Anti-Halloween
Posted on October 26th, 2006 – 10:02 PMBy May Chen
Is it just me?
I didn’t grow up with Halloween. The Hungry Ghosts Festival, yes, but not Halloween. So when I married my Minnesotan husband and moved here, I announced I would not hand out candy. The whole idea of encouraging kids to hoard candy just seemed….wrong. I mean, isn’t this country in the throes of an obesity epidemic? At least with the Hungry Ghosts, it’s the ghosts that you offer sticky gummy treats to so their teeth stick together and they don’t carry tales of your misdeeds up to the gods in heaven. Or something like that. I may have gotten my Chinese folk tales mixed up.
For our first Halloween, I decided this household would give out dried fruit instead. My husband slapped his forehead and worried we would be ostracized. Then I found out how much dried fruit costs. That put an end to that idea. When the time came, I meekly doled out M&M’s and mini Mars bars.
And then there’s all that money for costumes that kids only wear once. Maybe I should have a better attitude, like Kay. Last year, the cow suit I grabbed for my two-year-old at Target last was too small (check out the stretched fabric around her butt). What do you mean why didn’t I return it? Who has time?? Though said costume did give me the opportunity to use this line to excuse myself early from last year’s Halloween block party: “My cow has gone home….”
And now I read that Halloween’s become a shopping season in its own right. Holy Hungry Ghosts!
138 Responses to "Anti-Halloween"
I agree about the amount of candy American’s hand out, but if you want to set an example of good behavior in handing out treats, then spend the money on the dried fruit or find another type of treat to give out that is better for kids.
I’m not familiar with Hungry Ghosts festival. Please tell us about that.
I love the fun of Halloween. I get to see lots of my neighbors and have fun with friends who visit for our party, but the candy is out of control.
I bet there are lots of alternatives to candy that would be as much fun.
Ligthen-up!
I can’t imagine what you think of Christmas and all the sweets. Or Thanksgiving and all the food. Come on, these are Holiday’s, we are supposed to splurge.
I to have never heard of the Hungry Ghost festival. Just like all other holidays, we only buy things for one day. So Halloween shouldn’t be any different. All nationalalites to not celebrate this day the same. The Hispanic’s make this day a two day event to celebrate and remember their loved ones by sitting in a cemetary for the entire night they call this “the day of the dead” on Oct. 31st, then the next day is called “all saints day” Nov. 1st. I would suggest that if you truly do not know the meaning of Halloween you should look it up.
As a kid I loved walking from block to block to get candy and I new from year to year which neighbors had handed out the best. However with the way the neighbors are these days, you can not trust any one.
I agree that there’s way too much candy. We can’t even send the extra to work with my husband - just about everyone else is a dad and brings their extras in! We usually hide it and around Christmas time we toss what’s left. But for us, trick-or-treating is a tradition in our family. We grew up in the “Halloween Capitol of the World” and Halloween is a month long celebration for us. As for the costumes, I hit Target the day after Halloween and stock up on 75 percent off things for the kids to wear all year long - great, cheap dress up clothes. If I’m lucky, some make it to next Halloween and I don’t have to go out searching for the “perfect” costume!
I feel sorry for your child. What’s next for the child a Bah Hum Bug parent? Holloween is also a social time for parents to see neighbors who are out with their kids.
Enjoy these special times with your kids. Time passes so fast
It’s just you… Halloween is time honored tradition in the US NOT th Hungry Ghosts festval!
You need to read the book “Momfidence”. It’s a funny book about how sometimes moms just take their jobs way too seriously. Of course, being a parent is an extremely important job, and you have to set limits. But, a little candy once a year never hurt any kid. It’s important for them to be able to let loose and have a good time.
Fun Suckers! It’s not about you or the candy. It’s about the kids having fun doing something that they don’t normally do and using their imagination and being able to dress up. In our home we encourage our kids to come up with their own costume and be creative but if we have to buy one who cares? We let our kids use the costumes for dress and play all year long. I’d much rather have my kids be involved in Halloween than sitting in front of the TV playing video games.
Goodness! People sure are cranky today. I find it funny that most of these comments are about how the “poor children” of this “bah-humbug” parent aren’t taking into consideration the actual spirit of the post. I feel more sorry for the children of these posters who can’t bring it upon themselves to be more tolerant of someone’s opinion. May was merely sharing with us her life experience, which is why most of us read this blog in the first place.
May - thank you for all your insights - popular or not. I appreciate you putting it all out for us as readers. As parents, especially mothers, we tend to become so insulated in our own lives that we fail to see that others are right there with us.
Can I offer you some cheese with that whine. It’s a holiday for all the ages to enjoy. My son wear his costume as a pajamma after Halloween. My son always come home with a big bag of candies. But since I am the parent I was able to control how much candy my child eat. You can’t complain about stuff if you don’t take control of it.
My dad was a religious fanatic, and I was not allowed to trick or treat. I really resented it, and now I have gone the complete opposite way and Halloween if my favorite holiday. No kid wants to be labeled as different. The beauty about America is that we learn to blend while still keeping our old traditions. I am the grandaughter of immigrants, now American as apple pie. I am very interested in my grandparents traditions and culture, and tell everyone who I am descended from. Halloween is not about hoarding candy, you eat a few, then they get put away and doled out, or mysteriously disappear. The fun of Halloween is breaking the social taboos of dressing up not as yourself, facing fear head on, and getting to meet all of the people on your street!
If we make sure our kids get enough excercise and not overdue it on the sweets throughout the year, I don’t see any harm with letting them enjoy Halloween as I did as a child. Some of my favorite memories include getting dressed up in my “spooky” costume and hitting the streets with the other ghosts and goblins filling our pillow sack with as much candy as we could get.
Kids grow up way too fast, let them enjoy childhood while they still can.
Halloween does not have to be all about candy. i spent the weekend with my kids putting up decorations, carving pumpkins and doing other activities that the kids look forward to. Sure, we will go out trick-or-treating and eat some candy, but the real fun is the kids dressing up and being social. Don’t you remember how much fun it was to pretend you were someone else when you were little? Parents need to gain perspective on what holidays are all about - fun! By the way, Halloween is the one night of the year that all the parents in our neighborhood are social as well. most houses have treats ready for the parents as well (usually an adult beverage) you can see groups of parents standing in the streets talking and watching their kids have fun. dont worry so much - life is too short, have fun while you can.
Who are you, Scrooge? The morality police? Just turn off your lights and don’t open the door.
If you have a problem with handing out candy or spending $30 on a costume for your kid, just ignore the holiday all together. Don’t waste kids’ time by handing out DRIED FRUIT or some other stupid healthy snack.
When I was a kid, those are the houses that got egged and TP’d.
