We ignore it.....

We live in a close-in suburb with the houses close together. If the weather is mild, we sit on the front steps with our big bowl of candy. We enjoy seeing the little kids dressed in costume and meeting their parents/seeing them again. A few teens come by, but most are in costume. Some years it seems the kids pick a different street and we have candy left over. On election years, we take the candy to the polls first thing in the morning. It's a big hit. Other years, I give it to DH to take to the office. I think of Halloween as an evening to share with the neighbors kids.

In the past, after my own kids were too old to dress up, I used to not enjoy it too much. For me it was just incessant doorbell ringing and throwing candy at people.

Lately, I have come to see what my elderly neighbors saw when they would light carved pumpkins and dress up and sit on their stoop to hand out candy. And that is, simply, the excitement, and joy, and especially the incredulity on the faces of the youngest (when they finally "got" the connection between holding out a plastic pumpkin and getting a treat!!! I LOVE seeing them peer down all solemn faced to see what went in there)...

Anyway, now, it puts a smile on my face to see them smile. And I like to see the parents clearly happy that their kids are having fun.

We don't decorate too much as we don't have room to store a lot here, but I'll paint one of my pumpkins teal to let the parents know that non-candy treats are available at my house. I may even sit outside with my dog dressed up so she can get as many pets as possible...

Simple pleasures, I guess.

Where I work sounds similar to the op. At Halloween for years running we have a costume party and usually another activity people are welcome to join or not. Most people laugh at those who dress up appreciate the creativity they put into their costume. To my knowledge there has not been a complaint. We have many different cultures that come in and out of our work some think it strange others love the fun it brings. Our work place also does Christmas displays with trees and such, these go up the beginning of Dec and don't come down until long after New Years. Last year I put out a number of Halloween life size figures , mad scientists, witches, and ghouls all very PG in one of our lobbies no special lighting or decorating just the figures. These were ones that I used in years past at home in my own displays. The kids love it and often their parents take pics with their kids with them. It took some effort to decorate but the feed back was positive, It went up on the Friday and came down the day after Halloween. This year I was told that one person found it creepy so they didn't want me to do it again this year. I told them I had no intention of doing it this year anyway which was true, Halloween is a Tuesday which would mean decorating Monday and I don't have the time this year, but talk about a spoil sport. To complain that the Christmas decorating and season was toooooooooooo long and annoying you are dismissed promptly. This gets you accused of not being a team player. If someone wants celebrate any holiday I have no issues But no holiday should start in Nov and last until After Jan. We have a lady who starts counting down to Christmas in Aug, what she is getting each person in her family. Very commercial and not true to the actual holiday. One of the things I love about Halloween is kids get positive adult attention. Not just family or teachers but neighbors and strangers. Especially today where we all live so individually having a night where kids get to interact in a positive way with folks they don't know and get candy to boot. Adults give freely without any strings its a free treat which makes the kid happy and hopefully the adult too. Im normally anti child 364 days of the year but Halloween they get a pass, and that is NOT evil, its giving to bring some happiness and anyone who can find fault in that needs to get a life.

It's a fun holiday; has nothing to do with religion.

This over-sensitivity is ridiculous.

Where does tolerance fall in all of this? 10 lose out because 1 is "offended"?

"Political correctness" encourages narcissistic behavior and, so, REDUCES tolerance.

Back to the topic...sorry for the rant...

i agree with you pennydesign, OMG, stop overthinking it!!! its just a day to give out candy to kids. weren't you happy when you were a kid and got a pillowcase full of candy that lasted (hopefully) till Thanksgiving ??? its the same today. yeah maybe you get a few bad apples, no pun intended, but that happens with everything in life.

of course there is history attached to it. its had to come from somewhere. and yes commercialism. but wouldn't u rather live in a country like this, rather than a country where u can't do it if you want to????

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays. There is something about going door-to-door asking for candy that is off-putting to me. Maybe it's because one of my grandfathers was a dentist and candy overload terrifies me (my children eat some candy on Halloween night- and the rest goes bye-bye.)

I love Halloween, always have. I still decorate outside a bit even though we get no trick-or-treaters.

When we first moved in to our house, there were tons of kids. Now, not many at all. We're lucky if we get 5. For me, I can take it or leave it. But I don't see anything wrong with it.

Agree with ritamay. When I lived in a small town, I bought candy and handed it out. When I moved out here, we don't get trick or treaters. My house is a long way off the road, and out in the country. I neither like or dislike it. My daughter always loved halloween and making a costume...and she is 37 now and she and her husband still dress up and go on the "Pub Crawl" in Montrose, a section of Houston, where they live. I think that's a little odd....but to each his own. Not something I would be interested in, but they enjoy it, so what the hell?

