# Halloween is not what it used to be



## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

Does anybody agree? Though the seasonal feel of the holiday and the happiness it brings me will NEVER change, I am a bit sad to see how it has been evolving in these past years. When I was a small boy I remember Halloween felt very 'vintage', everywhere in my small town always focused on the classic monsters and Halloween symbols, like pumpkins, witches, ghosts and black cats usually with some gore intertwined which I did not mind as it still felt like the Halloween I grew to know and love. Now a days, everything seems to 'shiny' for my taste, so many princesses and superhero's and no witches or ghouls anymore, and is it just my town or have the Halloween decorations (Unless its from Spirit) become more shiny and cheap looking then the old hard plastic rubbery fake pumpkins we had on the shelves back in the day? I decided to be Micheal Myers from H2 (1981) this year, and when I decided to go to a party, barely one other person was actually something frightening, everyone else being something very shiny and 'cute'. What I also seem to notice is that gore has toppled over the classic symbols of the holiday, instead of classic monsters, pumpkins and witches in my store, its non-Halloween related slashers, clowns and severed heads. While I know everyone has their vision of what Halloween is to them, and many love the gory aspects of it, I do miss the days of the older more dangerous and vintage Halloween.

Halloween as I remember it

















Modern Halloween as I see it

















What are your opinions? I would love to hear them if you agree or disagree.


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## nosefuratyou (Jan 11, 2016)

If you went to a party as Michael Meyers why would you complain about gore?
Main change that I see is that Trick or Treating itself has pretty much vanished. Limited to an hour or 2 or just a party at the local firehouse or somewhere. Too dangerous for the kids theses days.


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## byondbzr (Sep 9, 2012)

I think all things change, but with Halloween, what is classic will eventually come back around! Don't lose heart! I love vintage items from my childhood!


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

I'm not a old as some members (born in '91), but I remember it being more vintage too. My mom had all these costumes and props from her youth in the 50s and 60s, so we used a lot of those. She even handmade some of our costumes. I can see where TheSamhainGhoul is coming from though; I see the "shininess." I keep looking back at some of my favorite kids horror shows, like Goosebumps, and see the actors going into these old stores with rubber masks shaped like witches and ghouls (normal Halloween characters). I wish I had a store like that to go to, not just a "once a year Spirit Halloween" store. Don't get me wrong, I love Spirit, but it's nothing compared to those mom & pop stores of the past. At least they stayed there year round... 

For now though, all we can do is enjoy the holiday and hope it returns to its scariness


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

What saddens me is seeing fewer and fewer house decorations in the neighborhood. Once upon a time, every other house would have a jack-o-lantern, one of those cardboard jointed figures in the window, a paper bag head dummy, white sheet "ghosts" hanging from trees, or some other sort of small decoration. Now, seems it's either all-out displays, which are far and few between, or nothing. And it's not due to cheapness. My neighborhood puts on a very nice light show come Christmas. But this last Halloween, I saw ONE house with two uncarved pumpkins and another with a Halloween hanging flag. Big whoop.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

boo who? said:


> What saddens me is seeing fewer and fewer house decorations in the neighborhood. Once upon a time, every other house would have a jack-o-lantern, one of those cardboard jointed figures in the window, a paper bag head dummy, white sheet "ghosts" hanging from trees, or some other sort of small decoration. Now, seems it's either all-out displays, which are far and few between, or nothing. And it's not due to cheapness. My neighborhood puts on a very nice light show come Christmas. But this last Halloween,* I saw ONE house with two uncarved pumpkins and another with a Halloween hanging flag. Big whoop.*


It's people like me that ruin Halloween...we build props...don't recall anyone doing that in my youth. We give out full size candy bars....not double bubble or dum dums or tootsie rolls. We go big...no card board pictures or a single jack on the porch. We set the bar high and other's just don't want to compete or worse, their houses get passed as the ToTs head to my house.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

It will always change & the only thing you can do is either quit or keep doing what you're doing whether it's Freddy Kruger, Saw or vintage stuff.

The school next door has a kids Halloween parade & I've been either participating in it or watching it since I went there in the 70s. Since then there has always been the superhero of the day costume (Batman, Spiderman & Superman being "in" since forever), princesses of all sorts not just Disney, vampires of all sorts (usually scary) & by the 90s there were lots of ninjas. In between there's the "in thing" of the day, like Napoleon Dynamite or Ninja Turtles or Harry Potter.

Young kids haven't really changed in their tastes, just their choices of superheroes & princesses have changed. They all still want to get LOTS of candy in some fashion & dress up.

The biggest difference is that now adults participate more often & we all have different tastes. Some like vintage Universal/Hammer horror, some like Saw & Hostel, some prefer the 80s slashers, some prefer glitter. There's a wider range of Halloween because of us grown ups & I like that there's a ton of choices now.

And honestly I'm OK with that.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

nosefuratyou said:


> If you went to a party as Michael Meyers why would you complain about gore?
> Main change that I see is that Trick or Treating itself has pretty much vanished. Limited to an hour or 2 or just a party at the local firehouse or somewhere. Too dangerous for the kids theses days.


Never said I didn't like some gore, I said I don't like when it topples classic Halloween symbols, and the original Halloween had no blood.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

RCIAG said:


> It will always change & the only thing you can do is either quit or keep doing what you're doing whether it's Freddy Kruger, Saw or vintage stuff.
> 
> The school next door has a kids Halloween parade & I've been either participating in it or watching it since I went there in the 70s. Since then there has always been the superhero of the day costume (Batman, Spiderman & Superman being "in" since forever), princesses of all sorts not just Disney, vampires of all sorts (usually scary) & by the 90s there were lots of ninjas. In between there's the "in thing" of the day, like Napoleon Dynamite or Ninja Turtles or Harry Potter.
> 
> ...


Of course, it really depends and what era and where you grow up, I am actually not that old but my town always celebrated Halloween very classic, and now its really abandoned that tradition except some of the houses still putting up witches and ghosts. And don't get me wrong, there have ALWAYS been superhero's since the 70's-80's but the Vampires and ghouls still came over them, now I rarely see anything very scary except a zombie or two. But things will always change, I must agree with that, however displeasing it is.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

boo who? said:


> What saddens me is seeing fewer and fewer house decorations in the neighborhood. Once upon a time, every other house would have a jack-o-lantern, one of those cardboard jointed figures in the window, a paper bag head dummy, white sheet "ghosts" hanging from trees, or some other sort of small decoration. Now, seems it's either all-out displays, which are far and few between, or nothing. And it's not due to cheapness. My neighborhood puts on a very nice light show come Christmas. But this last Halloween, I saw ONE house with two uncarved pumpkins and another with a Halloween hanging flag. Big whoop.



