else also get in the spirit. Halloween is one of my favorites because i LOVE getting scared, for the exception of clowns. But anyways, i am a scary movie and haunted house freak!The dressing up part isnt really my favorite part but it still is fun!
Holly G.38 In response to Ansley C. I completely agree with you in that all holidays are fun! Halloween is also one of my favorites. I have 2 kids so I enjoy watching them "trick or treat".
I enjoy all holidays! Halloween is one of my favorites though simply because I enjoy going trick or treating with my two girls. They love getting dressed up and collecting candy! It's all about childhood and having fun, now I get to watch my children enjoy the same things that I loved as a kid!
Even though My family and I do not celebrate Halloween because of our religion. I do watch the scary movies that come on tv with my brothers and friends. The one thing that i'm curious about and still don't know why people do this is go trick or treating. I turned down alot of cute kids in the dressed in adorable costumes. I guess the only thing I can enjot about Halloween is the horror movies that come on TV.
J. Wisniewski 39 Halloween is my Favorite Holiday! Followed closely by St. Pat's. I just love how people get into it. All the costumes, and themed parties. We generally go out to the bar on Halloween with our friends and we all dress up in costumes. It is so fun to see all the different costume ideas that people will come up with. A few years ago we say Spy vs. Spy out in Denver. These two people dressed up and playing practical jokes on each other. It was a show in itself! I just enjoy when people are out and just having fun, and halloween lets you be anything or anyone you want to, for a night. I also enjoy a good scary movie, so I love this time of the year when the Halloween movies come out. Just all in all I think if you just relax and have fun with it, Halloween can be a really good time.
Sam C. 40 in response to J. Wisniewski 39, I'm with you on everything but the scary movies. I've never really been able to stomach them. I love the costumes though!
Jessi W. 39 in response to Ashley M. 39 I do the same thing with the decorations. I always make sure and head to those big Halloween stores and get the clearance stuff. My Halloween collection is quickly catching if not bigger then my Christmas decor. I am also with you on the scary movie thing. I remember when I was a kid our family would all get together in the living room and put on a scary movie. My brother is not a fan, he would put the blanket over his head and peek out during the "scary" parts! Ah the memories.
Susan W.55 Different communities have different beliefs and practice to celebrate various events. In my community/religion,we don't celebrate halloween but at that season we recognize the family members have died.We go to church and light candles and say silent prayers.Anyway,now that i migrated to US and its a tradition here, my children won't understand the whole concept of mm tradition.The first time l refused for them to dress up and go tricker treat was not fun. l then promised myself that l will find a way to celebrate this events for the sake of my Kids.So we dress up and go tricker treats and give candies,take pictures and its fun.We don't watch scary movies or dress up on scary costumes.But at the end of the day, we enjoy the candies and picture taking.
I remember when I was a kid the best thing about holloween was definitely the candy. All the candy I could eat. I used to hide candy in different places so that I would always have some candy around when ever I got a craving. Now I think the best thing about holloween would definitely have to be the parties! It is so much fun to dress up like bid kids and be whoever wewant to be for that night! For me I think that any reason to celebrate is good reason so I made sure I elebrate every holloween.
Brittany H. Online 38 In response to Faith, I also enjoyed looking forward to Halloween as a child for all the candy. I would carry a pillow case around during trick-or-treat so that I could gather as much candy as possible and have it for months or even up until the following Halloween.
Kouam M.40 The apparently endless wait for dark is one part of Halloween that has stayed with me since infancy. Although our parents preferred we set out earlier, my brother and I knew that walking house-to-house would be no good at evening--there was nothing forbidden or hazardous in it. Halloween is a kind way for children to face, in fantasy, real doubts and fears we all share. It creates a waking dream in which the dark is colonized with nothing worse than cartoon-like characters.This celebration, offers the occasion to minimize little bit the opponent of life : death and its fear.
Back in the Philippines, I never had a chance to dress up in halloween until I moved to America. MY first Halloween costumes party was memorable and fun because I had the chance to wear halloween costumes as Mrs. Pirates and I celebrated it with my filipino community in Georgia.
I love the treat and trick part of the halloween where all kids dress up in their favorite costumes. They are all cute and adorable.I also love the pumpkin carving and the colorful set up or decoration at work or any establishment. I love when all co-workers at work dress up for halloween. It was really fun.
I love good ole fashioned Halloween trick or treating. Loved dressing up as a kid, roaming the streets with friends, and you get candy. Now I love walking with my kid, dressing up myself, and giving out candy. All my neighbors we have a small fire in the front yard and enjoy adult beverages. Love it!
What I enjoy most about Halloween is being able to dress up as a fictional character from a movie, tv show, or something from history. I like the fact that you can play the part of the character the costume represents which to me, makes the night more memorable.
I agree with you about doing it for the sake of your kids. My kids have tried to do the same too. I realize the only thing that is making them do it is the free candy. So what I do is buy them whatever candy they like to compensate them for missing the fun. They will be able to do when they get older.
Kandi B. 38 As a kid, my parents would never buy us a costume, we always came up with something at home. It wasn't a big deal, we just made it fun and wasn't allowed to be anything scary or satanic. As a parent, I have tried to carry on the same tradition with my 4 children. We always come up with something to dress up in and luckily my kids have not complained and begged to go buy store bought costumes. My daughter is married now, and her husband insists on buying costumes from the store. It irritates her and it is interesting to me how the tradition that she wants to pass on based on her upbringing has come to an end for her.
Kandi B 38 In response to Danielle. I agree, kids have to work harder to get the candy than they used to. "It is so sad how many people do not hand out candy any more the kids go 3 blocks and maybe there are 5 houses with lights on. When I was a kid we used pillow cases, and we came back with them almost full everytime, but its just not the same."
I must admit, I havenot been a fan of halloween for years. I think it has turned into a demonic ritual, an excuse to go out and party... My kids are 2 and 4, and I decided that I would make halloween fun, show them that it isnt about demons, skulls, and partying...it's about fall decorations, going door to door in cute costumes, getting candy, spending time with family, and even a way for churches and communities to get together. I even dressed as a cat this year. I believe it is what you make it, if you want it to be a demonic ritual, then thats what it will be, but if you want it to be good clean, family fun, then it will be. :)
I would say Halloween interest me the most because I like the haunted houses that people set up and just the feeling of freight. I Also enjoy going to something called Halloween horror nights in Orlando fl. the whole park of universal studios is turned into a scary place so if any one ever wants a fright then go to Halloween horror nights.
Eiryn M. 40 ONLINE in response to Sumpter Bettis 44
I have never been outside of the city where I was born for Halloween. I would love to go to another state to see how it is different from how we do it in Georgia.
Susan W.55 In response to J.Wisniewski 39 I truly agree with you that it is fun to see all the diferent consume ideas that people come up with.This show how creative people are.It as a moment that people can release srtess through relaxation and fun.I would say it doesn;t matter what people to celebrate halloween as long as you have fun and stay happy. It can be dressing up,watching movies,parties and many others.
Well personally I never really been a fan of Halloween because of the evil people say that it represents. But who can pass up all of that candy and seeing everyone dress up and the cutest costumes. But overall I really get a kick out of watching all of those scary movies which I look forward to each year.