I elaborately decorate my office building, complete with a projector playing its the great pumpkin Charlie Brown, but don't so anything at my home. I don't like today's trick or treaters. For the most part they're too old and rude. I live out in the sticks anyway and it would be kinda pointless.

As for the religious argument:bull. There is nothing satanic about trick or treating,kids in costumes, or candy. I get so tired of that argument. I was raised in a strict Catholic home and halloween was fun. The Catholic school i unattended celebrated it. The people who do horrible things on halloween do horrible things all year. For someone to tell me that my nieces "doughnut princess fairy "(her creation) costume evokes satanic images needs to unclench. It would help release the stick. Giving out tiny snickers bars to little kids is not giving the middle finger to Jesus and those who follow Him.

I had an office fuddy duddy who tried to have my Christmas decor taken down for some reason I neither remember not care about. It was an eye roller for sure though. This shrew does not work in my department,and has no reason to come into the building,but heard about the decor and came in to see and be outraged I suppose. She was easy to thwart though. I simply pointed out to HR that Christmas was a paid holiday,and if she was willing to accept holiday pay for December the 25th without coming in and working that day,then she was thereby acknowledging it and cannot have an objection to the decor. They agreed. If I recall correctly,her objection wasn't religious,although i would argue the same point if it were. I was so happy they agreed. I wrapped all the ceiling tiles, walls,and file cabinets before i even touched the twinkle lights. I would have been heartbroken if almost 30 hours of decorating had to be taken down because of some bitter *itch out to ruin everyone else's fun.

I really think that in an office environment the majority should rule on those type of things. Some may argue it wouod create a hostile work environment if the company doesn't give in to the one whiner, but I can't think of anything more hostile than demanding the exile of all twinkle lights and candy. "How DARE you demean my beliefs with your fun and happiness!!!!" Please. As long as no one is REQUIRED to participate, what's the problem?????

I think it's just a night for kids to dress up and have fun. I don't overthink it.

Any excuse to have fun...I say go for it!

I just stated what I believe I never said anything about do as I say. Do what you want. People in my neighborhood decorate for Halloween. Do I go door to door telling them to take it down? No. There are plenty of people that celebrate holidays that I don't anymore and that's fine for them. I never said having little kids dressed up evoked anything satanic. This is a high holy day for satanist and witches so I choose not to participate. There are plenty of ex-witches and ex-satanist that will tell you about this holiday and why now as Christians they do not celebrate it. I was never hostile in my response. The op asked about our opinions and I gave mine. You don't have to agree with me. Isn't that the point of KT?

Christmas was the exact same. The ONLY decoration allowed was the Christmas tree put up by the company - and that was only because they hung hundreds of index cards with a child’s name and what they wanted for Christmas. So no decorations. Just index cards. And each employee had to pick an index card and buy that child a gift.

Plus it was called a “holiday tree” as not to offend anyone.

Hareball, yes everyone’s opinion is welcome here. Which is why I wanted to know what “we” all thought about the holiday.

Nobody should feel embarrassed or offended by their answers as I don’t judge. (Another reason I didn’t put how I feel about the holiday specifically in my post). I didn’t want to lead the conversation in either direction.

Hareball,my post was not directed at you specifically. It was a general statement aimed the extremist attitide that I have encountered over the years here in the deep south bible belt. Satanists and witches practice year round,and they have nothing to do with mainstream halloween fun that the rest of the country enjoys (or not.) And as for hostility, that comment was about the workplace fuddy duddy who DID want us to do what she said. I apologize if you thought in was aiming at you. I wasnt.

amylou321 - Thank you for that. :) I just kinda felt like I gently kicked a hornets nest with my response lol Just in general not from you. :) I work for the government so I understand what it's like to work somewhere where one person can ruin things for everyone.

I will only talk personally. When the kids were young I got into the spirit of it all. I even dressed up the dog!

Then, when they aged out, I still decorated and made up the goodie bags as I still knew at least some of the children.

Now, I'm over it. I no longer know any of the kids, and really I would rather not do it at all. But, since I'm home and live here, I'm a team player and give out candy.

Really, do what comfortable for you. My sister feels the same way as I do and she has planned a weekend away.