Indeed, some people really just hate Halloween for whatever reason, some just don't see it as a holiday worth spending more then a 100$ worth, luckily in my town people still decorate with vintage style decorations, mainly pin ups, ghosts and jack-o-lanterns, and so do I.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I think we just have to keep up the good fight, keep putting up stuff whether it's vintage or Walking Dead zombies. Because there will be that one kid that sees your stuff & thinks its cool & will do the same in his or her own way when they're old enough.


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## creepymagic (Apr 16, 2012)

I think sometimes people compare things through the eyes of a child vs the eyes of an adult and nothing can compete with the imagination of a child. I feel the same way about Christmas and Easter, having enjoyed the mystery of those Holidays more through the eyes of a child rather than vicariously through my son. 

But I have to disagree to some extent, Halloween has evolved beyond my expectations and in my town more and more people go all out decorating. When I was a kid in the seventies the coolest Halloween prop was 3 plastic skulls that blinked from Kmart. Now you have Halloween shops all over, we have a couple places within an hour or so of my home that sell Halloween all year round. Dozens of haunted houses and plenty of costume parties. Some of the homes in my town put 1313 Mockingbird Lane to shame. I never would have imagined that in the seventies.

This is a Holiday that has been shunned throughout history but marches on, its 3000 years old. About the only thing many religions agree on is that it should be shunned. Most governments does not give you the day off so its not even officially recognized, yet 25% of all candy is sold for Halloween, it is second only to Christmas for money spent (LA Times estimated that Americans will spend 6.9 Billion in 2015). Its a Holiday built on nature, the end of the harvest, and the entrance to winter. It can't be hurt and it can't be stopped. Stories of razors and needles in candy (later proved false) could not stop it, the Roman Empire could not stop it, the potato famine could not stop it, the depression could not stop it. It celebrates dead things, makes celebrities out of killers (Freddie kills, Jason kills, Michael kills, why are they celebrated?), it sends kids out saying basically that you better give them candy or else, it is so politically incorrect that it should have no place in society, but Halloween literally stomps all over every standard ever set by any decent society. You got to love it for that. We live in a society where something like Halloween cannot possibly exist, yet it does. For a brief moment in time we remember our ancestors fear. Summer is over, the harvest is in, will we survive the winter, will we survive Freddie, will we die of starvation, will Jason get us. 

Every kid who watches a horror movie on cable in October, or downloads a Halloween song off Itunes, or goes and watches the latest 3D thriller at the theatre, will remember the chills of Halloween and will grow up and continue the work that we do today, just as we continue the work of those before us. We have no choice, its in our nature.

But I do agree that I miss the magic I saw as a kid watching those 3 skulls blink different colors. I knew then when I grew up I wanted to really go all out for Halloween, I know now that you can't do both as no one feels "grown up" decorating for Halloween.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

My Mother and her Mother were some of the first Trick-or-Treaters to walk the streets of this small town. they both were always "In to" Halloween, dressing up in costumes, usually home made and having the fun that went along with people you know very well not knowing who is in THAT COSTUME!?
Being born in 1949, I grew up seeing classic Horror movies from before 1949 re-cycled (Even though we didn't know it, usually)
Everything was very shiney and new back then,like Nuclear subs! Jet airplanes! Rockets to space, UFOs, WOW!
At least in this part of the USA our population is becoming older and cranky, but then we have all "Been there-Done That" This county has the oldest population of any county in this state of Illinois.
I have never been a fan of gore or realistic serial-killer/entertainment.
I am fairly sure that when fans of gore and the like come through my haunted house , that I entertain them enough that the majority are pleased with the "Show" I provide for them, along with the silly, unpredictable distractions.
But then, I am also a "throw-back" to even older times , maybe the 1870s or earlier. I believe in ghosts/spirits/supernatural because of the numerous experiences myself and many others have had here for many years, beginning around the time my own Father was born (1925)
Some are terrified to even consider such things, I do understand this, and don't mention such subjects if they are found to be unpopular with whoever is looking at me here. I understand them because I don't care for bloody-gore, since one way or another such things will find most of us someday, maybe marking the end of our own lives. I prefer to wait, no need to think about such things yet.(or to see realistic depictions of such things)
A "Perfect Scare" (to me) does have a scream or other noticeable reaction, followed quickly by their laughter='s Success!
(No Phobia-building )


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## TheHalloweenGuru (Sep 17, 2015)

This might apply to you?


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

creepymagic said:


> I think sometimes people compare things through the eyes of a child vs the eyes of an adult and nothing can compete with the imagination of a child. I feel the same way about Christmas and Easter, having enjoyed the mystery of those Holidays more through the eyes of a child rather than vicariously through my son.
> 
> But I have to disagree to some extent, Halloween has evolved beyond my expectations and in my town more and more people go all out decorating. When I was a kid in the seventies the coolest Halloween prop was 3 plastic skulls that blinked from Kmart. Now you have Halloween shops all over, we have a couple places within an hour or so of my home that sell Halloween all year round. Dozens of haunted houses and plenty of costume parties. Some of the homes in my town put 1313 Mockingbird Lane to shame. I never would have imagined that in the seventies.
> 
> ...


I don't mind some gore, when I was growing up as much as we had the classic monsters and symbols emphasized we still had some gore intertwined in there, usually severed heads and limbs. But now gore has become the symbol for Halloween, only matched by the jack-o-lantern or Snicker bar by the modern audience, which slightly bothers me but if people wish to celebrate Halloween like that they are free too, Halloween is all about freedom and doing whatever you want, so who am I to go saying "You shouldn't celebrate Halloween like that" it would only be hypocritical. But I agree with you, I much prefer using ghosts and ghouls as I actually believe in these kinds of things as well, due to my past experiences and your definition of 'The Perfect Scare' matches what I see as well.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

TheHalloweenGuru said:


> This might apply to you?



That is actually quite interesting, but I never said I viewed the modern generation of children as 'misguided' because of how they celebrate Halloween (Its not even their fault.) etc, I simply stated that Halloween has changed from a more grimy and old holiday into a more shiny and commercial holiday, which I still do like, but would prefer what it was before.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

In many ways I'm OK that it's different. As a kid I did have fun at our little neighborhood parties. I remember bobbing for apples at one. I hated the masks back then. Thin plastic with those elastic cords with the metal pieces that got fed through the cheap plastic and usually either broke or ripped through the plastic mask at some point. The elastic cording also got caught up in your hair. A few years of that and I was begging to use makeup instead. Lots of Ponds Cold Cream at night trying to remove after ToTing. The costumes today can be witches or monsters still and look so much more frightning and realistic that I prefer them now instead.

Lived in a residential area then and now where kids ToT. So no difference there really. Still see parents walking along with their younger kids. Treats are smaller in size now but given all the weight and diabetes issues in young kids, I don't really have a problem with that. 

