# Was halloween Dead for you too?



## neven (May 15, 2010)

In Recent years i've been noticing a decline in those participating in the holiday. It seems every year less and less houses have their lights on, its a disturbing trend to me because as a kid there were normally 1 or 2 houses on the block not participating, normally for religious stance against the occasion. It just doesn't sit right to me because as a community we are supposed to ensure the positives of our childhood still exist for the next generation, even if we do not have kids.

I cant blame this solely on the people without kids, i can put a lot of the blame towards the parents of this generation aswell. Walking my son around hoping he'd see other kids in costumes, it was practically dead out there, encountered 4 large groups of kids on two streets that seemed to still try to celebrate. Plus a couple smaller groups flanked by cars driving slowly next to the children because their parents didn't want to be cold and actually walking. On my street my home and perhaps 3 others on a 4 block length even had a pumpkin out, let alone the lights on, still not one trick or treater, but i don't blame them as this street is dead to this night.

I know a lot of it is parents driving their kids to neighbourhoods where the haul is greater, but they are not setting the right example to their kid, they are letting greed win, and their neighbours lose. And the others at fault are those who pawn off their children to friends or parents so they can party it up on the night they should be spending with their children. Its no wonder that each year less people want to put the effort in when not even one child shows up. I know i still will be carving pumpkins, as i do every year, but who knows about the other 3 homes on my block who didn't give up on this year.


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Halloween was a zoo in the college park area of port moody.
we handed out almost 6 boxs of candy and was a steady flow of kids from about 6:30 right up till about 9pm.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

yea you live in the sort of area parents drive their kids to, packed with complexes and what not


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

In my neighborhood there was alot of kids out and around, we probly had about 75 trick or treaters according to my wife, but I was suprised by the amount of houses with lights off, probably about 1 in 3 which I found quite sad as well as I did not remember it being that bad when I was a kid. The main point was that my son had fun, which he did!


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## FatKid (Jun 25, 2010)

I live in an area of Cloverdale where there's tons of complexes and the houses are close enough to pee in yer neighbors toilet! Yet for some reason, my complex was dead, but one block over was nuts. We got 13 ish kids again this year. I normally do up a haunted house in my garage which I did last year to the sum of 4 kids. So I didn't bother this year. But I still carved a pumpkin and handed out candy. It ticks me off how many people don't even bother now. Or even worse, the ones that go out with their kids and don't even leave a bowl of candy for others. I waited 2 hours last night, then got bored and set up a bowl and went to find my kid in the chaos a block over.


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

hah dont even get me started..
my GF & i planned a party for saturday night. 
we only had 3 guests show up. my GF even made jello shooters for everyone.
very dissapointed in this holiday..bring on XMAS & my bday!


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Same here, neven. I was surprised and kids were a bit disappointed at one point after walking through lots of dark house. Or, what surprized me, we saw some great decorations and the lights were on but nobody opened or they did not give candies... Why decorate and then not welcome the kids?!?!
I think in our case the Community made a mistake. Previous years the Heights were celebrating from 3 till 5, then the Ghost Train in Confederation park and then the house. It was great atmosphere and lots of fun. This year they did it on Saturday, I have no idea why. So Saturday was pretty fun, but yesterday I felt it is a second time and almost did not want to go out with kids again... So, I guess maybe for lots of people that was the case. But we had fun and then watched the fireworks, so we were out from 6:30 till 9:00 and both my kids came home with 2 big bags of candies, so I guess I should be complaning. But it was worse than last year and lots of dark houses.


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

Adz1 said:


> Halloween was a zoo in the college park area of port moody.
> we handed out almost 6 boxs of candy and was a steady flow of kids from about 6:30 right up till about 9pm.


So that's where all the kids have gone! I live right next to College Park (Near Seaview Elementary School), and got a whopping 6 kids (50% increase from last year). I guess its an issue of location (darker side street)...


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

beN said:


> hah dont even get me started..
> my GF & i planned a party for saturday night.
> we only had 3 guests show up. my GF even made jello shooters for everyone.
> very dissapointed in this holiday..bring on XMAS & my bday!


You didnt invite the right people! with jello shooters I don't think I would ever have left! 

all joking aside though, sucks she went to all that trouble for nothing, guess it would not make the greatest trick or treats either  I don't get it, the money being spent on Halloween is increasing year after year, but the festivities seem to be dieing down, glad I was not alone in that thinking last night walking my son around.


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

oh well eh!
i didnt want to many drunks @ my house anyways.
i was thinking someone, would have made that stupid attempt of touching my ray. I was just waiting to hear a yelp for help haha.
either way, im going to the "party" next time. screw having it!


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

I must admit there is nothing more disappointing than getting all into the Halloween spirit, dressing up, decorating, carving pumpkins, buying candies and all ready for the kids to come around... and then only 2 or 3 small groups show up!!  I had that happen many years ago when I was still living at my folks' house and sadly it has put me off ever since. It IS nice to be back from the UK, where Halloween is for teenage "pests" rather than little kids who have put effort into their costumes. Right now we live in an apartment so we don't get trick-or-treaters.