My niece who is 36 loves decorating and dressing up. She has godchildren and she helps them with their costumes often coordinating the family. Last year they went laundry themed. (Mamapinky would love this) The baby was carried in a laundry basket with clothes, my niece was a washerwoman and someone else was a Maytag repairman. I forget the others, but it was cute.

I agree with Hareball. Why does it only take one person? I'm Jewish and I don't take offense to Christmas decorations. Yet some do, and now the schools can only have holiday-themed decorations.

The day ties into the Catholic All Soul's Day, which corresponds to the Day of the Dead.

We live in the country. When the neighbor kids were young, we'd have a few at the door, so when I left to take my kids to my sister's more densely populated neighborhood, I'd put out a bowl of candy on the honor system. We haven't had trick-or-treaters for years. It's my elder DD's favorite holiday, so she does elaborate costumes for the grandkids, and in the past, for herself. She hasn't mentioned costumes this year, and it's been a crazy-busy summer and fall--maybe she's behind schedule.

Halloween is pretty much a non-event, now, for me, but I kind of worry about our black cat, although she's not friendly to strangers. She's not even that friendly to us, as she's a semi-feral drop off who enjoys interacting only when following for walks in the woods, and at feeding time.

My brother's annual 'Fall Celebration' was last Friday--an outdoor party with a hayride and music, never organized as a Halloween party. His grandkids broke out the masks for a little while--until their mother realized that they were passing around the expensive ones that were supposed to be saved for Halloween.

Halloween has no religious meaning to me. My favorite older cousin (who was also my favorite History/Geography teacher in HS) was a minister in a strict Christian denomination, which does not even use musical accompaniment to hymns. One day we were discussing 'religious' holidays--specifically Easter--in History class, and he said, "Oh, let the kids have their fun with eggs and bunnies--that has nothing to do with the real meaning of the holiday."

I totally agree with him--Halloween is just a night of fun for the kids.

I loved Halloween when I was a kid. My daughter did too. Her dad used to create all kinds of cool things. No one where I live now does trick or treating. I miss seeing all the kids dressed up in costumes.

Now that the grands are getting older and live further away, I'm kind of indifferent to Halloween. We haven't had trick or treaters since my kids were little and their friends would come by.

Loved seeing the little ones all dressed up but haven't seen that in years. Personally, I've never had any interest in dressing up and would probably refuse to participate in a workplace environment.

To me, Halloween has no satanic meaning at all. Just plain fun for the kids and maybe a few belly aches.

On a side note.... when my daughter was younger and all into the Harry Potter books and video games, her best friend, a boy, was not allowed to play the Harry Potter video games yet he could play the killing people type of games. I never understood that.

I love Halloween. It's a fun reason to dress in costume and hand out candy. Probably my favorite holiday.

Isn't it funny how we tell our kids "Don't ever take candy from strangers", and then encourage them to go to a stranger, and take the candy! lol

As long as it stays a dress-up time for kids, and doesn't be an excuse for older kids to do mischief, then let it happen. Besides, it's the American way-- get as much money out of people for celebrating a day, as possible. Merchants love it.

Halloween should be a fun day for all. Participate if you want but I object to it being mandatory. I also object to all the offensive Christmas stuff that offends and opposes my Devil-worshiping. I want to complain to HR about that. Happily, I don't have to deal with any HR operations anymore. The Devil-worship lights and tree I put up at Xmastime is to show the mother ship where to land and rendezvous. They keep missing it though. Maybe it's too many streetlights and lights from cellphones interfering with the Melmac radar. And it's fun to have the ghosts and spirit life stopping by for a cup of lambswool as we plan how to vex our mutual enemies. Gotta go. Time to feed the flying monkeys.

Too many religious wackos running around trying to redefine everything and make mountains out of deserts and plains. If they're so "offended" by a little kid in a vampire costume then they should go back to their pews and when the priest is done raping the neighborhood kids they can complain to him. Funny, they don't object to the actions there and even condone and participate in the coverup! Seems strange they get so easily sidetracked that they, like all good cult members, go attack something else to take the heat off what SHOULD be a major concern.

Common sense has disappeared in this country. We proved that about a year ago.

Oh, and it's never been a huge holiday, but I sure enjoyed it as a candy--scarfing kid and enjoyed a few of the parties as an adult. I participate in fewer holidays in all as I get older and when I do it's less than before. I just wish the nutcases could take a pill and calm down a bit. If they had a little fun in their life, maybe they wouldn't be quite so ridiculous. Ah, but I realize that's only a dream.

Okay cynic, I was with you until you added your "wackos" comment...

The rest was funny, though...

