Comments on: What’s Your Halloween Giveaway Strategy?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:53:00 +0000

It has been sooo many years since I went trick-or-treating for myself but I have been going the last four years with my son and the whole thing has definitely changed alot with barely any houses giving out candy and barely any people going door-to-door.

It seems now that the big thing is to do it at the mall, a church or community center for “safety”.

By: Nerak

Nerak — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Took me 2 days to read all the posts. Loved the article & posts. I always feel let down when holidays are over – so this was fun reading after Halloween. I was too busy on that day anyway.

Yeah, I agree with Old Man and a lot of the others about teens. I went out with friends through most of high school. I never had any peers think we were “uncool” and I wouldn’t have cared if they had. Yes, there were a few grumps that said we were too old, but it was such a good time.

So many people complain about teens causing trouble or acting too grown-up, why not let them be kids a little longer?

As long as they are doing it more for the experience and less for “free candy”. We always had costumes, store-bought or home-made, always said “Trick or Treat” “Happy Halloween” and “Thank You”.

My strategy this year: Just moved into a new neighborhood and bought WAY too much candy in anticipation of lots of kids. My husband & I took our daughter out T&Ting so we left a big bowl on the porch – sans sign – and it looked like hardly a piece had been taken when we returned. For the ones who came while we were home; we held the bowl out so they could take what they liked. My daughter even tried to offer treats to the pizza delivery guy!

By: jlew77

jlew77 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:49:00 +0000

All heard at the same house this year:

You didn’t say ‘trick or treat’.
You don’t live in this neighborhood.
I don’t give candy to big kids. (I guess 11 years is too old for halloween according to this lady.)

I say if you’re going to be grumpy about giving out candy, you might as well turn off your porch light and eat the candy yourself.

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Halloween is over now, but it has taken me 3 days to read this. It has been an awesome journey though. I loved all the posts.

I have lived in a condo community for 13 years. So no treat or treaters.

I take it to the adults. I dress up as a witch or vampire or an angel, I make up treat bags 15 or 20(with a few mini choc. bars and some misc. candy from my year round candy bag) with a touch or confetti and tie it up with multiple ribbons. I hand them out to co-workers, or whoever I cross paths with on that day even the convenience stores I go in that day.

This year in addition to the above, (daytime I was a vampire and night I was a witch) I made up some smaller treat bags and I went to several of the condos and said trick or treat. They looked at me really strange, I am a grown woman 50 yrs old. They said we don’t have any candy. I said, but I have candy for you. This went over really well. It was so fun. Actually I knew some of these people some I didn’t. I had a blast Halloween 2008.

By: mrs. riggs

mrs. riggs — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:41:00 +0000

mine was the type of household that would hand out the tracts. i read with glee the whole jack chick tract and it seems familiar. just love it. thanks a million for the old memory!

By: Chris Higgins

Chris Higgins — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:36:00 +0000

@Lidiu – nope, I mean tracts, as in religious tracts. Though “treats” would also make sense, and I hope you’re giving those out. :)

By: karen

karen — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:04:00 +0000

my favorite Halloween story EVER was of a of a man in the neighborhood we moved away from who used to keep a couple of KING sized Caramellos wrapped with a 10 dollar bills behind the door for the un-costumed, un-enthusiastic teens. When they would show up he’d say, “Oh good- I was hoping someone would come for these! (producing the goods) I remember how hard spending money and decent candy was to come by when I was a teenager, so here…Oh Wait! Back up and lemme try to make a basket in your pillowcase! Yeah- hold it open and back up a little further, little further- I played basketball in school- little further…” and SLAM goes the door followed by maniacal laughter.
I love men who like to play!
Serves them right!

By: Jaime

Jaime — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:44:00 +0000

I must have been a sheltered child. We lived in the middle of no where. When we went trick or treating, we only went to friends and family. And we called to let them know we where coming (so they’d be home). We also NEVER got trick or treaters to our house because we lived right next to a cemetry. Even our friends wouldn’t come! So we didn’t give out much candy. As an adult, I too live in the middle no where. I don’t get trick or treaters that I don’t know. I make up goodie bags for the ones I do know, tailored to what they like (baby gummies for the little little ones, spiderman for the spiderman fans, etc…) I wouldn’t mind getting to do the big dress up and scare the kids from the bushes thing! That would be awesome!

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:37:00 +0000

I don’t have anything against teens trick-or-treating, I went until 8th grade (and I’me really tall, I had someone ask if I was one of her college students), but costumes are a must!!!! I don’t care if it’s store bought or home-made, just wear one! No costume = no candy. I don’t think that’s harsh.

By: Amanda H.

Amanda H. — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:07:00 +0000

Proselytizing on Halloween is the most shameful & cowardly stratagem.
Q: What kind of contemptible ass would try to ruin a child’s holiday?
A: A religious contemptible ass.