I used to celebrate Halloween. As I got older, it lost its fun, much like how I felt about Christmas. I just got sick of seeing kids in costumes for a "holiday" that has nothing that is worth celebrating but going around and taking free candy.
I find Halloween to be very interesting holiday because of it's ancient origins. It is supposed to be the one day of the year when the wall between the living and the dead is at it's "thinnest" so spirits were thought to roam the earth on this night. In order to keep the bad spirits at bay, the people started wearing scary masks to try and fool the spirits into thinking they were not human but spirits themselves. Somehow that has evolved into dressing up our children as Disney Princesses and Ninjas. :)
I usually don't celebrate Halloween because I was always at church on that day. My church would have food, games, and candy for all the children in the community. However, this year I took my baby trick-or-treating and we had a blast. I am definitely looking forward to next year
Wanda B. 40 i love Halloween, the getting dressed up in whatever is always fun.I love the candy and now that my children are older it is not as fun as it use to be,the kids want to go to haunted houses now.I use to love to check each childs bag candy and i always got a thrill out of seeing the array of different types of sweets. I have always been a sugar head, you just cant buy enough candy from the store to get a variety like you would from trick-a-treating door to door. i miss those times, now i just sit at home waiting to help a youngster build his/her diverse candy selection.
that is great that you got a chance to explore what Halloween is about, and that is having fuuuuuuuuuuuun.it is a sugar rush holday that can really be enjoyed with the simplest participation
I don't really have any traditions for Halloween. I use to go and help with my church use to have a trunk-or-treat every year but stopped about a year ago. I have always wanted to try to carve a pumpkin this year a painted face on three pumpkins that I have, maybe next time I can try carving.
Megan K. 39 I did not start participating in any typical Halloween traditions till the last few years. Instead of going trick-or-treating when I was growing up, my parents took us to our Church where they held an Autumn festival. Now that I have a son, I enjoy letting him dress up in costumes and go door to door getting candy, as well as going to Burt's Pumpkin Patch and carving pumpkins! I am really starting to enjoy Halloween and all the fun activities that come with it.
Jordan D. 40 Trick or treating. It is absolutely bizarre that, for one night a year, parents allow their children to dress up in a costume and go up to a stranger's door to ask for candy. Every lesson that dictates "don't eat anything you got from a stranger," or "don't talk to people you don't know" is thrown to the wind that night for these kids. Not that it's a bad thing, of course. Halloween promotes a friendly and neighborly feeling that permits people to come together in a shared celebration of a holiday. It just seems so strange to me that we eagerly engage in and encourage something that strikes me as very unsafe, if sweet.
Kelly S. Online 40 I agree that it can be very unsafe. I think this is one of the main reasons that my parents would only let us go to church functions. We knew everyone and there would be games and lots of candy for all the kids without us having to worry if there was razor blades or other unsafe things in it.
I totally agree with you. My sister and myself wasn't allowed to do any of those things. Mother would buy us candy and a movie and that was it. And sometimes we didn't get that. My mother didn't celebrate Halloween, for all of the same reasons you just mentioned.
I LOVE the Halloween parties and the pumpkin carving. Its so cool to see all the creative faces people make with their pumpkins. Although i have not been trick or treating in years, i still think its one of the best parts of Halloween. All the chocolate, suckers, and costumes just put a smile on my face. The haunted houses are super scary but a fun experience. Six flags host their annual fright fest and it stiLL rocks!
Alicia H 38. I also love the Halloween parties. There are so many cute ideas for snacks, drinks, and decorations that go along with Halloween that I find it hard to not get excited about planning a celebration. We had a great time taking our kids trick or treating this year and carving pumpkins was a hit with them as well. All the leftover candy is a bit overwhelming.
I love Halloween. Dressing up, craving pumpkins, and most importantly eating candy!! It is the one time of year where everyone has a reason to be silly, dress up and act like kids again. As a parent myself, it allows me to do fun things like face painting, exploring different fun costumes and eating candy with my 2 year old as if I was her age. We dont watch many horror movies because she is 2 but we do enjoy all the Disney Channel version of scary movies.
LaTia W online 39....I enjoy Halloween because my friends and I typically take a cruise during this time and the ships always have so many interesting things going on. I enjoy dressing up for fun and the candy offered.
LaTia W online 39 in respomse to Jordan D 40... I agree with your comments regardng Halloween. When I was younger my parents would allow me to go door to door however that stopped quickly due to it being unsafe. My church started having a festival we called "Hallelujah festival" which was so much fun and so much safer.
I love Halloween! We begin planning costumes about two months before Halloween and our house is decorated in mid September. My favorite thing about Halloween is watching my children ask everyday (from mid September) if it is Halloween yet? I know they are excited about candy, but I also hope they are excited to wear the costumes I make them.
Isjour Beasley Online.38 My family does dress up and decorate the house for Halloween. I used to dress up as a kid and loved the costumes. We all love the candy and having a good time. This year i had a discussion with a friend while waiting for trick or treaters. We were discussing how odd this holiday truly is.We spend all year telling our kids not to talk or take candy from strangers but here we go door to door sometimes entering in a strangers house for free candy. We had a good laugh but hey who does'nt like free candy. :)
I love Halloween. It's up there in my favorites, because you really aren't obligated to do much of anything but celebrate! With no presents, no food you have to cook, no eggs you have to hide, it's the most celebrated holiday across our nation. I don't always dress up, I didn't this past Halloween. I always have an eventful night though, I usually go to a concert around my area. Last year, I dressed up as Buckethead and saw Umphrey's Mcgee live at the Tabernacle. This year, I didn't dress up and saw Primus live at the Tabernacle. Halloween to me is pretty much a great excuse to go blow your money and have alot of fun with friends. I enjoy dressing up, but only if it suits the occasion.
Stephen G. online replying to Mika Edwards 39 I totally agree with your idea of halloween. Who doesnt love! I did not ever think about the fact the Halloween is just to celabrate but i guess it could be compared to how we see madigras now :)
Sam C. 40 My partner and I absolutely love Halloween! When we can, we decorate, make or buy costumes, and either host or go to parties. When we lived in a house instead of an apartment, we loved seeing the kids come trick-or-treat. The most interesting tradition for me has to be costumes. Whether it is a child or adult, you can usually learn a lot about them by their choice of costume.
You really can learn a lot about a person by what they choose to dress up as. I love all the decorations too! It is such a fun tradition in todays society!
Kelly S. Online 40 My siblings and I were never allowed to go trick or treating and so instead we would attend church functions such as fall festivals or trunk or treat. I always enjoyed dressing up and of course I loved the large amounts of candy I would get. :)
Ivy M.40 My brother's birthday is Oct 26, so growing up we always had a halloween birthday party for him. Lots of decorations and party games to include bobbing for apples! As we grew older we would always decorate the outside of the house to look like it was haunted. Halloween has always been a fun time of year to step out of our elements...dressing up to be someone we are really not. Within our family we look forward to carving pumpkins, it is a competition. Every year my husband attaches a dollar bill to a fishing line and poll, hides behind the truck and then tosses it into the road to see who will try to pick it up as he "reels" them in!!! It is so funny!!! Lots of fun time with trick or treat! In response to Wendy W The left over candy is the best. I usually buy the "good" candy in case of leftovers!