When I was a kid, we used to make our own costumes mostly from things around the house. I got so good that one year I won a costume contest for scariest costume. Halloween is alot about imagination. Why not work those little minds, spend time making them with them, and leave your wallet out of it.As far as the candy goes, I dont see how a bucket full of candy once a year makes any difference in the overall health of the child. We let our kids splurge a bit the first few days (with limitations), tehn quietly put the candy out of sight. They totally forget they have candy inside of a week or two.
dried fruit? You’re asking to get TP’d
Your Welcome! :)~
I guess in my opinion, I think everyone is making a big hoodoo about the candy aspect of Halloween. If the writer feels that it is her responsibility to impose her beliefs on her neighbors children, then so be it. I know as a kid, I was really disappointed if someone gave me something other than candy when I went to their door, except maybe for the neighbors that gave out pennies and other things like that. I have no objection to people giving out little trinkets and stuff like that to my kids instead of the really cheap penny candy that some people give out these days. My household loves Halloween, because it brings back memories of when WE were kids and that to me is more valuable than anything else, seeing my children reflect the excitement in their eyes that I had when I was their age. So what if it costs 50 dollars or whatever the figure was that was in the Star Tribune article, this is for the kids, not for Miss Haiku, she needs to remember that. I as a parent are responsible for what I choose to allow my children to do(eat), not her. I also would probably be more inclined to put a piece of dried fruit into the do not eat pile when my kids get home with their bag of goodies as I would not be too sure what it is, let alone what someone may have done with it before it was given to my child. Dried fruit has some nutritional value, however it is still high in sugar, and concentrated sugar too for that matter!
The Hungry Ghost Festival:
Wow. I feel for your husband. Did you have him neutered as well? You ANNOUNCED that candy wouldn’t be given out? That’s healthy. I couldn’t imagine my wife announcing what we were going to do, nor would I impose my will on her - it’s a give and take.
Halloween is a lot of fun for kids and it makes candy what it should be, a treat. Obesity is due to a lifestyle of bad eating, not a weekend. Parents are responsible for what their kids eat and for setting a healthy lifestyle. If you’ve decided your children can’t have any candy, so be it, but don’t forget to let your kids be kids.
And don’t forget to let your husband run free, without his leash every once in a while - it’s good for him.
May, I think it is just you. Halloween is my nephews’ and nieces’ favorite holiday and it is not about the candy.
“The Hispanic’s make this day a two day event to celebrate and remember their loved ones by sitting in a cemetary for the entire night they call this “the day of the dead” on Oct. 31st, then the next day is called “all saints day” Nov. 1st. I would suggest that if you truly do not know the meaning of Halloween you should look it up.”
It is mainly only mexicans that celebrate the day of the dead in the cemetary, not all hispanics, and it’s not on October 31st. Nov. 1 is all souls day and November 2nd is the day of the dead. I reccomend you do not know the meaning of other holidays and should look them up.
“Wow. I feel for your husband. Did you have him neutered as well?”
Worst comment ever.
The only things I cant stand about halloween are the comments on this blog.
Growing up, the dim homes with no Halloween action usually ended up toilet papered or they had their lawn pickled. We neighborhood kids, couldn’t get over why Ethel and Frank and others wouldn’t dole out candy to see all of us in our favorite characters. We’d sneer out the opening of our masks and yell, “Party Poopers!”
Now that I’m 34, and the neighbors in my current ‘hood that refuse still get me thinking the same thing….
Wow! You certainly have gotten down the American habit of complaining down pat! Are you taking lessons from Andy Rooney?
I feel bad for your children, lighten up. In today’s world we especially need reasons to celebrate and have fun…guess you’ll be a witch for Halloween.
I’m glad you’re not my mom. Or even in my neighborhood….when I was a kid.
Tip: we used to TP houses like yours
I hand out cold beer to the parents too. Let’s all keep this tradition going, so I get the favor returned when I have kids.
I agree with commenter Kerrie. What’s with all the hostility about May’s post?
She raises some interesting questions about the holiday — and she does so with openness and good cheer — and commenters rip her for it.
She touched a nerve, I guess. Who knew that people had such strong feelings about Halloween?
To each there own! I grew up making this holiday a big one. Thinking to myself who can I dress up like this year? my whole family enjoys the preperation of carving pumpkins, decorating the house and the yard. My grandmother passed away on “all saints day” and she was catholic and loved halloween. I think of her when I dress up cute or scary! when I send my son out trick or treating I’m thinking what are WE going to get when the night is over? WE share the candy and he knows he can’t eat it all in one night. It is our job as a parent to hand out how much candy they should have. it’s one day of fun! just like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New years, St. Patty’s, Easter, 4th of July and so on and so on…Just enjoy the time you have on this earth and how you choose to spend it. Happy Halloween!!!
Unbelievable…I was born and raised in America…this is an American tradition. Okay, so maybe it isn’t just and American tradition, but it is the way we have always done it. And it sounds like your children are American…so what do you think should be your next step May?! I have 3 children, all of which are teenagers now and I don’t get to take them trick or treating anymore, but when they did it was awesome, watching how excited they got when they got all dressed up…mostly in homemade costumes, and we would go as long as they could hold out just like I did when I was their age. Let them have one day of fun. Loosen those reigns and get your undies out of a bunch.
And by the way, none of my children are over wieght at all, in fact one is a model.
Hey, I like dried fruit! I’d've gone back for seconds at a house handing that out. Especially apricots. I’ve been a sucker for dried apricots as long as I can remember. TPing or egging houses with “inadequate” treats — no kid in my neighborhood would’ve ever dreamed of that. Maybe kids really are getting more demanding. Part of the fun of trick-or-treating is that you don’t know what you’ll get in your bucket.
Tip for parents not wanting to hand out candy: one of my neighbors growing up used to hand out coins. That can add up too, of course, but with fewer and fewer kids going door-to-door (enticed away by mall promotions and other events designed to appease even the most paranoid parent of trick-or-treater), it can’t be that bad. If one of your neighbors is too paranoid to let the kid eat something that isn’t individually wrapped, well too bad for them.
I also remember getting cubes of caramel in my bucket. You don’t see that these days. Too cheap, maybe? I liked them, though.
I adore Halloween, although I worry a bit about the trend towards a more adult holiday. It always used to be the one holiday for kids and people with a lot of kid still inside. I hope that doesn’t get lost. And it was a neighborhood holiday rather than a family holiday. I hope that doesn’t get lost.
I do think people need to settle down about the original post, though. She’s not a bad mother, and her kids sound lucky to have a mom like her. Perhaps the negative posters didn’t read closely enough to see that her kids wear costumes and go trick-or-treating like everybody else.
The only posters who really bother me are the ones who say that handing out fruit is an invitation to be egged or TPed. It’s Halloween, people! The most fun and least serious holiday of the year! If you don’t like what somebody hands out, don’t eat it. It’s that simple.
“Growing up, the dim homes with no Halloween action usually ended up toilet papered or they had their lawn pickled. We neighborhood kids, couldn’t get over why Ethel and Frank and others wouldn’t dole out candy to see all of us in our favorite characters. We’d sneer out the opening of our masks and yell, “Party Poopers!”