I think it's unfortunately becoming too commercial. Back in the day, kids made their own costumes and stores didn't sell gory, nasty masks and props to kids. I don't think kids should get exposed to overly sexy or creepy/ gory stuff in stores. Homemade is better. Kids we know are glad to get homemade cookies and brownies and popcorn balls, but for the rest I give little toys because I don't want parents to worry about candy from someone they don't know.

Kids love this holiday. Some churches have a harvest festival with costumes and treats and I think that's fine.

Some parents use it to try fundraising for causes, so I keep some money ready for those kids collecting for charity.

The article below gives a good explanation of the Wicca Beliefs and Religion. It is not Devil Worship, but more closely akin to the "Great Spirit" of Native Americans. Modern Wiccans try to rediscover their distant past to draw on those traditions and practices. The Wicca practice predates Christianity by approximately 28,000 years and much of that has been lost.

https://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm

In case you are wondering, I am not Wicca. In my entire life, I have briefly met only one person who was a known Wicca. It is possible to have 'rubbed shoulders' with others without my knowledge of it.

It might be commercial, but it's still just a voluntary holiday, enjoy or despise, your choice!

WOW Cynic your ignorance is over the top. No one condones the scandal in the Church NO ONE. As for the cover up..ya people were involved. I suggest you pay attention to the news of late. The same cover up is happening in schools where teachers abuse kids, in Hollywood where the powerful have abused women FOR DECADES. In many many cases of abuse by clergy, a police officer knew, a PARENT knew....the cover up blame needs to be painted with a very broad brush. Sorry, back to Halloween. JeCrigler no one should be FORCED to be involved in any

activity outside their normal work responsibilities, no matter what your

personal views on Halloween are.

Arcy, your right. Nobody should be forced into anything. I concur.

Thats one of the main reasons I started this post because I wanted to know what grown adults think of it now.

I know my beliefs have changed drastically from when I was a kid to know. I outgrew Halloween. But commercialism makes it appear that everyone loves it.

Even Hobby Lobby sells Halloween supplies and decor so it can't be a bad thing. *wink

We're doing it, along with our sweet grandkids. About 400 kids hit this neighborhood. Lots of laughs and conversations among walking adults. It's a great neighborly sharing experience.

Today, my neighborhood will be well lighted. It's Diwali, and hundreds of my Hindu neighbors will be celebrating the Festival of Lights, which opposes Halloween.

However, come Halloween, most of their kids will participate. We all get along here.

When I was a kid, I loved it, it was fun to get all dressed up and go trick or treating. My parents were strong Christians and they never thought anything about it being bad. I'd say that 99.9% of the people are just having fun on Halloween. I'm sure there are a few whackos that are using it for devil worship.

I like to dress up if going to a family party, I usually make a dress or top out of Halloween fabric and wear. Last Sunday I wore my top and the fabric has Halloween cupcakes all over it. I was just at home but knew Alyssa was coming over. I do not decorate any more or go out from door to door. I don't think I ever did go door to door, even with my kids! Back then they just went and came back. It makes little difference to me, it is just a fun time for those I think that want to join in. Have fun, life is too short. I like the Brussels Sprouts, funny.

Sue

I loved it as a child - great fun to plan and buy my costume or pull one together. And I LOVED all the candy. It was fun when my children were little. I don't "do" costumes so they created their own. They loved the candy. When the grands came along, they were adorable in their baby costumes. "Baby Tiger 17 years ago!

I loved it in MS when they dressed up, one as a pumpkin, and the other as "Pi" with the formula on a t-shirt. Now too old and no children come by anymore so I don't buy candy or turn on the light.

I can't say I'm wild about all this ridiculous decorating that goes on each year. One street a couple of miles from me, is beyond OTT <http://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/home-garden/home-of-the-week/2017/10/19/louisville-halloween-hillcrest-house-decorating/749179001/>; Don't quite get the adults wearing costumes and having parties but so long as I'm not forced to do so, it's no big deal.

As for the "religious" aspect of the holiday: I'm an Episcopalian and we do celebrate All Saints Day - it's one of seven major "Feast Days" in the church. And we get to sing, the glorious Ralph Vaughan Williams hymn "For All the Saints" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OaBgaMcOvM>; Nothing pagan about Halloween as it's the night before All Saints Day and then the next day, All Souls Day.

Let's see October 31st, the day to celebrate Luther's nailing of the 95 thesis to the Castle Church Door, yea! Happy Reformation Day!

I think it's a great, fun day for kids and adults. I wish we got Trick-or-treaters out here in our spooky woods!