Valentina T 36 I never had this holiday celebrated where I gre up, in Ukraine, but ever since we moved to America we have always celebrated it. The best part is the costumes. At first I didn't like when my kids asked for scary costumes, but as time has passed I have gotten used to it and I really enjoy it! The candy is also great! We send all of the leftovers in Ukraine.
Whitney H. Online 38 In response to Ivy M. I too love the tricks that come along with Halloween. I tend to enjoy scaring people during the week of Halloween and playing tricks on them as well. I place fake spiders in places where I know people will be scared of them when they realize that they are there. We also enjoy carving pumpkins and all of the festivities that come along with the holiday.
I'm not into Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas would be my holiday's of choice. My family come together and spend a lot of time together. We surprise the kids with different family traditions. Like, we say up all night cooking and listening to music, talking and laughing about old times. The day of we eat, eat, watch movies and pull our secret Santa names. Christmas we do about the same except on Christmas day we open our secret Santa gifts and find out what we got and who had our names. Most of the gifts goes to the kids. We used to do the when we we're younger, but now we have kids so the joy for the older ones come out of kids happiness.
I'm not into Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas would be my holiday's on choice. My family come together and spend a lot of time together. We surprise the kids we different family traditions. Like, the night before Thanksgiving wee stay up all night cooking, listening to music, talking and laughing about old times. The day of we eat, watch movies and pull our secret Santa names. Christmas we do about the same except on Christmas day we open our secret Santa gifts and find out what we got and who had our names. Most of the gifts goes to the kids. We used to do get a lot of gifts before the kids came, now our joy come from the looks on our babies faces when they open each one of their gifts.
J Walther 70: As a kid, dressing up for Halloween at school always made me feel uncomfortable. That said, I still looked forward to it every year. As I grew older, the mentality of Halloween changed from that of, "free candy!" to "girls!" to who even knows what to call it anymore. It's become such a ridiculously unpredictible holiday as I've ventured into my early 20's that I aim to stay home next year and avoid any further Halloween madness (though it probably won't happen.
J Walther 70: in response to Kelly S online 40: What is trunk or treat? Were there restrictions on what you could and couldn't wear to church as a child on Halloween? What was your parent's reasoning for not allowing you and your siblings to go trick or treating?
I love Halloween and having a child now makes it so much fun because I have always loved to dress up. We don't really have any other traditions other than trick or treating but thats the best one right! You go out dressed up and ask people for candy to last you months!
I completely agree with you the best part of halloween is seeing our kids enjoy their festivities. It makes me happy to see them happy and as long as they enjoy their Halloween i definitely enjoyed mine.
It has to be the fact you can dress up and you can get free candy from people. I love Halloween a lot more now that i have kids it's a wonderful feeling to know that they are having a wonderful time with all the dressing up and "candy shopping". I know i use to love it. Its a great experience for me and my children to spend that day together.
I can't say I find anything very interesting more than the fact that it's another event to wear a costume and people not only don't think it's weird that you're wearing a 1800's, Victorian, or Medieval ball gown, outside, but also they admire the craftmanship.
I don't really participate in any Halloween celebrations, but one thing i love about that time of year is that all the television shows do Halloween special. they also do Christmas specials and other holiday specials when those times come, but i love the Halloween specials because they are so freaking hilarious! at least i believe so. I love the comedy shows that just have people freaking out. I guess that would be my tradition, to sit down with my family and watch Halloween specials and OH YEAH also the horror movie Marathons that play! My family always sits down at night to watch like all the Halloween movies and Friday the 13th movies. Its just a great time!
Stephen G. online 40 Through out the years I have always enjoyed Halloween celebrations. As a child I enjoyed October 31 every year because of the free candy and as the years have passed i find it to be still my favorite day. Instead of the free candy I have been finding myself in different parties with more less questionable activities happening. but I always have fun! Not to mention the candy corn and cashews!
I love Halloween! It is the day after my birthday so al of my life it has been a pretty great day. I do not recall ever having a bad Halloween. As far back as i can rememeber my mom would always get me a costume and i would dress up as something and then we would all go walking around and trick or treating for candy. Now that i am older we will sit out infront and pass out candy and watch how all the little kids enjoy it so much. There is nothing too too speacial about this day other then it brings crazy odd joy to children so they can have a good time and stay up and be hyper!!!
Maxx L. Online 039 I've always been a big fan of Halloween. I love going to Halloween parties where everyone dresses up. I always find it interesting what people dress up as. I also find it pretty cool that out of say 30-40 people at the party usually only a couple of them have the same costume, everyone else is in different things.
Wendy W. 40
ReplyDeleteI, personally, love Halloween. I love the cute decorations and the bright colors. My oldest son and I are hardcore horror movie fans so we usually have a get together with my brothers and their wives and have a movie marathon with lots of delicious appetizer style foods - all with a 'gory' theme to it, of course! And we watch scary movies as we wait for the trick or treaters to arrive.
And you can't forget the best part... the leftover candy.. or better yet, the bag of GOOD candy you conveniently left behind the door so you can exclaim, "oops! look what I forgot to give out to the trick or treaters.. guess we'll just have to eat it ourselves!" :)
Happy Halloween!
I love the left over candy! Definitely the best part of Halloween once you get older. We don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters where I live so there is always way too much candy left in my house!
DeleteChris Y. Online 39
DeleteHorror movies are great Halloween tradition. I good scare always puts you in the mood
Nick G Online 39
DeleteHorror movies are a must around Halloween. I always forget that one bag of candy to, haha!
Oh yeah, I also love all the horror movies that come on this time of year. Nothing like building a fire on a cold night, getting cozy on the coach with the Mrs and putting a scary movie in.
DeleteChris W, 39
DeleteI agree with you Wendy, the cute decorations and bright colors in Halloween is really amazing . Though I don't like watching horror movies, but definitely I like the leftover candies and trick or treat where kids love.
Megan K. 39 in response to Wendy W.40:
DeleteI agree, Wendy!! I love all the Halloween decorations and accidental "left-over" candy. There's nothing better than coming home from a long day of trick-or-trating and finding a bag full of name brand Twix and Hershey bars!
Bart S. Online 39
ReplyDeleteWell, of course, I used to dress up when I was a kid. Every couple of years I'll go to a costume party. The main tradition for myself, though, is that I pass out candy. Once all the kids are done walking around the neighborhood, I take the leftover candy and I watch a scary movie. This year I've watched Halloween I & II from 1978 and and 1981, respectively. I refuse to watch the sequels and remakes. (Spoiler alert: Michael Myers very much dead after II.) I also watch the original Scream from 1996 EVERY YEAR. It's the best horror movie ever, in my opinion. It's just so well written and acted out. I love a good "who's-the killer?" film.
In my family we also carve a pumpkin, as many people do.
Jordan D. 40 in response to Bart Stever
DeleteHey, I thought the first remake was all right! You are right about the sequels though, they're not all that great.
I like Halloween alot. My personal favorite parts of it as a kid was trick or treating, dressing up in the costume. Now I enjoyed treating the kids with candy and dressing my own kids in costumes. I will never forget my last adult halloween party,I dressed up as a toilet bowel wearing a mask of President Bush. At that time it was around the elections just like this year. I won the best costume at the party, and what made it really funny and unique is that it hand a handle to flush it. When you flushed it; it replied Bushsh--!!! sorry, can't repeat, so I will leave the rest to your imagination. This was my best and most memorible halloween. I like watching the scary movies that come out during this time old and new. I can't leave out the pumpkin pies and cookies..ummmm. So I want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween.