I don't smell candle lit pumpkins much any more if at all some years. Kind of miss that. I do love that people decorate now. Other than pumpkins on the porch and maybe a few construction paper cutouts in windows the people in my neighborhood growing up didn't decorate at all.

Oh and one of those crappy masks, dripping in persperation down your face out in the cold, was a Princess costume. Probably Cinderella. Although compared to the gorgeous costume material and detailing today I probably now would have looked like an ugly step-sister LOL.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

Ghost of Spookie said:


> In many ways I'm OK that it's different. As a kid I did have fun at our little neighborhood parties. I remember bobbing for apples at one. I hated the masks back then. Thin plastic with those elastic cords with the metal pieces that got fed through the cheap plastic and usually either broke or ripped through the plastic mask at some point. The elastic cording also got caught up in your hair. A few years of that and I was begging to use makeup instead. Lots of Ponds Cold Cream at night trying to remove after ToTing. The costumes today can be witches or monsters still and look so much more frightning and realistic that I prefer them now instead.
> 
> Lived in a residential area then and now where kids ToT. So no difference there really. Still see parents walking along with their younger kids. Treats are smaller in size now but given all the weight and diabetes issues in young kids, I don't really have a problem with that.
> 
> I don't smell candle lit pumpkins much any more if at all some years. Kind of miss that. I do love that people decorate now. Other than pumpkins on the porch and maybe a few construction paper cutouts in windows the people in my neighborhood growing up didn't decorate at all.


In my town the ToT'ers never used those plastic masks, always Don Post or other company latex/vinyl masks, including myself. But I agree, the treats being smaller, the decorating and the actual ghoul and witch costumes looking better is an upside to the modern Halloween, but sadly barely anyone uses a witch, vampire or ghoul costume these days, or at least something related to horror.


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## TheHalloweenGuru (Sep 17, 2015)

I think it took a less shiny and grim polish to it because vintage Halloween was more "bright orange pumpkins and neon green witches" But today it's way more dark (figurative and literally)

Then:
View attachment 272990
View attachment 272991
View attachment 272992
View attachment 272993

View attachment 272999

Now
View attachment 272994
View attachment 272995
View attachment 272996
View attachment 272997

View attachment 272998


Oh yeah and you're right, Halloween has become 100% more commercialized


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

creepymagic said:


> This is a Holiday that has been shunned throughout history but marches on, its 3000 years old. About the only thing many religions agree on is that it should be shunned. Most governments does not give you the day off so its not even officially recognized, yet 25% of all candy is sold for Halloween, it is second only to Christmas for money spent (LA Times estimated that Americans will spend 6.9 Billion in 2015). Its a Holiday built on nature, the end of the harvest, and the entrance to winter. It can't be hurt and it can't be stopped. Stories of razors and needles in candy (later proved false) could not stop it, the Roman Empire could not stop it, the potato famine could not stop it, the depression could not stop it. It celebrates dead things, makes celebrities out of killers (Freddie kills, Jason kills, Michael kills, why are they celebrated?), it sends kids out saying basically that you better give them candy or else, it is so politically incorrect that it should have no place in society, but Halloween literally stomps all over every standard ever set by any decent society. You got to love it for that. We live in a society where something like Halloween cannot possibly exist, yet it does. For a brief moment in time we remember our ancestors fear. Summer is over, the harvest is in, will we survive the winter, will we survive Freddie, will we die of starvation, will Jason get us.


THIS! SO MUCH LOVE FOR WHAT YOU SAID! <333

You just have to look at it like this: in the future all of the kids of today will probably be saying the same thing about Halloween as it currently is. 
And that's true for everything...music, pop culture, etc. And pop culture plays a huge part in Halloween, always has since it started becoming popular so one can only expect to see ten thousand Elsa's and Olaf's running around. I don't live in a suburban neighborhood, but if I did get ToT's I would be sure to give the monsters some extra candy. haha


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## ichasiris (Aug 8, 2014)

I can feel how things have changed. When you're a kid ALL your kid friends participate and get into the spirit and excitement, and I don't know if it's just a part of being an adult or if the feeling has just changed in general. But the adult part is difficult because not all adults are "into" it anymore. It's like pulling teeth trying to get some people in the spirit, so I'd just rather not associate with those types, LOL.

But yeah, I think it's just evolved, much like Christmas. That's why it's our job to keep the spirit alive and evolve with the times and make it as wonderful as we possibly can for as many people as we possibly can. I feel like that's my job, and all my friends and family appreciate it I think. They come to me with all their Halloween/horror inquiries and ask me for help with costumes and all those types of things!

I just drive the Halloween spirit as far as I can, push the limits!!! ^_^


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

creepymagic said:


> I
> 
> 
> This is a Holiday that has been shunned throughout history but marches on, its 3000 years old. About the only thing many religions agree on is that it should be shunned. Most governments does not give you the day off so its not even officially recognized, yet 25% of all candy is sold for Halloween, it is second only to Christmas for money spent (LA Times estimated that Americans will spend 6.9 Billion in 2015). .


I agree with the $6.9 billion, but that still puts Halloween behind Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Father's Day and even the Super Bowl as far as spending goes. On the flip side, it probably doesn't include all the money spent at Home Depot and Lowes on wood and hardware and foam.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

TheHalloweenGuru said:


> I think it took a less shiny and grim polish to it because vintage Halloween was more "bright orange pumpkins and neon green witches" But today it's way more dark (figurative and literally)
> 
> Then:
> View attachment 272990
> ...


By grimy I guess I would mean older, dirtier and more vintage in feeling, not really looks, and how Halloween (Especially during the Satanic Panic of the 80's) was viewed as a more dangerous holiday with connections to monsters and the supernatural, later on it got more "safe" to parents, but still kept that vintage style and feeling that it had since the 1920's, later on I would say in the mid-90's it began to become more dark in looks but shinier in a commercial aspect like Christmas, the funny thing being that the ToT's of the age are in complete contrast into what Halloween is in looks now.


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## TheHalloweenGuru (Sep 17, 2015)

Oh, I understand now


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## xxScorpion64xx (Oct 15, 2011)

Change is inevitable and it applies to all aspects of life, music, clothing styles, hair, the list goes on, when we were young, vintage was not vintage, present day kids are going through their style of Halloween but we need people like you to keep vintage relevant, I myself like going forward, pushing the envelope, taking it to the next level.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

It's both better and worse like most things. I do wish we had ToTs, but for the last several years we have been having a party for our close friends and it has worked to make Halloween different but still wonderful. I decorate for my own happiness, and aparently my friends love it too, I can't be worried about a lack of ToTs. The happiness I get when I come home at night and see everything in my yard, or when I go out and sit in my graveyard, that's enough for me I guess. In life often we have to make our own happiness and find joy in what we can do even when the rest of the world refuses to cooperate.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

My grandma used to say that life was like the ocean tides. There is a high, there is a low, but it always goes back to normal. Halloween and the festivities are much the same! 
I don't get any consistent TOT's (most has been @ 25), so we have had big parties with all my sons friends (and ours) through out the years starting when they started kindergarten and still up till now. Hopefully when they get older and married they will continue the tradition.
I always tell hubby that life has a way of being ironic at times - and I bet when we are 70+ is when our neighborhood will have a ton of kids for TOT.