I feel bad about all the plastic Halloween stuff made on the other side of the world, filling freighters across the ocean, trucked across the continent, then bought by Americans who have a bit of fun with it for a year or five, then send it by diesel powered trash trucks to a landfill where it sits inert for all of eternity.

My pet peeve is the spun polyester webbing that people decorate their shrubs and houses with. It looks nasty (not even like cobwebs) and can get caught up in those shrubs for months. Yuck.

I do want children to enjoy themselves trick-or-treating & wearing costumes (which I would prefer someone made from what they have at hand rather than purchased at Target.) We will give out candy at our house, but most of my block goes dark on Halloween, which does not encourage many children to walk down our block.

It's not my favorite holiday but I think it's certainly harmless enough and fun for kids. It's evolved to the point where it's strictly a commercial holiday with no religious undertones so I don't understand why people get all uptight about it. Christmas is too commercial but Halloween is a pagan celebration You can't have it both ways. That being said I will probably have 60 to 80 trick or treaters here.

I see kids at the apartment complex and a lot of youngsters who might potentially trick or treat so since I was ordering from WM anyway I ordered candy. Of course, I ordered the kind *I* like just in case no one shows up.

We don't do halloween...we treat ourselves instead by going out to dinner....

Most children in this area, may just go to family or close friends and they go to different Trunk or Treat places at churches. When our first 3 were growing up, we lived at the edge of town and there were a lot of kids in that neighborhood. They would all get together and walk about the homes and trick or treat. Never had a worry about it back then, the 1960's.

Sue

We live on a busy highway and I don't want to encourage the kids to walk in this neighborhood. We just turn all the lights off and sit quietly listening to music for the evening. Whatever...to me Halloween is greatly overdone these days. So much spent on decorating that could go to a better destination. A fun time for kids in a safe place is nice, but leave it at that.

We haven’t had tricker treaters for years. It makes my heart ping a bit because I don’t get to see the cute costumes and reactions of the younger kids. Some of my warmest memories are from the Halloween’s we had as a kid. Our Mom would let my sisters and I go through her closet to pick a dress and then like magic, she’d transform us into midget sized gypsies. Getting to put on jewelry, make up and high heel shoes at age 7 was so exciting. One year my sisters and I even transformed our garage into a haunted house for the neighborhood, it was so much fun! I wanted the same for my daughter and we’d go all out, now she has great memories too. It’s a children’s holiday, a day to tranform into something else and be silly. It makes me sad that it’s become so commercialized or so dangerous that kids have to go to malls to trick or treat; I get annoyed when I hear parents complain about having to take their kids out. We’ve basically ruined it for them in every way possible.

It makes me wonder why parents (who for whatever reason) won’t let their kids partcipate can’t look at the bigger picture and see how these kinds of holidays actually give something special to the kids. The time our kids are small goes fast folks! Let your hair down and try to enjoy it while you have the chance! Your religious beliefs really have no bearing on whether Johnny wants to dress up as a ninja turtle or Mary wants to be a princess.

IMO making a group of people conform to one person’s believes should be politically incorrect. There is something fundimentally wrong with that whole scenario.

Rather than children going door to door, when I was teaching in Ohio our school held a Halloween costume judging for different themes and different age groups through adults. Then the fire department blocked off the street and everyone walked to the fire station where treats were handed out and cider and doughnuts to all ages. Where we live now here in GA many churches hold "Trunk and Treat" where the children go from vehicle to vehicle to get their treats. Cars and trucks and their owners are also all dressed up. What fun for all ages. In my opinion this is far safer. I love seeing the children, adults, sometimes dogs, and even the cars/trucks all in Halloween attire.

I really don't care much for Halloween anymore. It was fun back in the 60's, when my kids were little, and trick or treating was pretty safe. Parents and kids worked together to make the costumes, none of this purchased, no imagination, dangerous plastic masks kind of stuff. The Lions' club put on a big carnival geared to kids of all ages, again, good safe fun. There are no kids in my neighborhood now, so I leave lights off. I don't mind seeing older kids in costume, or even adults, but the kinds of costumes that seem to abound now other me. Don't see many 'cute' things anymore, mostly they lean towards the occult, the macabre, and zombie type things. Not my cup of tea by any means.

Rusty

Who said Christmas wasn't pagan? ;) lol

"IMO making a group of people conform to one person’s believes should be politically incorrect."

I don't know if you've looked around lately but everything is PC these days. Everyone is making everyone walk on eggshells because everyone doesn't conform to everyone's beliefs.