Now that I’m 34, and the neighbors in my current ‘hood that refuse still get me thinking the same thing…. ”
Did you ever think that sometimes the lights are off because the owners are at a party spending time with their children? I know some families in a neighborhood who all get together at one family’s house, bring all their candy there and take turns taking the kids around. So when the kids go to that house, they get a TON of candy from one place and all the parents and kids are having fun together. What fun to come home to a trashed yard just because you’re a “party pooper” and didn’t pass out candy at your OWN home. NOT!
Or perhaps the lights are off because money’s tight and spending $50 on candy for other people’s kids is not a luxury they can afford this year? Just because someone is going through a tough time, how does trashing their property because they don’t give you candy add to the “spirit of fun”? How about just ignore it and move on to another house? Seems to me those who are destroying other’s property are the REAL party poopers!
Halloween is unique among holidays as it is spent to connect not with your family, but with your neighbors. Sure, people still go Christmas caroling sometimes, but not often. But unless you go gung-ho and leave easter baskets at everyone’s door, neighborlyness is absent from almost all other holidays.
Give me a break. If your child doesn’t have a problem with obesity then who gives a crap? It’s the only holiday that, as a rule, people actually give gifts to strangers. What could be nicer than that? How obsessed do we have to become with health, safety, and religion before we realize we’re pissing our lives away on empty complaints?
STOP! Expressing her opinion does not make May a bad person or a bad parent.
And May, it isn’t just you. I am not a fan of Halloween, and I do not hand out candy. That does not make me a bad person. I do not know my neighbors, and there are very few children in my neighborhood. My son is 2 and a half, and doesn’t know he should be going door to door. I do however dress him up, load him in my car and take him to his Grandfather’s house, and then his aunt’s, and his other grandparents, and his other aunt and so on and so forth. He trick or treats at the homes of people who love him most, people who have Teddy Grahams or frit snacks just for him. People I trust. Not everyone lives in the Cleaver neighborhood, but apparently all the previous posters do.
This entire “Blog” is for you SELF CENTERED parents that have to Schedule “PLAYtime”… grow up all of you !! IT IS ABOUT THE KIDS STUPID!
Freedom of speach…Freedom to express yourself, That is what America is all about.
TO EACH YOUR OWN! How you choose to celebrate or NOT, that is what makes living so great.
Love yourself, love your family, love your friends, live life the way you want to.
May; Say it how you feel it…
“And May, it isn’t just you. I am not a fan of Halloween, and I do not hand out candy. That does not make me a bad person. I do not know my neighbors, and there are very few children in my neighborhood”
Kim - what better way to get to know your neighbors then to bring your son to their front doorstop, ring their bell, and say ‘Trick or Treat’? Just because some of your neighbors do not not have children, does not mean they dont enjoy seeing the little ones come to their doors on Halloween. Every year I decorate the front of my house with spooky lights, coffins, and music. I can tell by the expressions on the kids faces (the ones uncovered by masks) that they really enjoy it. And if they enjoy it, it makes me enjoy it even more.
Think of it as another “Neighborhood Night-Out” and get out there and do a little socializing with people other than the ones you already know.
…and let your child be a child. They grow up way too fast.
Emily:
All Saints Day isn’t a Hispanic thing. It’s a Catholic day of solemnity:
Solemnity celebrated on the first of November. It is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful’s celebration of saints’ feasts during the year.(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm)
It’s followed on the second by All Souls day:
The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on 2 November, or, if this be a Sunday or a solemnity, on 3 November. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy and all the Masses are to be of Requiem, except one of the current feast, where this is of obligation.(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315b.htm)
May isn’t able to experience the joy Halloween can bring so she seeks to deny that joy from everyone else as well. How she, her husband and their child celebrate the holiday is completely up to them. So why not let the rest of us celebrate it as we would like? Why not simply turn the lights off and not answer the door? Let the rest of us enjoy the day. You do have to if you don’t want to. I’d say the hostility about May’s post is pretty well deserved.
“Kim - what better way to get to know your neighbors then to bring your son to their front doorstop, ring their bell, and say ‘Trick or Treat’? Just because some of your neighbors do not not have children, does not mean they dont enjoy seeing the little ones come to their doors on Halloween.”
Rick you have made an assumption that I have not spent time trying to get to know my neighbors. It goes both ways.
My biggest point is that May does not deserve to have herself and her opinions ripped to pieces because it doesn’t fit our “societal norm.” I’d hate to see her blog go away, and I hope she is a lot more confident than I am, because if it were me, this would have been my last blog based only on the feedback from my readers. Minnesota Nice, yeah right.
What a bizarre group of comments! The mere fact that so many people (44 as of this moment) felt compelled to chime on this topic, but so few had anything to say about the far more important issue of Madonna’s Malawian adoption (or even the public library!), says a lot to me about our society right now.
Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE Halloween. I have spent the last month making (and I don’t even sew) a giraffe costume for my 3.5 year old. I can’t wait until we carve our pumpkins this weekend. And all that candy — YUM.
But honestly, who can blame May for her thoughts on this (which were reasonably and humorously expressed, but the way, not uptight at all)? Imagine if you were raising your kids in a culture you didn’t grow up in . . . how may of you have shuddered with creepiness and bewilderment at Mexico’s Day of the Dead festivities, or rolled your eyes at pictures of little ones yodeling, ringing cowbells and dancing around in lederhosen? Come on! If you hadn’t grown up with Halloween, don’t you think you’d wonder about the wisdom of sending young ‘uns out into the freezing cold and dark to go to strange houses to collect candy? Sure, WE think it’s fun, but how strange this must look!
I also agree that our kids (and adults) are too fat, and shouldn’t be encouraging the mass gorging on candy. But hand my candy over to ghosts?!?!? No way!
Wow … I can’t believe the hostility in the posts here! May, I enjoyed your perspectives and always wondered what our neighbors who were raised in other cultures thought about some American traditions. And Halloween is, indeed, a little complicated because it’s this hybrid of religious tradition, horror movies, fright and fun. If you haven’t grown up with it, it’s bizarre at best.
How about those little boxes of raisins for your trick-or-treaters? They’re pretty cheap and healthier snacks that a lot of parents would appreciate.
I don’t understand, how can you not like Halloween! In todays society I think we need to keep traditions going and let children be children, they are having fun and staying out of trouble. Plus the kids are so cute going around trick or treating. I do understand everyone has their own opinions but I don’t understand what the big hype is all about. If you don’t want to hand out candy, then hand out popcorn balls or apples or something. When I was younger, I remember getting apples and that wasn’t a bad treat or do granola bars or teddy grahams, they have those kinds of treats now! As far as children being too fat, don’t you think that is the parents role to limit the amount of sweets a child intakes? I know a lot of parents who limit the amount of candy their child receives, make sure your child is active, always moving around…that will help. Don’t be the Grinch Who Stole Halloween!!