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## creepymagic (Apr 16, 2012)

Pics of my son trick or treating in 2015. What an awesome time to be young.


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## creepymagic (Apr 16, 2012)

Scatterbrains said:


> I agree with the $6.9 billion, but that still puts Halloween behind Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Father's Day and even the Super Bowl as far as spending goes. On the flip side, it probably doesn't include all the money spent at Home Depot and Lowes on wood and hardware and foam.


Not in regards to decorating
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Business/story?id=2617781&page=1

Also there are more things to factor than just spending per person - per person the average Joe will buy Mom something on Mothers day more than the average person will spend on Halloween, but it does not take into account the Halloween industry that goes on such as haunted houses, movie releases, building rentals, etc.


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## Bruzilla (Jun 3, 2011)

I'm reasonably sure that my grandparents opened the door for trick or treaters in the 1960s and said_ "I'm not into these store-bought costumes. And what's with the flashlights? We carried around a jack-o-lantern with a candle to see."_

I'm a vintage Plymouth guy, and this is an issue we're dealing with on the collector car side of things. Guys like me who grew up in the 60s and 70s are all about cars from the 60s and 70s, but kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s tend to be all about cars from then. We look at a 71 Roadrunner as a must have, and a 94 Camaro as junk, and our kids have the exact opposite view. Folks form emotional attachments to what they grew up with, not what their parents or grandparents did, so it's not surprising to see kids today having a much different view of what is "Halloween" than we do.


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## ThatMOM (Aug 2, 2015)

I agree, it has changed alot....my kids personally drive me nuts, even when I'm very big into the classic look. Every halloween I try to get them into something scary monster like etc and they are always picking out batman, spiderman etc...and I'm like OMG...how about this creepy mask and tattered clothes...nope....I can't tell you how many freaking princess Elsa's rode my bus this year! Makes me gag with all the glitter lol


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

Bruzilla said:


> I'm reasonably sure that my grandparents opened the door for trick or treaters in the 1960s and said_ "I'm not into these store-bought costumes. And what's with the flashlights? We carried around a jack-o-lantern with a candle to see."_
> 
> I'm a vintage Plymouth guy, and this is an issue we're dealing with on the collector car side of things. Guys like me who grew up in the 60s and 70s are all about cars from the 60s and 70s, but kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s tend to be all about cars from then. We look at a 71 Roadrunner as a must have, and a 94 Camaro as junk, and our kids have the exact opposite view. Folks form emotional attachments to what they grew up with, not what their parents or grandparents did, so it's not surprising to see kids today having a much different view of what is "Halloween" than we do.


Indeed! It's unfortunate that the scary nature of Halloween is fading away when it comes to ToT'ers, but eventually it will, hopefully, come back!


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Kenneth said:


> THIS! SO MUCH LOVE FOR WHAT YOU SAID! <333
> 
> You just have to look at it like this: in the future all of the kids of today will probably be saying the same thing about Halloween as it currently is.
> And that's true for everything...music, pop culture, etc. And pop culture plays a huge part in Halloween, always has since it started becoming popular so one can only expect to see ten thousand Elsa's and Olaf's running around. I don't live in a suburban neighborhood, but if I did get ToT's I would be sure to give the monsters some extra candy. haha


Ha! Glad to see someone else has "favorites" when passing out candy. I usually hand out the candy myself, but no matter how many Grim Reapers I see, I let them all pick out their own handful  Yes, it's cute when a little princess or Spiderman shows up, but that Jekyll & Hyde costume down the street has earned more (in my opinion).


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> Ha! Glad to see someone else has "favorites" when passing out candy. I usually hand out the candy myself, but no matter how many Grim Reapers I see, I let them all pick out their own handful  Yes, it's cute when a little princess or Spiderman shows up, but that Jekyll & Hyde costume down the street has earned more (in my opinion).


I must agree with that statement, my neighbors child was a classic caped and make up Vampire this year, so I gave her some extra candy due to her deciding to be something scary and traditional.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

In regards to kids not dressing up as classic monsters, I think you can blame cable TV and child marketing to that. As a kid in the '70s, there was not Cartoon Network or Disney XD. On Sundays we got to watch the classics Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Twilight Zone and your local area horror guy (for us Son of Svenghoolie) would play all the classic black and white films. Because they were cheap for the TV station. So of course, us kids who were into that stuff couldn't wait to be scary characters from what we watch.

Fast forward to now. What kid is going to watch these films when there are Transformers and Disney princesses and all sorts of other cool characters on any number of kid themed cable stations. I went to Universal Studios last summer and there was barely any Universal monster merchandise or even anything touting the old monsters. What a let down. It is a bygone era. Of course us HFers keep it alive with our own kids, showing them the classics. But to me Halloween is about imagination and having fun. And if they want to be a transformer or princesses, then go right ahead. But I'll always have a soft spot for that one child dressed as Wednesday or other horror themed costume. Those are the future haunters, the ones who want to be scary. They get it.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

dawnski said:


> In regards to kids not dressing up as classic monsters, I think you can blame cable TV and child marketing to that. As a kid in the '70s, there was not Cartoon Network or Disney XD. On Sundays we got to watch the classics Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Twilight Zone and your local area horror guy (for us Son of Svenghoolie) would play all the classic black and white films. Because they were cheap for the TV station. So of course, us kids who were into that stuff couldn't wait to be scary characters from what we watch.
> 
> Fast forward to now. What kid is going to watch these films when there are Transformers and Disney princesses and all sorts of other cool characters on any number of kid themed cable stations. I went to Universal Studios last summer and there was barely any Universal monster merchandise or even anything touting the old monsters. What a let down. It is a bygone era. Of course us HFers keep it alive with our own kids, showing them the classics. But to me Halloween is about imagination and having fun. And if they want to be a transformer or princesses, then go right ahead. But I'll always have a soft spot for that one child dressed as Wednesday or other horror themed costume. Those are the future haunters, the ones who want to be scary. They get it.