ReplyDeleteKnock, Knock, Knock, B00 :0
Trick or Treat.
in response to James B. 38
DeleteWendy W. 40 ~
That Bush costume had me literally LOL'ing... that's hilarious! What a creative costume :))
Reply to Bart S. Online 39
ReplyDeleteHey I agree with you. I miss dressing up in the costumes and the parties, guess I have gotten old now. I also enjoy passing out candy especially to the little ones and watch their face just light up with joy; if they don't have on a mask. I love horror movies as well and I actually watched the same two movies as you. I must tell you I love Jason (Friday The 13th.) If it came to Jason vs Michael; Michael Myers wouldn't stand a chance. Trick or Treat.
Melissa S. 90
ReplyDeleteHalloween is one of my most favorite times of the year. Kids get candy and get to dress up and be whoever they want to be and older people get to see their little faces light up when you give them candy, it’s just overall a good time in my opinion. As I have gotten older I have started to wear scarier costumes instead of just being a fairly every year but other than that, nothing has really changed since I’ve gotten older with Halloween. I haven’t gone to any parties like that I’d like to but I just haven’t! I love seeing people who put time and effort into their costumes and makeup, that is probably the most interesting part to me.
Jillian D. 90
ReplyDeleteI don't participate in any traditional Halloween traditions but I think the best part of Halloween is the tv shows and movies that come on! I love that many sitcoms always have a "Halloween" or "scary" episode and I love the cheesy older Disney Channel movies and the classics from the 1980s like Halloween and Jason.
Macy Dobson
DeleteOnline 38
In reply to Jillian D. 90
I agree! I love watching all the cheesy Halloween movies! I actually recorded Hocus Pocus and watched it with my boyfriend tonight. Watching these movies always makes me feel like a kid again.
Whitney H. Online 38
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Halloween! It is a time of many traditions for my family. We always take a trip to the pumpkin patch and enjoy going on a hay ride, finding our way through corn maze and picking out pumpkins. We always have the greatest time carving our jack-o-lanterns. Along with our jack-o-lanterns that decorate the front porch, we also hang lots of scary decorations and lights(even though we live way out in the woods and don't get trick or treaters). I have to say, having kids, our all time favorite part of Halloween is dressing up and going trick or treating. We always get together with a big group of family and friends to go on a hay ride through the neighborhood. We enjoy looking at all of the decorations and seeing all of the wonderful costumes... and the candy is not bad either hahaha.
C Burgess Online 38
ReplyDeleteI always enjoyed dressing up for Halloween and still do sometimes. I love seeing all the little princess' and evil villians. I would have to agree with you all the candy is one of the best parts. As my kids get older I can't wait to sit around and watch a scarey movie with them. I guess besides what Halloween stands for it reminds me of the change of seasons. Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Cooler weather, beautiful colors, popcorn balls, carmel apples, chili...yummy. It still is cool to see people put on home made costumes or setup scarey decore to see if they scare anyone. Happy Halloween!
Macy Dobson
ReplyDeleteOnline 38
Some of my favorite traditions during the Halloween season are corn mazes and hayrides. They are such an excellent opportunity to go out with your friends and family and have some good, clean, southern fun. Every year, my dad puts on a cookout and a hayride at our church. It is quite possibly my favorite day in October because not only do we get to fellowship with our church family, but we also get to tell many different people about Christ and show them a good time at a church event. I also like dressing up for Halloween. Most years I dress up as a cowgirl because I already have all of the attire and accessories from my everyday style, but this year, I went all out and purchased a costume. My boyfriend and I are going to do a Wizard of Oz theme. No matter what tradition we are celebrating during this season, we always have a wonderful time.
Chris Yount. Online 39
ReplyDeleteI love haunted houses, decorating with carved pumpkins, strobe lights, and skeleton figures. The only fake item I loathe are fake spiders. Real ones are bad enough to me.
Debra B40
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways to celebrate as you have said. I have six children ranging from 16 to 35. Over the years I have taken my kids out for the house to house trick or treat. It has really changed in the type of candy and the concern over the safety of the candy received. I have only heard of it through my grandkids but they go to a trunk or treat. I think that would be the most safest because of the closeness and organization of it all. Of my five grand children two have a birthday on October 20th. Parents do seperate birthday parties and each was a Halloween costume party. So they have gone to fall festivals at school, birthday costume party, trunk or treat and today they will be doing the house to house trick or treating. Too much candy and I'm glad they are going home to their parents.
Debra B40
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris Yount.Online39 on the haunted houses. They were a lot different in my days buy still scary enough. I use to take the kids when they were younger. Now they take themselves.
Nick G online 39
ReplyDeleteI never really got into dressing up for Halloween, but I am a connoisseur of horror movies. I love the campy ones as well as the really gory ones. If you've never seen Troll 2, I highly suggest checking it out if your into campy, hilarious, and weird 80s horror movies! I've always liked carving pumpkins too. My girlfriend and I carved some really cool ones this year!
Angela J Online 39
DeleteIn response to Nick G Online 39
I love carving pumpkins! I've won the neighborhood contest many times. I usually carve three or four each year because I enjoy it so much. Sometimes I'll give a couple of them away to neighbors for their front porches.
Melissa Perez 39
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed carving pumpkins with my family. After we gut the pumpkin, we seperate the seeds and lay them out to dry. Then I roast them in the oven. I thought my daughter, Emily, would enjoy the seeds, considering her current obsession with sunflower seeds; however, she announced they were "nasty". My husband and I decided to take Emily trunk or treating this year at a local church. I am fond of the traditional trick or treating but decided against it this year due to my husband's work schedule. I cannot wait to to see how Emily reacts to other children dressed in their costumes, as this is the first year she'll realize what all the fuss is.
Kellianne B. #21038 in response to Melissa Perez 39
DeleteI love pumpkin seeds! It's a family tradition to roast pumpkin seeds in the oven as well!! I can't believe your daughter didn't enjoy them. We add salt to our pumpkin seeds and they are addicting! I look forward to carving pumpkins... not because I love carving pumpkins, but because of the yummy pumpkin seeds that we roast afterwards haha.
Shaquanna Brown
DeleteCraving pumpkins is the best prt. I was able to craves pumpkins with my daughter this halloween and she loved every moment of it. Looks like we just created a new tradtion for our little family
Kellianne B. Online #21038
ReplyDeleteHalloween is by far my favorite "holiday". Not only do I love the day, but I love the month of October and I love the season as well. There are so many things that I enjoy about Halloween. Being an eighteen year old, I don't go trick or treating anymore and I don't get together with friends unless it's for a party. Costume parties are fun because you can still get dressed up and show off your costume, but you don't have to go door to door for candy in the cold! Although I don't go trick or treating anymore, I still like to watch Halloween movies that I grew up on. Disney Channel made my Halloween every year. Watching movies like Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Beetle Juice, and Underwraps made me love October! I love seeing candy everywhere in stores and I love seeing halloween decorations. I love the weather because I am not a huge fan of the heat. Seeing Starbucks come out with their Pumpkin Spice Latte and things like Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer at the grocery store, just excites me. Things like apple cider and chili are comforting because my family makes it every year. I love seeing leaves all over the ground and I love having to put on a jacket to go outside. I love everything about Halloween!