I just hope that the opinions of the “Anti-Halloween Brigade” don’t turn into the majority opinion. It would be extremely sad to see our future generation of children lose out on all the fun many of us had as kids. Too many houses have their lights off as it is….lets hope that trend doesn’t continue to increase.
As for me and my house, we will continue our tradition of celebrating Halloween and hope that most others continue as well. For those of you that want to deprive your kids of that experience, I feel sorry for you and most importantly, your children.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
Kim, it seems that in our modern age May’s views are becoming the norm. At least in the detail obsessed sector. My negative response as well as the others on this board stem from reading May’s negative view of Halloween. By ripping on people who enjoy handing out unhealthy candy, May is as guilty as any of us. I think a lot of us are sick of our fear mongering media that tells us to do nothing but obsess and worry. May’s view seems to have been influenced by the media, as she points out that the U.S. is full of fat people. How would she come to that conclusion if it weren’t for the media? Who cares? Evidently I do.
The Grinch that stole Halloween? Maybe this is just a leftist opinion towards stupidity? Instead of the Jack-O-Latern, maybe we are going to be forced to say Jill-O-Latern to appease the feminists? Come on, common sense people, Halloween is about fun and seeing the kids faces light up as they go knocking door to door. If ya don’t like it, I suggest moving to say…..Antartica?
Actually, trick or treating or “Beggar’s Night” as is was called where I grew up in Ohio, is based on old Christian beliefs. Beggar’s Night is held the night before November 1st - All SAints Day. The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have evolved from the European custom called souling, similar to the wassailing customs associated with Yule. On November 2, All Souls’ Day, beggars would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes” - square pieces of bread with currants. Christians would promise to say prayers on behalf of dead relatives helping the soul’s passage to heaven. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits at the Samhain - an old celtic tradition.
Further, if you don’t wish to distribute candy, but a healthy treat instead, why not? I’ve done it. My kids have received healthy treats instead of candy. They like it just the same.
When it comes to different holidays in
America it hits everyone differently. I for one LOVE Halloween over any other holiday. I think it was the fact that we would see who in the house could get the most candy in they bag. When my kids where young they use to trick or treat and then wait a few months then sell it at school. As some of you may have said this is the orginal writers feelings and some may be putting her down. However that is the price one takes when writing up a blog not matte what the issue is.
I am like the others if we came to a house that gave out this type of stuff…you would of gotten egged or TP’d and would take you many days to get the rotten smell from your house. You would also not get any one knocking the next year and would end up eating your own dried up fruit. As for costumes, make it cheap and hit a thrity or find something old around the house to wear. Isn’t bad enough they don’t celebrate this in schools and more. oh wait some schools do they just call it something else like “A fall festival” but kids can’t wear their costumes.
Maybe it is a lot of candy, but it probably lasted an entire year. Have
you looked into the kids faces when they come to the door?
It used to make my mothers day when the kids came to the door.
If you don’t like it turn your lights off. This is America, nobody is making you buy a costume or had out candy.
What’s wrong with a little candy-splurge once a year? It’s the holiday’s… enjoy it for all it’s worth!
Well actually it is not just once a year that you get to splurge if you celebrate all the holidays…but who cares, it’s fun! Halloween is for everyone and anyone who wants to have fun…so have fun this year!
Some of you are really nasty in your comments. I bet I’ll get some nasty ones with mine. Oh well…
So what if she doesn’t want to give candy? What gives kids (and many of the adults in this blog) the right to vandalize someone’s house? I enjoy Halloween and trick or treated, and I still go to parties, but I work until 7 at night, and by the time I get home, the only kids coming to my door are teenagers who are too old to be trick or treating and who don’t even wear a costume.
On many occasions, I’ve come home to seeing my house TP’d or egged becuase I wasn’t there to give out candy. What bothers me about this holiday is that it has become about entitlement. American children feel they are ENTITLED to candy, that they deserve it. What do they do to deserve it? I don’t see many of the kids in my neighborhood helping out in the community or even in the yards anymore. And it seems to have become about who gets the biggest horde.
As a teacher, this holiday irritates the bloody hell out of me. As a citizen, I just see more crime and punks. As an individual, I’ll be in my costume at a party this weekend.
Kat needs to loosen up. The neighoborhood kids I was referring to were kids in 1979. I’m sure kids of TODAY would dream up some worse avengence. No, when I was 8, I–like every other kid thought dimmed homes meant, I HATE HALLOWEEN. (Note the age here!)
But alas, now that I am 34, I don’t sceem up high school antics at those who would rather not participate (or go party elsewhere). And for the record, I personally never TPed anyone or Pickled anyone’s lawn.
now I’m hungry….snickers anyone?
To Ben:
You’re missing the point. Halloween is all about tricks and pranks. Maybe you ought to plan ahead and come home a little earlier on Halloween so you can pass out candy. It’s only one night a year.
You’ve had your house egged on “many” occassions because you weren’t home to pass out candy? My friend, if this is true, it’s probably for some reason OTHER than you not being home to pass out candy.
So what if you get a little TP in your trees or soap on your windows? It cleans off.
And as far as your asking why kids feel “ENTITLED” to candy….the reason is because it’s Halloween. They aren’t saying “Trick or Treat, please”…they are saying “Trick or Treat” and demanding you fork over some goodies. THAT IS THE TRADIION.
This holiday is not about you, as a teacher or a citizen, it is about the little ghosts and goblins that come to your door. Maybe you should try and remember that.
Do the kids who come to your door a favor…just lighten up and be a good sport for just ONE night, please. You have 364 other days to complain about kids not performing community service.
Wow, these comments are killing me! I love Halloween (a late 20-something that will never outgrow it), but I also love some good sarcasm!! While I love Halloween, I also feel the stress and pressure of finding the time to find a fun costume that fits correctly and does not show too much skin (like the other Star Trib article eluded to). I work with people from outside the US and all of us were having a hilarious discussion earlier this week based on very honest questions(e.g., why do you want to give kids so much candy? that’s not good for them is it?…). It’s fun to see another perspective, especially infused with the wit she had. My husband and I are going out as a ventriloquist and a dummy. I can’t wait to use the line “my dummy wants to go home….”
I must have read that wrong. She wasn’t going to give out candy but bought her kid a costume to go out and collect candy. I won’t even begin to tell you what I thought of you.
Boy am I glad I don’t live near 95% of the people expressing their xenophobia in these comments.
Love it or leave it is so boring. America is interesting because of the amalgamation of traditions.
For instance: St. Patrick’s Day. In America: a holiday of excess and green things. In Ireland: a religious holiday.
Would the commentary by an Irish person pointing out that difference and wondering if maybe we shouldn’t get trashed in the streets be anti-American.
As a side note, I have stopped buying candy to distribute because no kids in any of the urban neighborhoods I have lived in in the last 10 years go trick or treating in the neighborhood.