I agree with you completely on that one, its not that I am against children dressing up as superhero's or princesses (I was Spiderman when I was a child once.) , its just there so much of it compared to the kids dressed up as something that actually has to do with Halloween, but as you said it is a bygone era with children growing up with all this glittery and action packed films and shows what can I really expect. But indeed, it up to use to raise our children with classic monster movies and shows, and to install them with a love for these things so they may love the holiday just as much as we do.


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## Tconahaunter (Jun 20, 2012)

Halloween has always been about change, but so is every other holiday. The Christmas that I remember as a kid is quite different the the one I celebrate today, so is Halloween. I still decorate with themes from my youth (witches, pumpkins...), but now I include props that I would never have imagined as a kid; animatronics, pneumatics, you name it. That's what makes it fun for me. Creating new traditions while respecting the old.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

TheSamhainGhoul said:


> I agree with you completely on that one, its not that I am against children dressing up as superhero's or princesses (I was Spiderman when I was a child once.) , its just there so much of it compared to the kids dressed up as something that actually has to do with Halloween, but as you said it is a bygone era with children growing up with all this glittery and action packed films and shows what can I really expect. But indeed, it up to use to raise our children with classic monster movies and shows, and to install them with a love for these things so they may love the holiday just as much as we do.


That is quite true.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

I think letting the kids dress as they want is ok. I think as they get older and have US the halloween community by their side, the costumes can only get better. My sons were superheroes when they were young, then evolved to Star Wars, (my middle son was always luke skywalker year after year because as he puts it -" Luke Skyw. never dies"). Then scary stuff - ghosts, vampires, ghouls, etc.came in their 11-13 yr of age. Its just a matter of time.....it gets better and better, just different and I love it!


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## StaceyLynn (Oct 14, 2012)

I don't have kids but have managed to get my nephews into all things scary, none of it involving gore. We go to the Halloween stores, watch scary movies (for kids) and do Halloween themed treasure hunts several times throughout the year. Unfortunately none of this overrides the desire to be a superhero come Halloween. I am always disappointed! lol. I think part of it is the new limits on TOT times, and kids these days are much more sheltered. I watched the Exorcist at age 9, and while I am not condoning that (I had evil teenage sisters) nowadays a scary movie is usually a Halloween themed episode of a favorite cartoon. I am dying to get my nephews into the classic kid friendly horror movies (classic for my generation anyway) like Monster Squad, Mr. Boogedy, The Worst Witch etc, but my sister (the one who made me watch the Exorcist at age 9) won't allow it. The closest I got was The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, and they are still talking about it a year later. Another factor is adult Halloween parties. Halloween used to be just about the kids, but now there are some crazy Halloween parties for adults, and I would say next to candy and haunted attractions, that is where the money (and fun) is going. We stole Halloween from the kids! ;-)


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

StaceyLynn said:


> I don't have kids but have managed to get my nephews into all things scary, none of it involving gore. We go to the Halloween stores, watch scary movies (for kids) and do Halloween themed treasure hunts several times throughout the year. Unfortunately none of this overrides the desire to be a superhero come Halloween. I am always disappointed! lol. I think part of it is the new limits on TOT times, and kids these days are much more sheltered. I watched the Exorcist at age 9, and while I am not condoning that (I had evil teenage sisters) nowadays a scary movie is usually a Halloween themed episode of a favorite cartoon. I am dying to get my nephews into the classic kid friendly horror movies (classic for my generation anyway) like Monster Squad, Mr. Boogedy, The Worst Witch etc, but my sister (the one who made me watch the Exorcist at age 9) won't allow it. The closest I got was The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, and they are still talking about it a year later. Another factor is adult Halloween parties. Halloween used to be just about the kids, but now there are some crazy Halloween parties for adults, and I would say next to candy and haunted attractions, that is where the money (and fun) is going. We stole Halloween from the kids! ;-)


I see the shelteredness _everyday_ working with kids... I was like you, seeing things too scary for where my child-mind was at at that age, lol. I think some kids are just tooned in to another wavelength that pushes them towards spooky things. So when I see a kid dressed as Frankenstein, I give a little extra candy. Not so much because I don't like superheroes, but because they remind me of myself. I specifically remember a year where I went as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; I'm a girl, and I had the two sides of my face painted differently. I had to explain who I was to nearly every house, but when I did, the adults had a super big smile on their faces. Maybe it's all that extra effort to go as something from another time and being someone you want to be (even though no one may recognize it right away).


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## fennyann (Sep 6, 2012)

I agree to an extent. Halloween is certainly different from when I was a kid. I was born in 86 and I remember when trick or treating was 3-4 hours and it was actually at night. I too love vintage Halloween. Since moving into our home in 2012, I have noticed a shift in décor and also the amount of trick or treaters in our neighborhood. It has started to change for the better. I have noticed that more people are decorating and that more children seem to participate. This past year, I noticed a lot more witches, ghosts, and vampires. I was SO excited to see that. As others have said, I think in time some of the vintage feel of Halloween will makes its way back around. I try to provide my kids with a similar Halloween experience, like I had as a child. My son is becoming as much of a fanatic as I am! I am so proud!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

I do agree that Halloween has changed over the years from what it used to be. In some ways better, in some ways worse.

I cherish the memories from my childhood of looking forward all of the aspects of Halloween: buying a costume, feeling the chill in the air, trick-or-treating with my friends. Also even my elementary school would be decorated for the season. Every classroom would have one of those Beistle cardboard decorations taped to the door and the lunch room similarly decorated in the vintage style.

Sadly, these days (because of political correctness) Halloween is frowned upon by many. And also by some churches who call the holiday satanic.
But one thing nowadays makes Halloween even more fun now than when I was a kid. The saving grace has been the internet and social media (mainly this forum). The abundance of individuals putting together and building their own props was almost unheard of back in the old days, unless maybe you were associated with a commercial haunted house.
If it weren't for the internet and seeing what other haunters were doing, I wouldn't ever have dared to build the props I've built. And would never have dreamed of filling my yard with spooky figures and décor, for fear of the whole neighborhood thinking I'm weird. 
Well, they probably do think I'm weird, but I don't care since I'm not alone.
Because so many others are doing the same thing makes it seem right. And a lot more fun!

When I was young, I was lucky to find one friend that had a common passion that I had. But I can come here, and be with hundreds of friends with the same amount of enthusiasm and excitement for my favorite holiday as I have.

So, that's why I'd lean toward saying it's better today than before. These are the good times!


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

TheHalloweenGuru said:


> I think it took a less shiny and grim polish to it because vintage Halloween was more "bright orange pumpkins and neon green witches" But today it's way more dark (figurative and literally)
> 
> Then:
> View attachment 272990
> ...