Dana B.38
ReplyDeleteI have always loved halloween the most. I enjoyed dressing up and going trick or treating when I was younger. I miss being a kid! I love getting scared. I enjoy watching scary movies and going to haunted houses. The best part of halloween now that Im older, is that I get to take my son trick or treating.
Dana B.38 in response to Jillian D.
ReplyDeleteI love the cheesy halloween movies too! Halloweentown is my favorite!
Lakin 36
ReplyDeleteI love halloween! I miss the days where I used to dress up and knock on every door for that candy. My mom always had to limit how much we could eat so we didnt get crazy on that sugar. I also still love carving pumpkins. As the years go on, I tend to get better and better and always try to out-carve my families pumpkins!
Elizabeth N. - Online 38
ReplyDeleteI do not participate in Halloween neither do I let my children do. The reason is because I do not know the meaning of it. I also do not like what I see, like the skeltons and coffins infront of people's houses. What interests me most is that I have asked several people who participate and they also tell me they do not know the meaning of it. It fascinates me to see someone dressed as a ghost and does not know the meaning of it. All the same, Happy Halloween to those who enjoy it!
Angela J Online 39
ReplyDeleteI find everything about Halloween interesting and fun! The most likely the reason is that as a child I was not allowed to participate in Halloween activities. After becoming an adult I found Halloween to be fun and exciting. I still dress up in costume for parties and I'm old enough to have grown children...and a few grandchildren. In fact, I dressed up as Dr. D. Capitate, Surgeon for a party last Friday evening and made it to the top three in the contest. Oh yeah, and... my birthday is the day before Halloween. I love when Halloween falls on a Sunday because the parties are always the day before and I have tons of fun! Happy Halloween ya'll! Everybody have fun and be safe!!!
Ashley M online 39. in response to Angela J Online.
DeleteI love that you celebrate halloween now! It is one of the best holidays, in my opinion. I love that you still dress up, when I'm old enough to have kids you bet I will still be dressing up! Happy halloween!
A. Martin 55 soc tth
ReplyDeleteWhen i was a kid we would dress up and make the rounds to everyones house for candy . Then head home and change customs and make the rounds again expecially the houses that had the good stuff. We would go the the park and see the bon fire and watch the people trying to climb a greasae pole to the top to get 100 dollars it would take all night but eventually someone would get it. Then we would make the rounds to the house again to get more candy to see who get gather the most.Then of course eatting as much as possiable be for you got home and your mom took most of it away.If you had a bowl out with the sign to take one forget it it was all mine. and dont be giving out money i would change as much as i could we would change between each other and run home and change again ..
Kennedy A 38 in response to A martin 55
DeleteIt is in fact an interesting experience. I made remember back in Africa where is have to play when the moon shines so bright and running around doing hide and seek.
In response to Martin
DeleteHa, we did the same thing. Take one, ha! Gone. I grew up in the burbs, no grease pole, sounds fun to watch . I look at my son now and see the crazy look in his eye, he'll be taking all the candy, I know it.
R. Rauch 35
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I used to love dressing up and going out to trick or treat. We used to take pillow sacks with us because the plastic pumpkins were just too small. We used to go around our neighborhood till we couldn't fit anymore candy in our bags. Now I still love this time of year, but avoid the costume parties.
Danyelle N.06 In response to Rhyno Hawg 35
DeleteIt is so sad how many people do not hand out candy any more the kids go 3 blocks and maybe there are 5 houses with lights on. When I was a kid we used pillow cases, and we came back with them almost full everytime, but its just not the same.I still love this time of year though.
Ashley M. Online 39.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE everything about halloween! The traditions I participate in include: taking my little sister trick or treating, watching scary movies all day, and decorating. I always make it a habit to go the day after halloween to get a bunch of decorations and candy that is on sale! I still love dressing up with my little sister and taking her around the neighborhood! The best part for me is watching scary movies! You have to go out and rent the best ones get the family together and have a good time!
I have yet to decorate for holloween myself, but this is something that I feel I may enjoy also. The scary movies seem like a very good idea to get the family together whether you trick or treat or not.
DeleteKennedy A 38 online
ReplyDeleteI think Halloween has been on for years and generations, and it is like part of the western culture to celebrate their dead ones. I do not believe in or do it at all,but all the same i wish people that does it happy halloween!
Danyelle N. 06
ReplyDeleteI love halloween it has always been a time for family gathering, although it has changed in the past few years I still love it, because I have my own kids and they love to dress up and get candy. As a kid all 10 of my cousins would come over to my parents house and trick or treat and say the sayings like trick or treat smell my feet.... and laugh about the costumes our parents come up with and eat chicken and dumplings then the fathers would take us around the neighborhood while the mothers stayed at home with the candy handing it out although we have only received 2 trick or treaters for almost 30yrs so mostly the women just talked. Halloween has always been very memorably for me and I am glad to pass on those traditions to my kids and hope they do the same for their families someday.
Wendy C online 39
DeleteI think the moms getting together to talk is just as much a tradition as the kids going out in their costumes for candy!I saw a lot of dads taking their kids around last night! Hope you had a fun night!
Q. Maddox Online 40
ReplyDeleteI celebrate Halloween if I'm in the mood. For the most part I'll go to a Halloween dress up party, or take my children trick or treating. It's important to me because it gives me another reason to socialize, and I'm a very social person.
Priscille Fleurimont Pierre
ReplyDeleteonline
For Halloween my husband and I normally go to some party. But for the past couple years we have just been taking the kids to church instead of trick or treating door to door, its just to dangerous.
Priscille Fleurimont Pierre
ReplyDeleteonline
response to Kennedy
I too think it is a westerners holiday but do not mind it at all.
Wendy C Online 39
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I dressed up and went trick or treating with friends. That is my favorite part of Halloween. I love to see how creative the kids are with their costumes. As an adult, I usually don't dress up. Although a few years ago, my husband and I dressed up as black eyes peas. We wore T-shirts with pea pods on them and blacked our eyes. This year my kids were a sassy cowgirl a zombie and a sharpie highlighter. They are old enough that they go out with their friends. I sat with my neighbors and handed out candy and enjoying some adult time. We did not get a chance to carve a pumpkin this year. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!!!
I love Halloween.It is one of my favorite Holy days.The horror movies,the candy , and the costume are defiantly my favorite things about it. I like to put on costumes and pretend and someone else.
ReplyDeletePatrick H
ReplyDeleteIntro to Sociology
11/1/12
I love Halloween. It is so much fun to dress up and pretend to be a monster even for a night. As a kid I loved to scare people and go trick or treating around my neighborhood and other neighborhoods as well. It was the feeling of being different for a night that was cool about if for me. I loved being scary and frightening people. After all Halloween is supposed to be scary. Once I got back inside I would eat my candy until I was full or when it was time to go to bed, whichever came first. Then the next day I would come home and eat more candy. We didn’t have too many traditions for Halloween but we did start off trick or treating by taking the candy at our house first. In conclusion, Halloween is a time to just have fun and be scary.