I getting kind of tired of all the “our children are over weight” buiness. Where are the parents when the children are getting over weight. We, the parents need to teach our children how to make good choices and have good life examples. Such as going out for walks after dinner. When it is time for trick or treating, to set guide lines, “You can have one peice of candy tonight.” Then when dinner is done the next night, “You may have a peice of your candy, once you help put the dinner dishes away.” Parents need to start being involved parents again!! I think that many parents find it easy to blaime society then look inside the house at themselves!!!
“So what if you get a little TP in your trees or soap on your windows? It cleans off.”
well, there’s the facts that it’s vandilizm and trespassing. No one has a right to do anything to my property.
This batch of comments is embarrasing.
Let’s look at this issue rationally. There are obviously two sides of the story: 1) People who like Halloween and either hand out candy or take their kids trick or treating or both; and 2) People who don’t want to participate in Halloween for whatever reasons. Why can’t most of the posters here appreciate that some people do not share your view, and they can have a different viewpoint without interfering with your kids or yourself? My story is that I was not allowed to celebrate Halloween as a child for religious as well as safety reasons. My family would shut the lights off and watch movies together, which was just as fun. Yes, I know that Halloween is not really an anti-religious holiday - even my current church celebrates All Saints Day. I am not unhappy that I missed out on Halloween as a child. However, I do see some value in participating, so please, by all means hand out candy and let your kids dress up and walk around the neighborhood to collect candy if that’s what you want. Better yet, go to an organized event at a mall or church where it’s likely safer. However, if someone has their lights off, do not assume they are anti-Halloween and do not damage their property or think negatively about them. There are many possible reasons that they are not handing out candy. I am not going to hand out candy this year. I also do not have children. My primary reason for not handing out candy is because I have dogs that will bark and go crazy all night long if people ring my doorbell or knock on the door. It is not worth it to me to deal with the dogs while trying to place candy in the children’s bags, and the dogs’ barking will disturb my neighbors. I plan to keep the dogs upstairs with me, in the dark, working on my computer or watching TV. No, I am not anti-Halloween and, like I said, if you would like to participate in Halloween activities, please do. Just don’t negatively judge me or anyone else for our lack of participation.
To American Girl:
You make no sense. Why is it that you characterize people who wish to preserve the fun for our kids as xenophobes? Xenophobia has nothing to do with it.
Oh, and I’ve been to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. It sounds like you haven’t. There is PLENTY of “excess and green things” abound. And they don’t just limit it to the 17th. It’s practically a week long celebration.
Oh, and that’s too bad that the kids have stopped trick or treating in your “urban” neighborhood. I also live in a “urban” neighborhood (not sure why that is important to point out), but thankfully, our streets are crowded with children is costumes going door to door. Maybe you should discuss this among your neighbors and make it more inviting for the kids. Hang a few skeletons and witches, set up a block party, or whatever. You’re only doing the kids in your neighborhood a disservice by not making your home welcoming to them.
To Ben who has gotten TP’d and egged: Kids don’t TP and/or egg houses only because you have your lights off on Halloween. Kids know the neighbors - they’re always playing, riding bikes, etc., and know exactly who lives in each house. You are most likely getting TP’d and egged because they don’t like you. I would imagine you don’t have much contact with the kids (or parents for that matter) in the neighborhood, and you get targeted because you’re “different”. That doesn’t make it right, but that’s the facts. My advice: say “hi” to the neighbors (including kids!) once in a while.
Oh, and don’t forget about my campaign to give out beer to the parents. I’m not a parent yet - but you should see the parents’ eyes light up when I offer them a beer!
I don’t mind Halloween pranks once in a while, but having my teeth stuck together is just cruel.
“You are most likely getting TP’d and egged because they don’t like you. ”
well, heck, that makes a difference.
I think this blog entry was a troll job. And from some of the replies here, I also think there are too many people concerned with ruining other people’s traditions. Perhaps if the tables were turned on these people, they might think twice before trying to tell other people what they should do. But then again, these people probably live sad, uneventful lives where misery loves company.
Wow! I hope no matter what people are doing for Halloween they are having a good time with their family and friends. I have an idea go to “Halloween at the Creek” through Plymouth’s park and rec. For $5 you can get pizza, pop and play TONS of funs games. And you get “a little” bag of candy at the end. We had a blast last year. Let the good times roll.
I’d like to focus on the costume aspect…. this can be a great opportunity for a family to get creative and crafty together! For me, the preparation of my costume was always the most fun of it all. We always got to paint, sew, glue, and go to garage sales.
As for the candy, parents concerned about all the sugar can definitely ration it out to one or two pieces a day. No harm in that!
To Bubba, Ben, American Girl, and all the other Halloween-Haters out there.
BOO!!!!! Lighten up. Life is too short. Turn on your lights and welcome the kids.
To Kristine-
Let your dogs bark for one night. Turn the light on and welcome the kids. Don’t hide in your upstairs. Halloween can be fun for kids and those who are still kids at heart.
Kid’s get approximately (10) chances in their entire lifetime to go trick or treating. If they’re LUCKY they get another (10) chances to watch their children go trick or treating. It’s definitely not about candy ‘hoarding’, it’s about getting excited about something in a time you can’t watch the 6 o’clock news when your child is in the room.
Some aspects of the holiday are a little creepy… but I enjoy Halloween. Why don’t you try making a costume if you don’t want to purchase? Some of my favorite childhood memories are of making costumes and props. My son had a great time stuffing a scarecrow and using a baby monitor to make it “talk.” And it is a great way to connect with the neighborhood. I love handing out the candy. My point is make the holiday your own… you don’t have to do the whole commercial thing if you don’t want to … Children benefit from celebrating traditions with the community.
to jenny,
Butt out of my life. You have no idea why my lights are off (for instance I may work nights. Do I deserve to get my house egged). Try worrying about yourself more.
“Butt out of my life. You have no idea why my lights are off (for instance I may work nights. Do I deserve to get my house egged). Try worrying about yourself more”
Wow, what a grouch. No wonder the kids target your house. I bet you’re the guy who screams “GET OUT OF MY YARD YOU D@MN KIDS!!!”
Some day you’ll wake up and realize that life has just passed you by. Sad.
jenny, are you really going on a web site telling other people how to live? Sad.
Bubba,
I hope you’re house gets TP’ed and your windows get soaped and you get a new name.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN.
well jenny, if it’s your kid doing it, you better hope he’s fast.
If you have a problem spending money on a costume, make one instead. It’s more fun, it’s bonding time with your child, and it encourages creativity.
Dried fruit is one of the worst things you can give out, as it has a higher calorie and sugar content than candy.
It’s one night a year. That adds up to what, ten or eleven days out of a person’s life that they can have this experience? If you have a problem with that, I feel very sorry for your offspring.
WOW, can’t believe how many people are just suckers here. If your reason for celebrating halloween is because you can meet the neighbors and kids, then your pathetic. I mean really, if that is the only way to meet people then call it quits. Also, I can bet that less then 1% of people to trick or treat think of their dead loved ones. So that’s out too. Now it leaves you with following tradition for no other reason then tradition. Of course you who do that just fall into everyone else who doesn’t know why we celebrate Christmas, Easter, Veterans Day, etc.