I love todays props.older stuff is cute imo but I like creepy and scary.Thats what makes the holiday great people can express themeslves.Its a fun holiday.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

I am the one that now creates the memories for todays children..that makes me smile.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Born in 1949 i had the following Halloween items to inspire me: My cousin Anne's Scary comic books I got to look at.
A store here that sold comics of all kinds.
A movie theater 5 blocks away that was showing maybe 
as many as 5 movies a week!
Two Librarys-Public and Shimer College's
Neighbor hood kids older than myself
A floor-standing console radio (Great sound reproduction!)
Scary Radio shows! "Inner Sanctum"! 
A subscription to "Famous Monsters Magazine"
Books about actual UFOs and abductions
Books on Hypnotism .

Almost every item on this list would stimulate my imagination. I believe the more one has to bring to the act, the better one's mind will work.
How many of these things are still here today? One Library.........


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

DaveintheGrave said:


> I do agree that Halloween has changed over the years from what it used to be. In some ways better, in some ways worse.
> 
> I cherish the memories from my childhood of looking forward all of the aspects of Halloween: buying a costume, feeling the chill in the air, trick-or-treating with my friends. Also even my elementary school would be decorated for the season. Every classroom would have one of those Beistle cardboard decorations taped to the door and the lunch room similarly decorated in the vintage style.
> 
> ...


Didn't really think of it that way. I agree, Halloween isn't _too_ bad nowadays. I'm super happy we have the internet so I can see all the cool haunts and things going around. I still love the vintage, spooky costumes and decor; but I do agree that the internet age has indeed added something special to Halloween.


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

I hear what you're saying and understand. The older we get, the more nostalgic we become, and time only moves forward, with us viewing it within the very personal lens of our childhood memories. I enjoy vintage items much more than the newer ones, and collect primarily these. On the question of whether it's more dangerous anymore, I don't know about that. There have always been terrible people looking to do harm. These days we have the onslaught of social media, and in this case, it can be immeasurably beneficial. Warnings get posted within seconds. Photos of lost pets, potential hazards, bad weather, etc. TV has missing child alerts and news flashes about escaped convicts. The world has always been dangerous and always will.

Modern Halloween has brought about the advent of the creative person who can forge ahead without limits, spurred on by the internet, mail order, and online instructionals, plus the endless supplies from superstores. The Home Haunter is seeing their Golden Age. Haunted Attractions have sprung up everywhere and flourished. Yes, I miss the simplicity of the local Jaycees and such, but it's not all bad.

Concerning other media, I think Halloween music is not quite as good. There are decent offerings from different generations, but THE MONSTER MASH and WEREWOLVES OF LONDON and their brethren have withstood the test of time. We now have some very cool atmospheric music though, like MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE. Throw some Rockabilly in there with its hollow-bodied guitar twang and there's a good mix spanning a few decades. Artistically speaking, we have Facebook to show our interests, plus sites like Pinterest with entire boards committed to Halloween items (like my own.) Moving on to other media formats, I have to stay with the classics on screen by a long-shot. I'm not a fan of blood and gore, so I'll stick with the Universal Classics, Cold War horror, gems like THE HAUNTING, LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE, and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, to name a few. The 70s gave us HALLOWEEN though, which remains the best, in my opinion. But move the clock forward, and you have ALIEN, PREDATOR, SLEEPY HOLLOW, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and PUMPKINHEAD. Still advancing, we now have some modern cool ones, especially if you like found footage, such as BLAIR WITCH and WILLOW CREEK. Classic animated Disney still retains its magic. Pick up a copy of A DISNEY HALLOWEEN and you might agree (excerpts from THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, TRICK OR TREAT, and NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN.)

In conclusion, I have to sympathize. The Halloween of my childhood holds a lot of magic and memories, and everything else seems to fall short overall. I try to capture it through my writing, and if you fancy a trip to those bygone days I recommend books like A HAUNTED HALLOWEEN, MISCHIEF NIGHT, or WHEN THE LEAVES FALL. I can't physically bring those days back, but visually, I can make some attempts, and have had some pleasant successes. So really, the best we can do is to embrace what we enjoy of the new, while surrounding ourselves with the trappings of the old, through our collections of vintage decorations, classic movies, spooky LPs, and whatever else we find which captures that little bit of magical stardust taken from a vintage Halloween night, to hold within our hearts and minds.


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## Stinkerbell n Frog Prince (Sep 4, 2009)

Things change it's the nature of life. I recall my mom telling me stories about how in her childhood, families would pack a picnic lunch and head to the cemetery to spend the day, doing up keep on the family graves, have lunch and play games in the unoccupied space. You'd never see that happening now. It was kinda shocking to me to come across a couple of older cemeteries where I currently live that still had an actual picnic shelter in them. I can recall when cemeteries allowed monuments to be placed on graves, many now for the ease of mowing allow only flat to the ground markers. 

I was born in 1959 in Chicago. I've seen a lot of changes.. When I was a kid in the 60's we trick or treated from the second we got out of school to past 9pm. If Halloween fell on a Sunday we'd be out on Saturday and again later on Sunday, but most of us had a stay at home mom to keep track of us. One Halloween I was an Indian Princess in the afternoon and that night a homemade gypsy. I recall the now cheesy Ben Cooper costumes all being popular. The field houses at the local parks had Halloween parties to go too, one even did a haunt one year. When I was in kindergarten my parents took me to what was one of the first pro haunts in the country, Amling's Haunted House and going there was a tradition for as long as I lived there. Mom got poster sized colored paper and cut out large witch face silhouettes, pumpkins, moons and cats to tape in the front picture window. By the time I was in high school Halloween was pretend seances in the basement and Creature Feature movies on WGN late Friday nights. As a high school senior it became going out with a group of friends to a horror movie... I think the first time was to see Carrie. Then off to a few haunted houses and finish up the night with pizza and beer... this was the time before the drinking age became 21. By the time I had my own kids in the 80's I was out in Washington State and NO ONE seemed to be into Halloween here. There was like one haunted house and I felt it was too intense for kids. Unlike me who was at her first pro haunt at 5 or 6, my kids had to wait till 11 or 12. Also in the 80's was the big Tylenol scare and TV news would announce which hospitals were x-raying candy for safety. Kids were forced to trick or treated in malls, at PTA held school parties or "harvest" parties in church basements to be safe. In my childhood there was the urban stories of razors in apples and poison in candy there never was a case but NOW it really could be all true - no more house to house no more all day and night ToTing. Try as I might to give my kids the Halloween experience I had, it wasn't happening. I thought I'd was doing something right when at 4 my daughter wanted to be Dracula... by age 5 she was Rainbow Brite at 7 she was a Unicorn. Oh Well. My son wanted to be He Man and then Godzilla. ... All home made by the way. While either, now in their 30's is into Halloween the way I am, at least my son has great appreciation of the old Universal and Japanese monster movies and has quite a collection. Wasn't until the late 90's that Halloween house decorating started to happen out here, about the time big business found there was money to be made on that stuff. We don't have ToTs at our house, never have, just too far out of town on a dead end road with 4 houses on it... not worth the drive for a piece of candy so once my kids grew up past the ToT age I can't speak to the changes in children's costuming. However, last year we took the hearse to the Community Trick or Treat event the business association puts on. Any idea how many adults have NEVER seen a hearse in real life? Have any idea how many times we were asked if that was a real coffin? and no the skelly isn't real. Know how many frozen characters we saw... stopped counting at 30. 

