For as long as I've been running my own household and ready to treat
visitors at the door each Halloween...

....there were no trick or treaters this year.

None at all.

In the last couple of years, there were so many kids at the door I'd run
out of candy, and be forced to bolt the door and close the drapes and
hide. This year, I didn't even see kids on the street. The weather was
lovely. The temps were comfortable. There was no one out there.

I imagine that this is the beginning of the end. The annual door to door
mooch has been successfully replaced in these parts, and the kids won't
be coming again. I miss them.

On 01/11/2011 10:42 AM, Pennyaline wrote:
> For as long as I've been running my own household and ready to treat
> visitors at the door each Halloween...
>
> ...there were no trick or treaters this year.
>
> None at all.
>
> In the last couple of years, there were so many kids at the door I'd run
> out of candy, and be forced to bolt the door and close the drapes and
> hide. This year, I didn't even see kids on the street. The weather was
> lovely. The temps were comfortable. There was no one out there.
>
> I imagine that this is the beginning of the end. The annual door to door
> mooch has been successfully replaced in these parts, and the kids won't
> be coming again. I miss them.

I have not had any kids around in more than 20 years. When my son was
young there were a number of kids his age and they all went trick or
treating at each others homes and then went into town. Since they
outgrew Halloween there have been a couple families with young kids who
moved in, so we continue to buy a small amount, but we end up eating it
ourselves.

On 2011-11-01, Pennyaline > wrote:

> None at all.

Many places now sponsor downtown Halloween street fairs where main
street is blocked off and the merchants hand out the candy. My last
town of 100K pop did this and it was very popular. In fact it was
becoming too popular, with the event becoming, too large and attendees
overwhelming available space. That was 3 yrs ago. It pretty much
killed door-to-door, but they may have to cancel future events.

nb

On Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:42:16 -0600, Pennyaline
> wrote:

> For as long as I've been running my own household and ready to treat
> visitors at the door each Halloween...
>
> ...there were no trick or treaters this year.
>
> None at all.
>
> In the last couple of years, there were so many kids at the door I'd run
> out of candy, and be forced to bolt the door and close the drapes and
> hide. This year, I didn't even see kids on the street. The weather was
> lovely. The temps were comfortable. There was no one out there.
>
> I imagine that this is the beginning of the end. The annual door to door
> mooch has been successfully replaced in these parts, and the kids won't
> be coming again. I miss them.

Now that Halloween is on a school night, the numbers and length of
time they're out will be smaller... but it will pick up the next time
Oct 31 falls on a Friday and will continue during the weekend years.
You also need to factor in the reproduction rate and the general age
of your neighborhood residents. If everyone has children of
trick-r-treating age, you get hordes; not so much when they're all in
HS or college and it's a maybe when they have grandchildren. Will
grandkids trick-r-treat in their grandparent's neighborhood or stay in
their own (if they're close enough to chose)?

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

sf wrote:
>
> Now that Halloween is on a school night, the numbers and length of
> time they're out will be smaller... but it will pick up the next time
> Oct 31 falls on a Friday and will continue during the weekend years.

We had the next day, All Saints' Day, off in Catholic school. Maybe the
only advantage of Catholic school.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

On 11/1/2011 10:54 AM, sf wrote:

> Now that Halloween is on a school night, the numbers and length of
> time they're out will be smaller... but it will pick up the next time
> Oct 31 falls on a Friday and will continue during the weekend years.

That doesn't really apply here. The only day that really influences
Halloween around here is Sunday. If Halloween falls on Sunday, the kids
are urged to have their parties on a different day, and households are
encouraged to do trick or treating the night before.

That it was Monday doesn't really factor in, either. I haven't seen
trick or treating bothered by the traditional family home evening in the
past.




> You also need to factor in the reproduction rate and the general age
> of your neighborhood residents. If everyone has children of
> trick-r-treating age, you get hordes; not so much when they're all in
> HS or college and it's a maybe when they have grandchildren.


Not an issue. Overwhelmingly LDS, this region has a very high birth rate
and huge percentage of large families with younger children. Kids
everywhere.

No, trick or treating was supplanted by trunk or treat and municipal
Halloween celebrations this year.

On Tue, 1 Nov 2011 13:14:59 -0400, "Tom Del Rosso"
> wrote:

>
> sf wrote:
> >
> > Now that Halloween is on a school night, the numbers and length of
> > time they're out will be smaller... but it will pick up the next time
> > Oct 31 falls on a Friday and will continue during the weekend years.
>
> We had the next day, All Saints' Day, off in Catholic school. Maybe the
> only advantage of Catholic school.

You guys got so many holidays and shortened days, we public school
kids envied you.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

Pennyaline wrote:
>
> I imagine that this is the beginning of the end. The annual door to door
> mooch has been successfully replaced in these parts, and the kids won't
> be coming again. I miss them.

They're all staying home and using the Halloween
app to "dress up" in virtual costumes on Facebook.
Trick-or-treating is like print media or
bricks-and-mortar bookstores. Something your
grandparents did.

Pennyaline wrote:
> For as long as I've been running my own household and ready to treat
> visitors at the door each Halloween...
>
> ...there were no trick or treaters this year.
>
> None at all.
>
> In the last couple of years, there were so many kids at the door I'd run
> out of candy, and be forced to bolt the door and close the drapes and
> hide. This year, I didn't even see kids on the street. The weather was
> lovely. The temps were comfortable. There was no one out there.
>
> I imagine that this is the beginning of the end. The annual door to door
> mooch has been successfully replaced in these parts, and the kids won't
> be coming again. I miss them.

I don't know where you live. Here in Massachusetts, many
communities have postponed trick-or-treating because of downed
trees and wires, no street lights, and a large percentage of
residential and nonresidential customers with no power.

--
Jean B.