Kouam M.40
DeleteI agree with you on the fact that Halloween is one night celebration and you don’t even want to waste one minute of enjoyment. I think the purpose of terrifying movies is to take you away from everyday routine and give you the taste of scary dresses. Additionally, Halloween without trick or treat is similar to Thanksgiving without turkey.
Halloween is such a great holiday. I like watching old horror movies, especially the corny ones like Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Each year we decorate the hill behind the house to look like an old cemetery and we always have alot of fun with it. The costume parties each year are great too!
ReplyDeleteCassie H.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the holidays and all the traditions that come with them. Halloween is one of my favorites though, and love seeing everyone dress up. We always have a party and make fun food and themed cakes/desserts. And dressing up is a plus. Last but not least, cannot forget the movies, Hocus Pocus, the best Halloween movie and definitely a classic in my life. :)
I agree the movies are the best part of Halloween.
DeleteAnsleyC.
ReplyDeleteI love every single holiday! i love getting in the spirit and really enjoying seeing everyone else also get in the spirit. Halloween is one of my favorites because i LOVE getting scared, for the exception of clowns. But anyways, i am a scary movie and haunted house freak!The dressing up part isnt really my favorite part but it still is fun!
Holly G.38
DeleteIn response to Ansley C.
I completely agree with you in that all holidays are fun! Halloween is also one of my favorites. I have 2 kids so I enjoy watching them "trick or treat".
I enjoy all holidays! Halloween is one of my favorites though simply because I enjoy going trick or treating with my two girls. They love getting dressed up and collecting candy! It's all about childhood and having fun, now I get to watch my children enjoy the same things that I loved as a kid!
ReplyDeleteThe above was posted by HOLLY G.38
Deletesorry about that.
Even though My family and I do not celebrate Halloween because of our religion. I do watch the scary movies that come on tv with my brothers and friends. The one thing that i'm curious about and still don't know why people do this is go trick or treating. I turned down alot of cute kids in the dressed in adorable costumes. I guess the only thing I can enjot about Halloween is the horror movies that come on TV.
ReplyDeleteJ. Wisniewski 39
ReplyDeleteHalloween is my Favorite Holiday! Followed closely by St. Pat's. I just love how people get into it. All the costumes, and themed parties. We generally go out to the bar on Halloween with our friends and we all dress up in costumes. It is so fun to see all the different costume ideas that people will come up with. A few years ago we say Spy vs. Spy out in Denver. These two people dressed up and playing practical jokes on each other. It was a show in itself! I just enjoy when people are out and just having fun, and halloween lets you be anything or anyone you want to, for a night. I also enjoy a good scary movie, so I love this time of the year when the Halloween movies come out. Just all in all I think if you just relax and have fun with it, Halloween can be a really good time.
Sam C. 40 in response to J. Wisniewski 39,
DeleteI'm with you on everything but the scary movies. I've never really been able to stomach them. I love the costumes though!
Jessi W. 39 in response to Ashley M. 39
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing with the decorations. I always make sure and head to those big Halloween stores and get the clearance stuff. My Halloween collection is quickly catching if not bigger then my Christmas decor. I am also with you on the scary movie thing. I remember when I was a kid our family would all get together in the living room and put on a scary movie. My brother is not a fan, he would put the blanket over his head and peek out during the "scary" parts! Ah the memories.
Susan W.55
ReplyDeleteDifferent communities have different beliefs and practice to celebrate various events. In my community/religion,we don't celebrate halloween but at that season we recognize the family members have died.We go to church and light candles and say silent prayers.Anyway,now that i migrated to US and its a tradition here, my children won't understand the whole concept of mm tradition.The first time l refused for them to dress up and go tricker treat was not fun. l then promised myself that l will find a way to celebrate this events for the sake of my Kids.So we dress up and go tricker treats and give candies,take pictures and its fun.We don't watch scary movies or dress up on scary costumes.But at the end of the day, we enjoy the candies and picture taking.
I remember when I was a kid the best thing about holloween was definitely the candy. All the candy I could eat. I used to hide candy in different places so that I would always have some candy around when ever I got a craving. Now I think the best thing about holloween would definitely have to be the parties! It is so much fun to dress up like bid kids and be whoever wewant to be for that night! For me I think that any reason to celebrate is good reason so I made sure I elebrate every holloween.
ReplyDeleteBrittany H. Online 38
DeleteIn response to Faith,
I also enjoyed looking forward to Halloween as a child for all the candy. I would carry a pillow case around during trick-or-treat so that I could gather as much candy as possible and have it for months or even up until the following Halloween.
Kouam M.40
ReplyDeleteThe apparently endless wait for dark is one part of Halloween that has stayed with me since infancy. Although our parents preferred we set out earlier, my brother and I knew that walking house-to-house would be no good at evening--there was nothing forbidden or hazardous in it.
Halloween is a kind way for children to face, in fantasy, real doubts and fears we all share. It creates a waking dream in which the dark is colonized with nothing worse than cartoon-like characters.This celebration, offers the occasion to minimize little bit the opponent of life : death and its fear.
Chris W, 39
ReplyDeleteBack in the Philippines, I never had a chance to dress up in halloween until I moved to America. MY first Halloween costumes party was memorable and fun because I had the chance to wear halloween costumes as Mrs. Pirates and I celebrated it with my filipino community in Georgia.
I love the treat and trick part of the halloween where all kids dress up in their favorite costumes. They are all cute and adorable.I also love the pumpkin carving and the colorful set up or decoration at work or any establishment. I love when all co-workers at work dress up for halloween. It was really fun.
I love good ole fashioned Halloween trick or treating. Loved dressing up as a kid, roaming the streets with friends, and you get candy. Now I love walking with my kid, dressing up myself, and giving out candy. All my neighbors we have a small fire in the front yard and enjoy adult beverages. Love it!
ReplyDeleteBrittany H. Online 38
ReplyDeleteWhat I enjoy most about Halloween is being able to dress up as a fictional character from a movie, tv show, or something from history. I like the fact that you can play the part of the character the costume represents which to me, makes the night more memorable.
Sumpter Bettis 44 responce to Brittany H 38
DeleteYea i have never dressed up for Halloween my self but i do enjoy seeing the costumes that adults be wearing
Elizabeth N - Online.38
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Susan W.55.
I agree with you about doing it for the sake of your kids. My kids have tried to do the same too. I realize the only thing that is making them do it is the free candy. So what I do is buy them whatever candy they like to compensate them for missing the fun. They will be able to do when they get older.
Kandi B. 38
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my parents would never buy us a costume, we always came up with something at home. It wasn't a big deal, we just made it fun and wasn't allowed to be anything scary or satanic.
As a parent, I have tried to carry on the same tradition with my 4 children. We always come up with something to dress up in and luckily my kids have not complained and begged to go buy store bought costumes.
My daughter is married now, and her husband insists on buying costumes from the store. It irritates her and it is interesting to me how the tradition that she wants to pass on based on her upbringing has come to an end for her.
Kandi B 38
ReplyDeleteIn response to Danielle. I agree, kids have to work harder to get the candy than they used to.
"It is so sad how many people do not hand out candy any more the kids go 3 blocks and maybe there are 5 houses with lights on. When I was a kid we used pillow cases, and we came back with them almost full everytime, but its just not the same."