Not sure but I think different parts of the county do and have done Halloween differently. While out here I was swimming against the current, my sister who lived a stone throw from the old family home didn't see as much of a change while her kids were ToT age. I think, a least here, the Tylenol scare made the big difference... It's scary to know at that pill you purchased at the store brand new has been so easily tempered with and now might kill you... that's what the parents of today's kids dealt with. While in a grade school we had lots of talks about Mr. Stranger Danger... TV is now filled not just the Stranger Danger but the coach, teacher or the nice next door neighbor being a danger, that's what today's kids are dealing with and so many are in single parent families or latch key kids. Maybe kids want and need sub conscientiously is a hero in today's world, hence all the princesses and super heroes. Life is scary enough without the vamps, creatures and witches of yesterday, which is such a shame, I actually like the Vamps, Creatures and Witches.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Stinkerbell n Frog Prince said:


> One Halloween I was an Indian Princess in the afternoon and that night a homemade gypsy. I recall the now cheesy Ben Cooper costumes all being popular.


I'm glad to see someone mention old costumes. Seems like a lot of people here are seeing "the old days" as being a bit different from what they actually were. The costumes weren't all spooky then, either. I remember_ variety_ in the 60's and early 70's-- Lots of cowboys, non-scary clowns, kitties, cavemen, butterflies, princesses, Mickey Mice, hobos and gypsies to go along with the ghosts, witches, and vampires. 
There weren't so many Disney-specific princess, but I believe that was more about Disney not yet marketing ready-made movie-merchandise costumes they way they do now. There was a smattering of superheros, but not as many as now-- but the superhero franchise movies are bigger at the moment (also much darker). Cowboys were more the rage back then. The flip side is that you didn't see nearly as many zombies 40 years ago. They've come on strong since the 90's.
Maybe it was different back in 1910, (I've got no first-hand observations) but in most of our lifetimes there has always been a mix of spooky and non-spooky costume choices.
As far as what Halloween is about-- that's open to interpretation. I'm pretty sure the Celts didn't have pro Haunts or mechanized props. I'm not going to start carving turnips instead of pumpkins. For a lot of kids, masquerade is a big part of Halloween, and the theme can be dark, or light. One of my girls was a swamp monster, a gorilla, and Medusa; the other was a princess, a ladybug, and Demeter. I was happy to help each with her own selections. I can't imagine feeling disappointed in either of my kiddos' choices. 

Clearly there have been some changes over the years, both good and bad. Decor isn't as ubiquitous as it was. As has been mentioned, school hallways used to be decorated. We'd do Halloween-related crafts in class. Nearly all our little local business would put up at least a few cardboard decorations. On the other hand, we have SO MANY more decor options readily available now! There are a lot of very creative things out there, and there's more encouragement to get creative on our own. I loved the Halloweens of my childhood, but I'm in the camp with those who think these are _also_ the good old days.


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## margaret (Aug 19, 2013)

Stinkerbell n Frog Prince ... I am of the same vintage and totally agree with your timeline. I try to keep Halloween alive and well by including the family, getting them altogether and having them enjoy with their children in an environment that they feel safe in ... scared but safe.


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## zero (Aug 27, 2004)

this all seems a bit presumptuous


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

I do think similarly-or I should say I noticed it as well-the other stuff crushing classic Halloween is noticeable-sometimes it seems that maybe some people don't understand the history of the holiday (I think the history of many things has fallen by the wayside.) My family is big on "Classic/Vintage" Halloween but I found it was easy to add a bit of the "new" stuff (new stuff can be broken where the vintage stuff is super protected) and also incorporate a bit of the "gory/prop stuff" (in it's own contained environment.) Halloween is stretching in every direction-I still think there are many people who will keep the classic/vintage Halloween in the mix. I found it interesting that during last October when I went "super minimalist" in my front yard- using only witch hats-people were slowing down as they drove by-I saw kids pointing. I think people get excited about effort and creativity. Inflatables seem to be popular and they seem very Halloween icon themed-kids love them. If you do "Classic" just keep doing it-from my experience kids and adults still appreciate it. I do think "Classic/Vintage" will continue-there is a huge interest in the old stuff.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Tremblin'Toad said:


> I do think similarly-or I should say I noticed it as well-the other stuff crushing classic Halloween is noticeable-sometimes it seems that maybe some people don't understand the history of the holiday (I think the history of many things has fallen by the wayside.) My family is big on "Classic/Vintage" Halloween but I found it was easy to add a bit of the "new" stuff (new stuff can be broken where the vintage stuff is super protected) and also incorporate a bit of the "gory/prop stuff" (in it's own contained environment.) Halloween is stretching in every direction-I still think there are many people who will keep the classic/vintage Halloween in the mix. I found it interesting that during last October when I went "super minimalist" in my front yard- using only witch hats-people were slowing down as they drove by-I saw kids pointing. I think people get excited about effort and creativity. Inflatables seem to be popular and they seem very Halloween icon themed-kids love them. If you do "Classic" just keep doing it-from my experience kids and adults still appreciate it. I do think "Classic/Vintage" will continue-there is a huge interest in the old stuff.


In a way I'm glad new things are being mixed into the holiday. I will always have the vintage things close to my heart, but I understand that not everyone likes the retro vibes and finds them boring. So if they can find something that keeps them in the Halloween spirit (being scared), that's fine with me. At least we know Halloween can adapt and isnt just going to fade away. It's really the only holiday besides Christmas that we can enjoy year-round, at any age, and at any price-point!


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

TheSamhainGhoul said:


> Does anybody agree? Though the seasonal feel of the holiday and the happiness it brings me will NEVER change, I am a bit sad to see how it has been evolving in these past years. When I was a small boy I remember Halloween felt very 'vintage', everywhere in my small town always focused on the classic monsters and Halloween symbols, like pumpkins, witches, ghosts and black cats usually with some gore intertwined which I did not mind as it still felt like the Halloween I grew to know and love. Now a days, everything seems to 'shiny' for my taste, so many princesses and superhero's and no witches or ghouls anymore, and is it just my town or have the Halloween decorations (Unless its from Spirit) become more shiny and cheap looking then the old hard plastic rubbery fake pumpkins we had on the shelves back in the day? I decided to be Micheal Myers from H2 (1981) this year, and when I decided to go to a party, barely one other person was actually something frightening, everyone else being something very shiny and 'cute'. What I also seem to notice is that gore has toppled over the classic symbols of the holiday, instead of classic monsters, pumpkins and witches in my store, its non-Halloween related slashers, clowns and severed heads. While I know everyone has their vision of what Halloween is to them, and many love the gory aspects of it, I do miss the days of the older more dangerous and vintage Halloween.
> 
> 
> 
> What are your opinions? I would love to hear them if you agree or disagree.


