The WORST thing you ever got in your Trick or Treat Bag

[Murfreesboro]

Once someone gave one of my kids political material. It was in support of some local Democratic candidate. My husband, who describes himself as a "yellow dog Republican," was incensed when we got home. But I said, "Well, if you go begging from house to house, you can't really complain about what you are given." I mean, it's not like it was razor blades or poisoned candy. The woman did give candy, too. And another time, some lady gave my kids the religious literature along with the candy. She was dressed like a clown, so I guess she didn't get into the gorier side of Halloween.

I'm pretty easy with what people give, actually, as long as it isn't something dangerous. You can always throw away what you don't want.

[Spookymufu]

I'm pretty easy with what people give, actually, as long as it isn't something dangerous. You can always throw away what you don't want.

I'm the same way

[DemonSlayerMau]

I see your point about the candy, but in a way it's bribery. Here, join my church and you get free candy!

[Murfreesboro]

LOL! I hadn't thought of it that way.

I suspect that those who hand out the religious tracts are uneasy with Halloween in the first place, and can only bring themselves to participate if they are doing something on the order of proselytizing. As for that lady who gave us the political material--I guess she was hoping to reach the parents when they went through the candy back home. I mean, it's not like the kids were going to go out and vote the next week.

[MacPhantom]

In 2008, I gave out little quarter-sheets of paper with the date for election day on one side, and on the other a printout of a chart showing the two Presidential candidate's proposed tax plans based on income (it was an analysis put out by a non-partisan newspaper... The Washington Post or something like that, working in conjunction with tax policy analysts). It didn't say "Vote For..." anybody; it was strictly information on when election day was, and how much more or less in taxes a person would pay based on the candidates' own proposals. These were rubberbanded to the full sized candy bars I was handing out. Big candy plus information which their parents were welcome to read or chuck; I felt that was fair.

[Pumpkin_Man]

A lot of people ust "Trick or Treat" to promote their political or religious beliefs. I personaly don't have a problem with that, until they start trying to impose those beleifs, like certain religious people in my town have tried to do in the past. One of them went as far as to try to get "Trick or Treat" and even the displaying of jack o'lanterns banned within the town limits, but they were quickly shouted down.

One of the things I laugh out loud about, though is the time I got a poster adversiting an automobile dealorship. I was about 10 at the time, and the closest thing I ever came to driving a car was an ocassional episode of "Speed Racer." So it was very doubtful that I was going to run out and buy a brand new car any time soon. I supposed the guy who handed those adds out thought that my parents would see it and it would boost his business. The bad news was, he didnt give out any candy at all. All I got was his dealorship flyer. LAME! LAME! LAME!

Mike

[Pumpkin_Man]

Actualy I take that bad. "Speed Racer" and the bumper cars at Play Land were my only car driving experiences when I was 10.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

I think it's a really bad idea for people to hand out fliers of any sort without the candy. Kids expect the candy.

Mike, I would be incensed if anyone around here tried to ban TOT or the display of jack-o-lanterns! We live in the Bible belt, and there are plenty of folks who are uncomfortable with Halloween. I have never heard of anyone trying to stop it, though. Lots of churches do alternative activities (like fall festivals), as do the schools (though not on Halloween night). My children's grade school used to have a "book character parade" either on the 31st or Nov.1st. The children could costume as witches if they wanted, but they had to carry a book on that subject (my daughter carried Harry Potter). Several churches, including ours, do Trunk-or-Treat, which can be kinda fun, though for me, there is no substitute for hitting the streets.

I adore jack-o-lanterns and always display several. I also greatly enjoy seeing how other people have carved their pumpkins. Nothing quite so magical to me as seeing the flickering orange pumpkins in the dark of Halloween!

[Pumpkin_Man]

All of those flickering jack o'lanterns are my favorite art of Halloween, and have been for all of my life. I couldn't even imagine Halloween without a jack o'lantern, any more then I could imagine Christmas without a Christmas Tree.

The folks who tried to get Trick or Treat and displaying jack o'lanterns were a very few religious zealots who were on our town government. From what I can remember there were only two of these individuals, and everyone shouted them down. They are both up for re election next year, and I am going to take GREAT PLEASURE in voting against them.