Halloween is lame. I have only went to a couple coustume parties and never trick or treated. We spent the night as a family and had some family friends over who also did not celebrate it. How has this effected me? Well I somehow ended up a very happy person, I have an easy time meeting people, I know my neighbors well and we saved money as well as diginity by passing up this non-holiday.
So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
bah-humbug! It’s just a fun holiday for kids to enjoy. It’s no different from presents from santa, money from the tooth fairy, or Easter baskets from the Easter bunny. Obese children are the result of parents and we shouldn’t shun Halloween festivities because of it. Let our kids have fun, they deserve it!
I think we are all forgetting one thing. Maybe Halloween is just that, a fun holiday that kids enjoy. As a parent, I think that kids are all forced to grow up too soon as it is. I love Halloween, if some parent wants to deny their child that part of childhood, it is their right, however it is not anyones right to say that because they choose to disagree with it, or Christmas, Easter, Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, or any number of other holidays that are steeped in tradition that they need to say that the holiday, or the practice needs to be abolished. Just as we all have the right to freedom of speech, we also have the right to freedom to practice our faith no matter what it is. And yes Halloween does have it’s roots in early Christian ritual, and even further back to the druids in ancient Britain if someone wishes to partake in it or chooses to spend the evening in some other way, it is their choice. I do not however feel that because someone has a public voice that they have the right to insult those persons who do treasure ANY holiday by coming out and using their platform to speak out against that holiday. I think with the growing popularity of the holiday, it is pretty evident that the majority in this country do embrace Halloween as part of their yearly celebrations and if there are those who dislike it, it is their opinion, but don’t ruin it for the rest of us, kids and adults alike.
GROW UP PEOPLE!!!!! (Bubba & Jenny)are you both teenagers in high school?
May, I thought your column was honest and funny. I love Halloween, but I don’t expect everyone else to love Halloween and everything about it. Thanks for your post.
Ummm….yes I am….what’s Bubba’s excuse?
I agree with if you want to celebrate it then celebrate it, but if you don’t then don’t.
What I find rediculous is that people (many who have written in) basically say, “just lighten up and let them be kids.” Worst argument out there. You can let kids be kids without involving halloween. Same can be said for Christmas. I never thought that an old man came into my house and gave me presents. I thought that my parents loved me enough to give me presents. They never lied to me (even if you think it’s just a little lie) about it. I have to believe this is somewhat of a reason I have such a great open and honest relationship with my parents.
I don’t hate Halloween nor do I hate kids. I sit on my porch and talk with my neighbors when they are out, and I am an active member of my neighbhorhood watch. So the whole “they don’t like or know you” presumption is suspect. I give out candy to any kid who comes when I am home, but the majority of kids are not “little goblins,” they are teenagers looking for free candy. And regardless of why kids TP or egg my house, it’s still against the law. Thank you, Bubba. Not liking the madness that comes with this holiday does not mean I don’t like it, and it does not make me a bah-humbug grouch. I’m 30 years old, for crying out loud, and I just don’t like kids who lack respect for their community and expect they are owed everything.
Thank you, Ellen, for your common sense.
Jenny, if you’re in high school, go to a party or something. In costume. Or buy your candy yourself. You’re not a kid anymore.
Chris says:
“What I find rediculous is that people (many who have written in) basically say, “just lighten up and let them be kids.” Worst argument out there. You can let kids be kids without involving halloween. ”
But what you don’t seem to grasp is that kids think Halloween and everything associated with it is FUN. Kids enjoy dressing up in scary (or not scary) costumes and filling their buckets full of candy. That is what we mean when we say “Let kids be kids”. These are memories they will carry with them the rest of their lives…the only people that can deprive them of that are their parents.
And there is nothing wrong with telling kids Santa brings them presents. Kids grow up fast enough, let them enjoy the fantasy of Halloween, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny before we have to jerk them into the “real world”.
I haven’t been trick or treating in years. Yes, I am planning on going to a party on Friday and Saturday. On Halloween night, I will be passing out candy to the kids….or maybe sneaking over to Bubba’s for a little TP action. 
jonny
To all the people who are against the idea of Halloween:
Man, am I glad you weren’t MY parents.
Don’t be fooled about that formulated candy rule because the best treats can come in all forms, even in “nonfood” forms.
Living here in the world capital of Halloween, (SF Bay Area, where the nearly month-long celebration centers on “kids” of all ages), please let me assured readers that as the “Treater,” you can give out any number of things to tricksters at your door.
How about a spider or bat ring or tiny game, or another kind of toy or keepsake then? They all last longer than candy, anyway.
So every autumn when you’re thinking through and planning out your All Hallow’s Eve responsibilities and events, please remember -
Life evolves… Our families evolves.
Halloween, (and other holidays) traipse after.
Your own traditions can end up being a combination of many people, places, and histories.
“But what you don’t seem to grasp is that kids think Halloween and everything associated with it is FUN. Kids enjoy dressing up in scary (or not scary) costumes and filling their buckets full of candy.”
Not all kids think Halloween is fun. Some kids are very mature for their young age and don’t want to participate. Some kids are very timid and are afraid of the other kids in costumes. (Or of elaborate lawn displays. When I was 5 I was caught by surprise by a neighbor dressed as a scarecrow, perfectly still on a haybale. I walked to the door, he said boo and I ran screaming. Nothing could convince me to go back.)
Just because I drive my son to family members houses to trick or treat doesn’t mean he is missing out on Halloween, and when he is old enough to make the choice to do that or go house to house, he will. As for what I am doing now, though it may not be “Traditional” halloween, it is making a memory and as far as I am concerned, that is the most important part.
Geez — I think you should all lighten up on this mom! I mean really — she’s just concerned about the fact that we’re teaching our children to cherish unhealthy food. In addition, there’s a lot of darkness to this particular “holiday”. She has a point!
[…] So… the Asian American mom’s recent post generated many nasty comments. Here’s the link: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/cribsheet/?p=81#comments […]
Tris:
Nobody is ganging up on May. We are just disagreeing with her opinion. We CAN do that, can’t we? I haven’t seen any personal attacks.
I don’t think anyone is teaching their children to “cherish unhealthy food”….at least I’m not teaching my kids that. We as parents can and should monitor their sweet intake.
As far as the “darkness” associated with Halloween. We have a strong faith in God, bet don’t see any harm in kids dressing up and going trick or treating. It all comes down to parenting. A good parent can teach their children that Halloween is make-believe only and it doesn’t go any farther than that.
As the author mentions, she did not grow up with Halloween… do Minnesotans not know that Halloween is not an internationally known holiday? Most of these comments are absurd and ignorant: “feel sorry for your children”? That’s pretty low, don’t you think? Are we this intolerant of cultural differences in this state? Perhaps the pity should be directed at those who are culturally and globally challenged.
Mama Nabi:
I didn’t even realize that May was Asian-American until you pointed it out. Why is that important to this discussion?
