We've recently moved to the beautiful state of Washington. I'm very excited about my haunt this year, the new house is perfect and should get lots of traffic.
My question is, how does one know the appropriate amount of "haunt" for your Halloween display? It varies so much from region to region. I grew up in Ohio and Halloween was very big there, sky was the limit. I moved to NC and found Halloween wasn't well received, in fact I stopped doing a display the last couple of years because of the anti-halloween atmosphere in my area.
I wonder how Washington does it. I do a "spooky" haunt, not a gross-out haunt, but I would hate to make my neighbors angry, etc.
I've decided to really tone down my first Halloween here. I live in a windy area and don't want to keep on "graveyard patrol", constantly doing tombstone repair. I have tons of buckys and funkins, fcg, etc. What type of theme would work other than the typical graveyard scene?
I would love to hear of other's experience when they moved. Thanks in advance for your comments.
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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Well just off hand, NC is in the bible-belt and most hard-headed religious folk think that Halloween is a holiday related to devil-worshipping. Civil, open-minded folk like most of us (religious or not) know better. Neither Ohio nor Washington is in the bible-belt, so I'm guessing you'll be good to go, especially if it isn't hardcore gore. A haunted, spooky display is usually very well received by Joe and Jane Public because it's usually not offensive and is more geared to fun and excitement.
Now, don't get me wrong, many of you who live in the bible-belt probably get a good reaction from most people you encounter regarding your display, but I'll bet you run into more ignorant people who have to try to save you from your sins and devil-worshipping displays than those of us in other states.
I could be completely off base though. It's just a theory. Chicago is a haunt-friendly city. So, how about posting a pic of your spooktacular new house?
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"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it." -- W.W.
I'ld ask the neighbors if you're really worried about it.
Non graveyard skeletons....
Well.
Army of Darkness
Pirates
creepy island city thing from the new King Kong
They'ld make great mummies, leaving bits of bone exposed.
Even better those mummies from South America all bundled up...
More fun:
Mars Attacks! (red and green ones) LOL
Trick or Treaters
As for when I moved...
We didn't move states or anything, but we moved from mostly retired folk community to a mostly child raising community.
Our first year, I did a very little thing. More because we moved in in July than because of lack of wanting to. It's grown. Just a tad. But what's better is more of the neighbors are doing much more for halloween as well.
Now, don't get me wrong, many of you who live in the bible-belt probably get a good reaction from most people you encounter regarding your display, but I'll bet you run into more ignorant people who have to try to save you from your sins and devil-worshipping displays than those of us in other states.
Unnh Hunh....you are most correct in your theory. This is the first year they'll try to save me, because I've never done an all out haunt before. In fact, my town usually only has 'professional' haunts like the Jaycee's or something (which have occasionally been protested ). I've never seen someone try to pull off a neighborhood haunt, nothing beyond several yard decorations. But our neighborhood IS mighty festive in that respect-we're lucky. We are WAY bible-belt.
I'm also interested to see what others here have to say about their haunt differences when moving to other states......cool thread idea.
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Lindsey Wallace: I'm scared!
Laurie: There's nothing to be scared of.
Tommy Doyle: Are you sure? [Laurie nods]
Tommy Doyle: How?
Laurie: I killed him...
Tommy Doyle: [shouts] But you can't kill the boogie man!
Pictures taken during construction. It is on a corner lot.
I agree about NC. People were never nasty, just not very nice and I didn't get many trick or treaters. Most kids went to school or church run Halloween nights. I would get hundreds of kids in Ohio. I would buy less than 50 regular sized candy bars in NC and I always had tons left.
My husband thinks the back upper deck would make for a cool stern of a ship. I don't know how we could do that, but it would be cool to do a pirate theme. I'll have to do a search and look for pirate ideas.