A lot of churshes and other community groups are opting for "Trick or Trunk," becaise of the safety issues. A lot of people are afraid to have their kids knockong on the doors of strangers. I agree that it can't hold a candle to traditional Trick or Trreating, but at least the kids get some candy in the deal.

Mike

[Andybev01]

In 2008, I gave out little quarter-sheets of paper with the date for election day on one side, and on the other a printout of a chart showing the two Presidential candidate's proposed tax plans based on income (it was an analysis put out by a non-partisan newspaper... The Washington Post or something like that, working in conjunction with tax policy analysts). It didn't say "Vote For..." anybody; it was strictly information on when election day was, and how much more or less in taxes a person would pay based on the candidates' own proposals. These were rubberbanded to the full sized candy bars I was handing out. Big candy plus information which their parents were welcome to read or chuck; I felt that was fair.

"You're hopeless Charlie Brown, completely hopeless."

[Ciuin]

In 2008, I gave out little quarter-sheets of paper with the date for election day on one side, and on the other a printout of a chart showing the two Presidential candidate's proposed tax plans based on income (it was an analysis put out by a non-partisan newspaper... The Washington Post or something like that, working in conjunction with tax policy analysts). It didn't say "Vote For..." anybody; it was strictly information on when election day was, and how much more or less in taxes a person would pay based on the candidates' own proposals. These were rubberbanded to the full sized candy bars I was handing out. Big candy plus information which their parents were welcome to read or chuck; I felt that was fair.

wow.

[DemonSlayerMau]

Funny, because where I'm from I never had any towns trying to ban Halloween or trick or treating or even pumpkins. In fact, I remember last year there were even a few haunted houses to choose from.
Now both my grandmas are against it, but the one I live with at least lets me hand out candy, dress up in a costume, and didn't seem to have a problem with me ordering a pizza. I've even gotten away with some minimal decorating. I think as long as I don't put out extremely gory decorations, I'm fine, and she's terribly afraid of fires. However, I found out I really like those LED lights. They really illuminate a jack o lantern, and you can see it clear from the local store. So I wouldn't mind getting a few more in the near future. You could probably use the lights for other things as well.
I'm not opposed to trunk or treating either, as long as it doesn't replace traditional trick or treating, and even turning it into a charity. Heck, one of the haunted houses was supposed to benefit the catholic school that it was being hosted at.
It's not the ideal way I'd like to set up trick or treating, and if I had the time, money, space, and complete say over the household, I would have a huge display for the little ghosts and goblins that come to my doorstep. But I'm at least happy that she lets me hand out candy, usually under the terms that I'm the one that buys the candy.
Then again, I'd have to wonder if the kids would even appreciate it. From what I read on this forum, some kids don't even care and abuse it.

[Murfreesboro]

Even when I was a child, I never actually cared much about the candy (though collecting a ton of it was a sign of a great Halloween!). What I loved above all was the masquerade, and the license to knock on strangers' doors after dark.

Would you all believe that I never had a jack-o-lantern until after I was grown? When I was a child in Mississippi, they weren't yet common at all. It was sensational to me when I occasionally saw a house with an actual carved pumpkin! And my mother would never let me do it, because she and I lived alone, and she wouldn't leave a lighted pumpkin near our empty house on Halloween night (she always accompanied me when I TOTed). Once I was grown and handing out the candy from my own apartment, I started carving pumpkins. At first I made little ones, pie pumpkins, I guess, which I would put in my windowsill. I used to throw away the seeds! It took me decades to learn how delicious roasted pumpkin seeds are!

Mike, do those puritans on your city council want to ban Christmas trees, too? Because, really, they have pagan origins just as much as the jack-o-lanterns do. It's not like baby Jesus was born in a pine forest.

[Ciuin]

Mike, do those puritans on your city council want to ban Christmas trees, too? Because, really, they have pagan origins just as much as the jack-o-lanterns do. It's not like baby Jesus was born in a pine forest.

lol pine forest.

[MacPhantom]

"You're hopeless Charlie Brown, completely hopeless."

Snickels snickels snickels.