Online, Schrader, Allison CR39
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I havenot been a fan of halloween for years. I think it has turned into a demonic ritual, an excuse to go out and party... My kids are 2 and 4, and I decided that I would make halloween fun, show them that it isnt about demons, skulls, and partying...it's about fall decorations, going door to door in cute costumes, getting candy, spending time with family, and even a way for churches and communities to get together. I even dressed as a cat this year. I believe it is what you make it, if you want it to be a demonic ritual, then thats what it will be, but if you want it to be good clean, family fun, then it will be. :)
Sumpter Bettis 44
ReplyDeleteI would say Halloween interest me the most because I like the haunted houses that people set up and just the feeling of freight. I Also enjoy going to something called Halloween horror nights in Orlando fl. the whole park of universal studios is turned into a scary place so if any one ever wants a fright then go to Halloween horror nights.
Eiryn M. 40 ONLINE
Deletein response to Sumpter Bettis 44
I have never been outside of the city where I was born for Halloween. I would love to go to another state to see how it is different from how we do it in Georgia.
Susan W.55
ReplyDeleteIn response to J.Wisniewski 39
I truly agree with you that it is fun to see all the diferent consume ideas that people come up with.This show how creative people are.It as a moment that people can release srtess through relaxation and fun.I would say it doesn;t matter what people to celebrate halloween as long as you have fun and stay happy. It can be dressing up,watching movies,parties and many others.
Adriane M. Online 40
ReplyDeleteWell personally I never really been a fan of Halloween because of the evil people say that it represents. But who can pass up all of that candy and seeing everyone dress up and the cutest costumes. But overall I really get a kick out of watching all of those scary movies which I look forward to each year.
Eiryn M. ONLINE 40,
ReplyDeleteI used to celebrate Halloween. As I got older, it lost its fun, much like how I felt about Christmas. I just got sick of seeing kids in costumes for a "holiday" that has nothing that is worth celebrating but going around and taking free candy.
Amanda Graham 33
DeleteI love the scary movie part too! I'm a scaredy cat though but I still love them!
Amanda Graham 33
ReplyDeleteI find Halloween to be very interesting holiday because of it's ancient origins. It is supposed to be the one day of the year when the wall between the living and the dead is at it's "thinnest" so spirits were thought to roam the earth on this night. In order to keep the bad spirits at bay, the people started wearing scary masks to try and fool the spirits into thinking they were not human but spirits themselves. Somehow that has evolved into dressing up our children as Disney Princesses and Ninjas. :)
Lacey K.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't celebrate Halloween because I was always at church on that day. My church would have food, games, and candy for all the children in the community. However, this year I took my baby trick-or-treating and we had a blast. I am definitely looking forward to next year
Wanda B. 40
ReplyDeletei love Halloween, the getting dressed up in whatever is always fun.I love the candy and now that my children are older it is not as fun as it use to be,the kids want to go to haunted houses now.I use to love to check each childs bag candy and i always got a thrill out of seeing the array of different types of sweets. I have always been a sugar head, you just cant buy enough candy from the store to get a variety like you would from trick-a-treating door to door. i miss those times, now i just sit at home waiting to help a youngster build his/her diverse candy selection.
Wanda B.40 in response to Lacy K.
ReplyDeletethat is great that you got a chance to explore what Halloween is about, and that is having fuuuuuuuuuuuun.it is a sugar rush holday that can really be enjoyed with the simplest participation
Meredith Hunton
ReplyDeleteI don't really have any traditions for Halloween. I use to go and help with my church use to have a trunk-or-treat every year but stopped about a year ago. I have always wanted to try to carve a pumpkin this year a painted face on three pumpkins that I have, maybe next time I can try carving.
Megan K. 39
ReplyDeleteI did not start participating in any typical Halloween traditions till the last few years. Instead of going trick-or-treating when I was growing up, my parents took us to our Church where they held an Autumn festival. Now that I have a son, I enjoy letting him dress up in costumes and go door to door getting candy, as well as going to Burt's Pumpkin Patch and carving pumpkins! I am really starting to enjoy Halloween and all the fun activities that come with it.
Jordan D. 40
ReplyDeleteTrick or treating. It is absolutely bizarre that, for one night a year, parents allow their children to dress up in a costume and go up to a stranger's door to ask for candy. Every lesson that dictates "don't eat anything you got from a stranger," or "don't talk to people you don't know" is thrown to the wind that night for these kids. Not that it's a bad thing, of course. Halloween promotes a friendly and neighborly feeling that permits people to come together in a shared celebration of a holiday. It just seems so strange to me that we eagerly engage in and encourage something that strikes me as very unsafe, if sweet.
Kelly S. Online 40
DeleteI agree that it can be very unsafe. I think this is one of the main reasons that my parents would only let us go to church functions. We knew everyone and there would be games and lots of candy for all the kids without us having to worry if there was razor blades or other unsafe things in it.
Tacile B, 40
Deletein response to Jordan D 40
I totally agree with you. My sister and myself wasn't allowed to do any of those things. Mother would buy us candy and a movie and that was it. And sometimes we didn't get that. My mother didn't celebrate Halloween, for all of the same reasons you just mentioned.
Tranita J. Online 40
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Halloween parties and the pumpkin carving. Its so cool to see all the creative faces people make with their pumpkins. Although i have not been trick or treating in years, i still think its one of the best parts of Halloween. All the chocolate, suckers, and costumes just put a smile on my face. The haunted houses are super scary but a fun experience. Six flags host their annual fright fest and it stiLL rocks!
Alicia H 38.
DeleteI also love the Halloween parties. There are so many cute ideas for snacks, drinks, and decorations that go along with Halloween that I find it hard to not get excited about planning a celebration. We had a great time taking our kids trick or treating this year and carving pumpkins was a hit with them as well. All the leftover candy is a bit overwhelming.
ShaqunnaBrown
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween. Dressing up, craving pumpkins, and most importantly eating candy!! It is the one time of year where everyone has a reason to be silly, dress up and act like kids again. As a parent myself, it allows me to do fun things like face painting, exploring different fun costumes and eating candy with my 2 year old as if I was her age. We dont watch many horror movies because she is 2 but we do enjoy all the Disney Channel version of scary movies.
LaTia W online 39....I enjoy Halloween because my friends and I typically take a cruise during this time and the ships always have so many interesting things going on. I enjoy dressing up for fun and the candy offered.
ReplyDeleteLaTia W online 39 in respomse to Jordan D 40... I agree with your comments regardng Halloween. When I was younger my parents would allow me to go door to door however that stopped quickly due to it being unsafe. My church started having a festival we called "Hallelujah festival" which was so much fun and so much safer.
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween! We begin planning costumes about two months before Halloween and our house is decorated in mid September. My favorite thing about Halloween is watching my children ask everyday (from mid September) if it is Halloween yet? I know they are excited about candy, but I also hope they are excited to wear the costumes I make them.
ReplyDeleteIsjour Beasley
ReplyDeleteOnline.38
My family does dress up and decorate the house for Halloween. I used to dress up as a kid and loved the costumes. We all love the candy and having a good time. This year i had a discussion with a friend while waiting for trick or treaters. We were discussing how odd this holiday truly is.We spend all year telling our kids not to talk or take candy from strangers but here we go door to door sometimes entering in a strangers house for free candy. We had a good laugh but hey who does'nt like free candy. :)
Isjour Beasley
ReplyDeleteonline.38
In reply to Tranita J. Online 40
I personally enjoy the fun parties and everyone's creative costumes and i also love carving the pumpkin it's one of the best part's of Halloween.