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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
I guess I just lucked out. I grew up in a town in Arkansas that loved Halloween. We would ride around the neighborhoods and check out yard displays the way most people cruise for Christmas lights. My neighborhood also had a lot of kids in it, so trick-or-treating was always a blast. Unfortunately, where I live now is a lot more rural (and conservative). We've never gotten anything but complements on our displays in the past, but we also don't have a lot of trick-or-treat traffic on Halloween. In fact, we only had a handful of houses on our street that were lit up and passing out candy.
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"No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that...in the night...in the dark."
Beautiful house. A flying crank ghost would look righteous in that second floor arch window.
I also got lucky with my 'hood. The families are so thick in the streets on halloween night, No one can drive cars down the streets. And, it doesn't get kicked up really good until after dark. In some towns everything is over by dark. What's THAT all about?
Well, we gave up our house (which I never got to have Halloween there because we only lived there 8 months), to start our business. Which is now where we live. In an industrial park. I'm not kidding. Technically I'm sure we're not supposed to live here, so I guess we're the "security". So, we have our haunt/party at my family's house in a rural area. I don't know if Florida is technically the Bible Belt (it feels more like Hell), but we've never had any problems from the Holy-Rollers (no offense anyone, the worst ones are my parents). I kept telling my mom that she HAD to be there for the party, otherwise she'd miss all the animal sacrifices. They were originally convinced Halloween was all about Satan and devil worship. Now that they got to see at least part of the party, I think they see if a little differently.
Didn't mean to get off topic, PumpkinPrincess your new house rocks. I say do it up and see what happens. Especially since your haunt isn't really gory, I would think you would be well received. Let us know what theme you decide on. I agree the pirate theme might work well with the way your house is.
I grew up in Chicago & Halloween was always big for us. I lived most of my life out west in Denver, Co., western Nebraska, & about a year in Texas. Then I moved here to North Carolina.
Where Muffy goes so does her decorations!! I have never had a problem of any kind even when the Jehovah Witnesses came here the year before last. Joe said from the porch...."Now just stop & turn around & get back in your car!".....we never heard from them again.
I've enjoyed NC, 1st having an apartment and being surprised w/ 50 kids coming to now owning the home & our 1st year started with 140 and this last season (our 3rd) with well we lost count at 200 & they were coming in the door for quite awhile after that.
My experience here in NC has produced nothing but truly gracious parents for all the trouble we go through & the wonderful fun we create for their families. I've enjoyed myself here very much. We grow the haunt bigger each season & in turn it produces more people coming through it.SO in my area I'm lucky cause I have great people that come.
Muf
oh yes PS....a very beautiful home Pumpkinprincess......I can't wait tyo see your halloween pictures! Good Luck in the new house!
I have lived in the south all but a few years of my life, and I gotta say it's a pretty ignorant liberal media slanted Hollywood stereotype to accuse us of being backwards and 'more religious' than the rest of the country. 95% of the country practices some religion. 95% of the country isn't in the South. (although at the current rate, maybe they will be)
Chicago isn't immune. How about a church for 10,000 people and 17,000 members? About Us
Halloween was huge in my tiny tiny GA hometown, is huge where I live now and is huge where I will be moving soon. I have never seen any type of protest that was more than a few Jehovah's Witnesses, and they aren't exactly mainstream anywhere.
I digress...
Washington state is two states, really. You have King county that is ultra liberal. And then you have the rest of the state. Seriously. Western WA to Eastern WA is a total economic, political, cultural, demographic and topographic difference. From rain forests to mountains to deserts to rolling plains and fields of wheat and barley. It is probably my favorite state and you'll love it.
New House = New Haunt!
This is the first year they'll try to save me, because I've never done an all out haunt before. In fact, my town usually only has 'professional' haunts like the Jaycee's or something (which have occasionally been protested 
). I've never seen someone try to pull off a neighborhood haunt, nothing beyond several yard decorations. But our neighborhood IS mighty festive in that respect-we're lucky. We are WAY bible-belt. 
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