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## snow (Apr 21, 2010)

We got around 30 kids. Across in the other new area where the homes are smaller and closer together a friend told me they had 125, and that's only a 5 min walk from our house.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

We decorated and put out candles and had zero kids.. neighbours decorated a lot too..

Every year we migrate down to Commercial Drive, BF daughter lives in White Rock. They mini vanned 7 teenagers in full regalia down to see the amazing effort that goes in there and to be where there are extra props. Musicians, projections, smoke machines. As we lived there for so many years we don't feel bad about going down as its for the show more than for the candy. 

Girls got a lot of grief for being "too old", gotta say beats what they could be doing as teens. If they are willing to go again next year we will take them, but we'll buy candy for them to leave at houses. 

It was a great night, enjoyed the chatting up different people I'd never met before. It was even quiet for the Drive though, many who had done in past didn't this year.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

the Drive is a great place to celebrate Samhain! 
but around my area, it's been drying up for years. People seem to prefer sterile, indoor (mall) group events.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

Fewer than normal at my place in Cloverdale.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I got drunk and handed out candy, there were only probably about 100 kids this year though.


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## user_error (Aug 15, 2010)

I think people are having less and less kids for one thing...

Also some neighbourhoods completely don't get into it, I just moved into our place but very few of the neighbours looked to be decorating or celebrating halloween so we took the kids to grandma's for trick or treat. and also because they had fireworks there


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

every year my boyfriend's parents whole street (a dead end) gets together for their annual halloween block party. people on the street donate towards fireworks, people bring cookies, hot chocolate, etc and the fireworks are all lit by a man who has lived there for 35 years. all the kids get sparklers and they LOVE the fireworks! its a great time for the kids. then, afterwards, they all head off to the local high school where in my history (being 24 years old) there has only been ONE missed year of fireworks that the community association puts together. halloween is usually a decent to-do in my original stompin' grounds.


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

...... but then I had to go to work at 11pm in the psych ward


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## Rayne (Jul 12, 2010)

Halloween for us this year was a bust. Last year it was really busy and we ran out of candy by about 8:30, but then the year before that it was a bust too. It seems really hard to predict how its going to be for us. Oh well, more left over Halloween candy for us!


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

neven said:


> Plus a couple smaller groups flanked by cars driving slowly next to the children because their parents didn't want to be cold and actually walking.


Thats brutal, it doesn't even GET cold in Vancouver. Thats just pure laziness imo... those people should spend a winter in the interior to toughen them up a bit.

it was pretty good at the lions/riders game yesterday, almost everyone was in costume. 
the fireworks going till 4am at the park beside my house wasnt that great tho lol


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

We had more trick or treaters at our house this year than we have had in the past 10 years. Some pretty good decorations in our area as well. It did seem like there were more houses with the lights off than usual (maybe around 20%). Does Unicef not do donation collections on Halloween anymore? It's a shame if they don't, I carried those little Unicef cardboard boxes for years when I was a kid & usually managed to collect over $50 each Halloween.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

Pamela said:


> We had more trick or treaters at our house this year than we have had in the past 10 years. Some pretty good decorations in our area as well. It did seem like there were more houses with the lights off than usual (maybe around 20%). Does Unicef not do donation collections on Halloween anymore? It's a shame if they don't, I carried those little Unicef cardboard boxes for years when I was a kid & usually managed to collect over $50 each Halloween.


thats good news and a good question... its been a while since ive seen a unicef box. that brings back memories


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

I saw some Unicef boxes a few years ago. I totally forgot about them and had to scramble when the kids came out with them. I agree, those boxes bring back memories....


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## slipstream (Apr 25, 2010)

beN said:


> hah dont even get me started..
> my GF & i planned a party for saturday night.
> we only had 3 guests show up. my GF even made jello shooters for everyone.
> very dissapointed in this holiday..bring on XMAS & my bday!


You shoulda posted it on here, I woulda come.


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## Punkys Dad (Apr 25, 2010)

The Great Pumpkin passed me by again.


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## MadgicBug (Apr 22, 2010)

Our neighbourhood has been on an up swing. The numbers are still low, but we went from the low 20's 5yrs ago to 40+ this year as more younger families are moving in.

Its kind of disapointing still as only 25% of the houses on our street were giving away candies.

I know in Richmond, there are little pockets that are really busy and then there's the Burkeville area in Richmond whch is a zoo as they goes all out and parents car pool the kids in the by hundreds.


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## 24/7 (Apr 21, 2010)

268 kids to my house


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## H . (Apr 23, 2010)

my daughter and her classmates, friends, they had a big sleep over party on Sat. and lots kid to my house on Sunday's evening. I was told it's better than last year. ( I was out of town during last halloween..)


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

Pamela said:


> Does Unicef not do donation collections on Halloween anymore? It's a shame if they don't, I carried those little Unicef cardboard boxes for years when I was a kid & usually managed to collect over $50 each Halloween.


Pamela: I was reminiscing about the same thing. Those darn boxes got so heavy with pennies!!  I remember many years ago I heard that schools were stopping using them because apparently a lot of people would collect using the boxes, but would steal the money from them and not give it to Unicef..!


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