Wow! The response to May’s column is unreal. I simply cannot believe how much hostility is out there…on both sides!
What is frustrating is that so many people seem to feel that if we don’t all pursue the exact same activities for Halloween, and enjoy the exact same traditions, we “hate” the holiday! I’m not even going to state what my own opinion about the holiday is or what I plan to do. But I do want to ask everyone…why is it that if I don’t do what YOU say is the expected norm on Halloween, I’m labeled a hater?!
Last time I checked, this was the United States, and we all have a right to our own opinions, about holidays and everything else. What we DON’T have is the right to force others to agree with us.
Can’t we all just enjoy our own traditions and respect others’ traditions at the same time…?
I think that Halloween is a wonderful time where kids can be imaginative and dress up as something else. I actually make my kids costumes and let them decide what they want to be. At our house It’s the thanksgiving for the little guys- where they can eat as much as they want for one day, and then all the candy just disappears… It is absolutley my favorite holiday as there is no expectations for gifts, it’s all about the kids and letting them have fun and be kids.
“Nobody is ganging up on May. We are just disagreeing with her opinion. We CAN do that, can’t we? I haven’t seen any personal attacks.”
wow, you must not have read very carefully.
And Jenny, that explains alot. You’ll learn when you own a house.
This is why people people laugh at minnesota!
It would be a much more pleasant world to live in if we could accept our differences and add to our collective souls all the good we have to offer.
I would love to add the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts to the yearly celebrations. If we’re lucky, we could have a year that has something to celebrate on each and every day.
Do ya think we could get all those days off from work?!?!?
BTW - I am Mexican, by birth, if that means anything. In Mexico, we have a similar tradition to Halloween called Dias de lo Muertos (Day of the Dead). People dress up as ghosts and skeletons and walk in parades. It’s a time for us to honor our dead-relatives.
American Halloween is actually a combination of many different cultural celebrations of the fall harvest, Celtic and Christian rituals, as well as some American customs.
Personally, I find it to be a very fun holiday to celebrate with the kids and family.
Sure, America is obese, and we live with it everyday. I’m fifteen years old and still love Halloween. It’s the one day where I’m not criticised for eating candy! How could you hate a holiday like that? For the other 364 days of the year, I don’t eat that much candy. And costumes are the best part. How could you NOT like Halloween? You need more fun in your life. You sound pretty lame to me. No one likes dried fruit. Our parents MAKE us eat that stuff. Can’t we have just one day of fun? Is that too much to ask?
“To all the people who are against the idea of Halloween:
Man, am I glad you weren’t MY parents”
I was one of those kids that grew up in a household where we didn’t celebrate Halloween because of our religious beliefs, among other reasons. Please remember that we live in a part of the world where we are supposed to be able to believe what we belive, as long as it doesn’t endager ourselves or others.
I am now a mother, and I will not be bringing my daughter trick-or-treating either.
I’m not going to harp on you for bringing your child out trick-or-treating, but please respect those of us that feel differently than you do.
And here’s a promise: I won’t TP your house (nor will my child), if you don’t TP mine
I think what bothers people about the comments that May made aren’t that she isn’t entitled to her opinion. Her comments were put under a blog referring to Anti-Halloween. I did double check and her blog does refer to this as being an Anti-halloween blog. Blogging is fine, we are all doing it by writing these comments, what I think bothers halloween enthusiasts is that when I found May’s blog like most people do, it was on the front page of a widely read website for Minnesota’s largest distributed newspaper. I think attacking a holiday in as visible method as she did and then pass it off by saying that she “When the time came, (sic) meekly doled out M&M’s and mini Mars bars.” Oh boo hoo, she relented to being just like everyone else. Nobody forced her to do it, but yet she can use her platform to preach about Halloween being such a waste of money and about how she is contributing to Obesity. No we all are contributing to obesity by keeping our kids indoors instead of letting them go out and play. I just read an article in this very paper last week that some school district is banning recess because they are afraid of lawsuits. Who made the school districts ban this activity? Parents who sue school districts because their kid hurt themselves doing something that kids have been doing for a millenia. Is the rest of us parents to blame and make it so that our kids should not bo out and be kids because someone else has a problem with it and decides to use the Star Tribune as a forum for her position? No, us parents who decide that we want our kids to trick-or-treat do it because our kids want to go, and because as responsible parents, WE decide whether to allow our kids to eat the treats that they bring home, I check what my kids are doing, doesn’t everybody? For heavens sakes, write a blog about the war in Iraq, but leave Halloween alone!
Sarah~
I’d be interested in knowing why you don’t celebrate Halloween.
I think we should all listen to Tobi (see 11:22) and talk about Madonna’s adoption. Much more interesting than holidays, family, traditions, and children…
“For heavens sakes, write a blog about the war in Iraq, but leave Halloween alone”.
I think the point is that people can write whatever they want to write. They can like whatever they want to like and don’t have to like something just because you do. They can talk about the pros of halloween AND they can talk about the cons of halloween. It’s all valid. There’s no need to be insulting just because someone presents a different side of something.
You know- maybe I’m going a bit over the top here-
But Halloween is a time for FUN for the kids. Why do we grownups always think about ourselves and get into the business of “what’s right for the kids”- when sometimes kids have to be kids. Sometimes, like on Halloween and Christmas- that’s what’s “right” for the kids.
Have FUN!!!!
” Sometimes, like on Halloween and Christmas- that’s what’s “right” for the kids”.
ONCE AGAIN — it might be “RIGHT” for your kids, but it might not be “RIGHT” for someone else’s kids!
I would put money down that most of the people that got so upset about this post are fattys and are likely raising little butterballs. Put down in twinkies and get over yourselves.
There’s no law forcing you to hand out candy on Halloween to children in maskes and costumes. If money is your issue, you might want to consider the billions being spent in Iraq where the REAL horror show is going on.
Guin,
I was not saying that YOU (as a 34 year old) participate in high school antics. I was talking about kids in general. My house did get egged this past year ON Halloween because I was not passing out candy (I was actually at work.) I’m not mean to kids, in fact I actually enjoy them. I don’t know most of my neighbors, but am friendly and wave to them when I see them outdoors with their families. It was simply a statement of the attitudes of more and more kids lately. When I take the kids to the park, we are actually surprised at how mean the other kids treat each other. It’s unfortunate, but it is a sign of the times.
Good Grief. I was just daydreaming about all the awesome Halloween fun I had as a child and that feeling was just shot down by these ghostly child obesity fears. We need to just RELAX and have a good time rather than freak out about candy or we’ll create a country of people with eating disorders. My Mom immigrated from Norway and she did not keep candy in the house (or any sweets) so Halloween was the only time we actually got to see how candy tasted. My kids eat the same way….they can eat a few treats after a meal for a couple weeks around Halloween. NO BIG DEAL. As for stuff the kids only wear once…that is not limited to Halloween. There are tap shoes and dance costumes and karate clothes…and those are not nearly as fun as Halloween costumes.