Mika Edwards 39
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween. It's up there in my favorites, because you really aren't obligated to do much of anything but celebrate! With no presents, no food you have to cook, no eggs you have to hide, it's the most celebrated holiday across our nation. I don't always dress up, I didn't this past Halloween. I always have an eventful night though, I usually go to a concert around my area. Last year, I dressed up as Buckethead and saw Umphrey's Mcgee live at the Tabernacle. This year, I didn't dress up and saw Primus live at the Tabernacle. Halloween to me is pretty much a great excuse to go blow your money and have alot of fun with friends. I enjoy dressing up, but only if it suits the occasion.
Stephen G. online replying to Mika Edwards 39
DeleteI totally agree with your idea of halloween. Who doesnt love! I did not ever think about the fact the Halloween is just to celabrate but i guess it could be compared to how we see madigras now :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSam C. 40
ReplyDeleteMy partner and I absolutely love Halloween! When we can, we decorate, make or buy costumes, and either host or go to parties. When we lived in a house instead of an apartment, we loved seeing the kids come trick-or-treat. The most interesting tradition for me has to be costumes. Whether it is a child or adult, you can usually learn a lot about them by their choice of costume.
You really can learn a lot about a person by what they choose to dress up as. I love all the decorations too! It is such a fun tradition in todays society!
Delete-Renee H 39
Kelly S. Online 40
ReplyDeleteMy siblings and I were never allowed to go trick or treating and so instead we would attend church functions such as fall festivals or trunk or treat. I always enjoyed dressing up and of course I loved the large amounts of candy I would get. :)
Ivy M.40
ReplyDeleteMy brother's birthday is Oct 26, so growing up we always had a halloween birthday party for him. Lots of decorations and party games to include bobbing for apples! As we grew older we would always decorate the outside of the house to look like it was haunted. Halloween has always been a fun time of year to step out of our elements...dressing up to be someone we are really not. Within our family we look forward to carving pumpkins, it is a competition. Every year my husband attaches a dollar bill to a fishing line and poll, hides behind the truck and then tosses it into the road to see who will try to pick it up as he "reels" them in!!! It is so funny!!! Lots of fun time with trick or treat!
In response to Wendy W
The left over candy is the best. I usually buy the "good" candy in case of leftovers!
Valentina T 36
ReplyDeleteI never had this holiday celebrated where I gre up, in Ukraine, but ever since we moved to America we have always celebrated it. The best part is the costumes. At first I didn't like when my kids asked for scary costumes, but as time has passed I have gotten used to it and I really enjoy it!
The candy is also great! We send all of the leftovers in Ukraine.
Whitney H. Online 38
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ivy M.
I too love the tricks that come along with Halloween. I tend to enjoy scaring people during the week of Halloween and playing tricks on them as well. I place fake spiders in places where I know people will be scared of them when they realize that they are there. We also enjoy carving pumpkins and all of the festivities that come along with the holiday.
I'm not into Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas would be my holiday's of choice. My family come together and spend a lot of time together. We surprise the kids with different family traditions. Like, we say up all night cooking and listening to music, talking and laughing about old times. The day of we eat, eat, watch movies and pull our secret Santa names. Christmas we do about the same except on Christmas day we open our secret Santa gifts and find out what we got and who had our names. Most of the gifts goes to the kids. We used to do the when we we're younger, but now we have kids so the joy for the older ones come out of kids happiness.
ReplyDeleteTacile Bell 40
DeleteI'm not into Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas would be my holiday's on choice. My family come together and spend a lot of time together. We surprise the kids we different family traditions. Like, the night before Thanksgiving wee stay up all night cooking, listening to music, talking and laughing about old times. The day of we eat, watch movies and pull our secret Santa names. Christmas we do about the same except on Christmas day we open our secret Santa gifts and find out what we got and who had our names. Most of the gifts goes to the kids. We used to do get a lot of gifts before the kids came, now our joy come from the looks on our babies faces when they open each one of their gifts.
J Walther 70:
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, dressing up for Halloween at school always made me feel uncomfortable. That said, I still looked forward to it every year. As I grew older, the mentality of Halloween changed from that of, "free candy!" to "girls!" to who even knows what to call it anymore. It's become such a ridiculously unpredictible holiday as I've ventured into my early 20's that I aim to stay home next year and avoid any further Halloween madness (though it probably won't happen.
J Walther 70:
ReplyDeletein response to Kelly S online 40:
What is trunk or treat? Were there restrictions on what you could and couldn't wear to church as a child on Halloween? What was your parent's reasoning for not allowing you and your siblings to go trick or treating?
Renee H. -39
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween and having a child now makes it so much fun because I have always loved to dress up. We don't really have any other traditions other than trick or treating but thats the best one right! You go out dressed up and ask people for candy to last you months!
Ashley M. online38
DeleteI completely agree with you the best part of halloween is seeing our kids enjoy their festivities. It makes me happy to see them happy and as long as they enjoy their Halloween i definitely enjoyed mine.
Ashley M. online38
ReplyDeleteIt has to be the fact you can dress up and you can get free candy from people. I love Halloween a lot more now that i have kids it's a wonderful feeling to know that they are having a wonderful time with all the dressing up and "candy shopping". I know i use to love it. Its a great experience for me and my children to spend that day together.
I can't say I find anything very interesting more than the fact that it's another event to wear a costume and people not only don't think it's weird that you're wearing a 1800's, Victorian, or Medieval ball gown, outside, but also they admire the craftmanship.
ReplyDeleteRyan Kroeger 10
ReplyDeleteI don't really participate in any Halloween celebrations, but one thing i love about that time of year is that all the television shows do Halloween special. they also do Christmas specials and other holiday specials when those times come, but i love the Halloween specials because they are so freaking hilarious! at least i believe so. I love the comedy shows that just have people freaking out. I guess that would be my tradition, to sit down with my family and watch Halloween specials and OH YEAH also the horror movie Marathons that play! My family always sits down at night to watch like all the Halloween movies and Friday the 13th movies. Its just a great time!
Stephen G. online 40
ReplyDeleteThrough out the years I have always enjoyed Halloween celebrations. As a child I enjoyed October 31 every year because of the free candy and as the years have passed i find it to be still my favorite day. Instead of the free candy I have been finding myself in different parties with more less questionable activities happening. but I always have fun! Not to mention the candy corn and cashews!
I love Halloween! It is the day after my birthday so al of my life it has been a pretty great day. I do not recall ever having a bad Halloween. As far back as i can rememeber my mom would always get me a costume and i would dress up as something and then we would all go walking around and trick or treating for candy. Now that i am older we will sit out infront and pass out candy and watch how all the little kids enjoy it so much. There is nothing too too speacial about this day other then it brings crazy odd joy to children so they can have a good time and stay up and be hyper!!!
ReplyDelete^^^^ Shaylynn S.
DeleteMaxx L. Online 039
ReplyDeleteI've always been a big fan of Halloween. I love going to Halloween parties where everyone dresses up. I always find it interesting what people dress up as. I also find it pretty cool that out of say 30-40 people at the party usually only a couple of them have the same costume, everyone else is in different things.