In the 1970’s, my Dad rented a clown costume and my 2 year old brother was compelled to look under the mask about 100 times to make sure it was still Dad under there. Dad waited by the sidewalk with a flashlight and a hug as we “tricker-treated”. We were always supervised and we always had to eat some healthy food before we ate some of our candy.
So don’t stifle my Halloween - my kids need this annual night to be “wild things”. I have 5 kids under 8 years old and I will not deny them their right to run, howl, growl, snarl and shout “BOO” while ankle deep in crunchy fall leaves. They need to see how it feels to be out in the dark - how everything looks creepier under low light.(Supervised by me!) They need to get sweaty under their costumes when it is 40 degrees outside and shout “Trick or Treat” until they are a bit hoarse. They then need to dump their booty on the family room floor and learn how to trade with their siblings at the end of the night.
There is a long winter ahead - and this ritual where kids “scare” adults is actually good for their developing confidence. Most therapists agree that Halloween is a great developmental ritual when interactively supervised by parents. I say BEWARE ON ALL HALLOWS EVE - there will be a SKELETON, a WITCH, a PANDA BEAR, a PRINCESS and a FROG wandering the neighboorhoods of the Twin Cities accompanied by OGRE PRINCESS FIONA (Mom) and a 6′5″ VAMPIRE (Dad).
The idea of “trick or treat”, meaning “give me a treat or I’ll play a trick on you” is not new. Believe it or not, there were kids that played mean pranks before the invention of television, video games, or the “horror” that is today’s world situation.
So much hostility over some sarcasm about Halloween! She’s making jokes, folks.
PS: Your racism is showing.
those kids are walking block after block, read:excercise, to get that candy. I think that evens things out a bit, dont you? and those costumes are mere pennies compared to when they are older and need a dress/tux for prom again, for one night.
I was an obese kid, but I’m not an obese adult. My obesity in childhood was not a result of halloween, but a result of combined factors including food choices, activity choices, and genes.
My parents nixed trick-or-treating when I was young because of my weight. It contributed to my feelings of insecurity and >knowing
“So much hostility over some sarcasm about Halloween! She’s making jokes, folks.
PS: Your racism is showing.”
Racism?
Are you saying that only white, Caucasian people enjoy Halloween and that minorities don’t? To me, that sounds alot more racist than anything else I’ve read. Halloween is a holiday that can be enjoyed (or not) by any nationality, race, or creed.
P.S. It’s YOUR racism that is showing.
MAN I got cut off…
Anyways, NOT trick-or-treating was a drag… and it’s probably why I’m in therapy So I say, let anyone who wants to trick or treat… even the “FATTYS” and “BUTTERBALLS”
Did anyone else find THAT inappropriate?
“PS: Your racism is showing.”
What a gutless cheapshot. Just because some of us disagree with someone (who happens to be Asian-American) who claims to be “Anti-Halloween”, we are somehow “racists”? You better be awfully careful throwing about the racist card, because it can be thrown back at you just as easily.
I don’t care if the blogger was Asian-American, white or black. If someone posts a blog about how much they dislike a tradition I hold dear, I will voice my opinion. No matter how much you try and quiet us by calling us racist.
In fact, YOUR the one who could be called racist for thinking that someone shouldn’t be criticized because of their skin color. In my opinion, that is an incredibly racist position.
Okay first things first
Bubba
Chris R
Ben
You suck.
2nd
I don’t think anyone’s criticized May based on the fact that she’s asian. She’s been criticized because
A she makes announcements based on her own experiences not involving her family or others
B she seems less willing to learn about other people than they are of her. Why is it every time someone comes to this country we must step on eggshells concerning their culture but they don’t have to give a damn about what we celebrate or cherish here. It’s hypocrisy and I’m sick of it.
C she makes it her responsibilty to assuem that parents can’t take care of their own kids. Look theres no need to hand out candy. Keep in mind that your not the mother of the kids that come to your door. Kids don’t like fruit no matter how many health concious parents claim it’s “equally enjoyable”, bs. I like strawberries but come on, give me the option between strawberry or reeses, I’m gonna go with reeses. It’s all about moderation.
Third
I think you all need to realize that Halloween is about the kids. It’s about getting the most candy and carving the best scariest pumpkin, finding the house that’s giving out full size candy bars. Staying out late with friends. I trick or treated a long time and still make a point to celebrate as much as possilbe be it parties or handing out candy.
4th
If you didn’t experience Halloween then you don’t know what you missed. It’s like saying rollercoasters arn’t fun even if you’ve never ridden one or saying candy doesn’t taste sweet if you’ve never had candy. How would you know?
In Summary
Chris, Ben, Bubba, to quote Homer Simpson “Cram it with walnuts”
I totally agree with Yoanna and Rick, especially his last paragraph. Freedom of speech is being able to voice your own opinion or criticism regardless of anyone’s skin color.
We give out mini bags of microwave popcorn at Halloween.
Halloween was a blast growing up and still is!! Even more fun than Christmas.
whoever you are, you are lame. you do not deserve a blog. get a life. and everyone who agrees with her should also get a life. seriously you suck
Such hostility and SO negative
Chill Out!!
Halloween is FUN!!!
you people really need to get a life!
Hmm, did someone not put in an end html tag for italics?
Anyway, we don’t really do much for Halloween either. The candy aspect does sicken me, honestly, and not just because of all of the obese kids. Luckily, for my son, I’ve raised him to love fruits and vegetables, and to know that candy is junk food. He doesn’t even like candy, anyway, and I think that’s because he’s not used to eating that junk. He can dress up and go to a friend’s party if that’s what he would like to do, but the stuffing himself with candy thing isn’t going to happen.
And as far as the Easter bunny, Santa, tooth fairy, etc…. We don’t do that either. Then again, I’m atheist, and don’t see the point in celebrating Christian holidays when I’m not Christian. I also would prefer not to lie to my child about imaginary things that leave gifts.
Don’t get me wrong, we do lots of fun things as a family (most of which do not center around holidays where people eat constantly), just not those.
Wow, a lot of talk over a holiday. I can’t wait to see what happens at Thanksgiving. I enjoyed reading all of these comments. I live out in the country; no kids come over. I do miss seeing them. When we lived near town we gave out quarters. Saved our quarters all year for that. Made both kids and parents happy.
I can really relate to this post. I turned off my light this year and handed nothing out because I oppose giving candy to children (or anyone)and I couldn’t think of any alternative that wouldn’t bring utter disappointment to all those poor kids who are expecting nutritionless, tooth-rotting treats and then get a crappy apple or *gasp* something non-edible. I do not eat sugar and just could not bring myself to hand it out because it is so unhealthy and habit forming. So I didn’t hand out any candy and that was okay because Halloween can be celebrated. . . or not.
Most of you should read up on what holloween is suppose to be. Here’s a hint, it’s not about candy.
Here on the gulf coast, one of my neighbors gives out mardi gras beads. Great idea, I think. (Dried fruit is very sugary too!)
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