I actually agree, completely. I miss the classic Halloween style. I don't mind the cute costumes, or even cute decorations these days (because they are much better than the awful cute decorations of the 1990s, which looked like Ellen Clapsaddle reproductions. For those unfamiliar with her work, very cute painted models, like old Coca Cola ads).

I dislike the extreme gore that has taken over. I don't understand it at all. Why do we need to scare with realistic things, when there are fantasy things to use instead? I hate to see that tradition slipping away. A child thinking that a murderer is lurking, that's not fun. A child thinking that a ghost might be present, that could be more of a test of courage, an adventure, not something that could possibly end their life gruesomely. I just don't get it, and I never will.


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

I agree that GORE has taken over a lot of what Halloween was and should be. If you look at my display there is still mostly classic creatures and haunts. We dont do gore, we dont do clown, and we dont do babies. I love what we do for Halloween and the commercialism of it but i also see what Halloween was and how it started. As a celebration of the harvest clear back in the 7th and 8th centuries. We do it for the kids to make it fun and memorable.....not as a tormenting night each year.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

harboe69 said:


> I agree that GORE has taken over a lot of what Halloween was and should be. If you look at my display there is still mostly classic creatures and haunts. We dont do gore, we dont do clown, and we dont do babies. I love what we do for Halloween and the commercialism of it but i also see what Halloween was and how it started. As a celebration of the harvest clear back in the 7th and 8th centuries. We do it for the kids to make it fun and memorable.....not as a tormenting night each year.


Exactly, while I think Halloween should be scary in both a serious and fun way I think extreme gore does not work with the holiday as it doesn't scare anyone, just grosses them out. I always decorate with multiple jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, LED lights, skeletons, witches, coffins and tombstones and the ToT's in my town seem to really enjoy it.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

LairMistress said:


> I actually agree, completely. I miss the classic Halloween style. I don't mind the cute costumes, or even cute decorations these days (because they are much better than the awful cute decorations of the 1990s, which looked like Ellen Clapsaddle reproductions. For those unfamiliar with her work, very cute painted models, like old Coca Cola ads).
> 
> I dislike the extreme gore that has taken over. I don't understand it at all. Why do we need to scare with realistic things, when there are fantasy things to use instead? I hate to see that tradition slipping away. A child thinking that a murderer is lurking, that's not fun. A child thinking that a ghost might be present, that could be more of a test of courage, an adventure, not something that could possibly end their life gruesomely. I just don't get it, and I never will.


I don't even think the extreme gore scaring anyone is a problem, kids seemed very desensitized to it these days anyway, in fact it really just grosses out people instead scaring them, which misses the entire point. While I don't mind some gore on the lines of the Hammer Horror films of the 50's, 60's and 70's I really think that it overcoming everything else is a mistake.


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> In a way I'm glad new things are being mixed into the holiday. I will always have the vintage things close to my heart, but I understand that not everyone likes the retro vibes and finds them boring. So if they can find something that keeps them in the Halloween spirit (being scared), that's fine with me. At least we know Halloween can adapt and isnt just going to fade away. It's really the only holiday besides Christmas that we can enjoy year-round, at any age, and at any price-point!


Now my mind has been blown! Someone should have told me 30 years ago that Vintage Halloween was boring. Darn it to heck! What must I have been thinking? Now I must scrap it all and get in step with the times. : (


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## spookydave (May 14, 2014)

I always thought that maybe kids have become a little desensitized to the classic halloween we grew up with, always needing bigger and better, more flash, more gore, so I just focus on scaring the sh** outta them now, with my classic halloween stuff...lol! Just because its old doesn't mean we cant improve it, make it jump, make it chase. My thoughts on it anyway.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Tremblin'Toad, I would love to see photos of your witch hats. Please share. I know that saki.girl had a wonderful display of them this year along with her extensive witches for her over the top fabulous party.


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

printersdevil said:


> Tremblin'Toad, I would love to see photos of your witch hats. Please share. I know that saki.girl had a wonderful display of them this year along with her extensive witches for her over the top fabulous party.


Thank you for requesting a view-my hats were just hung from my Oak tree. When Saki.girl posted her hats, I was thrilled-it was a GREAT way to define a party space! She also had the vibrant green striped hats-very striking!






My photo is not very good, too zoomed. I did put 30+ full size hats up-I had to do something easy and quick last year! Maybe this year there will be full size pumpkins (if the plants make it through the summer!) Honestly, I love suspending things from the tree-if paper lanterns could survive the weather I would use them. I was actually happy with myself for improvising the broom-dead tree limb and dried Johnson grass (one of the most feared weeds.) As I mentioned before, I can't decorate the yard with something that will distract drivers-I live on a notorious curve-too many accidents-we almost had a full blown accident today due to the rain.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

I love the hats! Thank you for sharing so quickly. I have two big oak trees in the front yard. I added two large white ghost flag type things in them this year in front of my props and had more comments about them. I paid 99 cents each for them at the 99 cent store. I am trying to decide if the hats would work since I have so many props in the yard. I just love the looks of these suspended hats.

Great job!


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

spookydave said:


> I always thought that maybe kids have become a little desensitized to the classic halloween we grew up with, always needing bigger and better, more flash, more gore, so I just focus on scaring the sh** outta them now, with my classic halloween stuff...lol! Just because its old doesn't mean we cant improve it, make it jump, make it chase. My thoughts on it anyway.


Great idea! But most would start laughing as soon as they realized Dracula or the Wolfman was chasing them in my area.


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## DarkManDustin (Jun 30, 2011)

I was born in 1983. I agree. A lot of traditional Halloween icons,as well as Universal monsters. Decorations consisted of cardboard wall, ceiling, and door hangings, as well as tabletop figures. Outdoor decor was usually dummies made of old costumes, pumpkin, and trash bag figures, (pumpkin, ghosts, spiders, and bats.) 
Costumes were usually low quality fabrics, and plastic. Masks were usually face masks, with a thin band.


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## DarkManDustin (Jun 30, 2011)

Older ways are coming back. The DY/maker movement could bring bac haunting, which would send kids flocking to the streets.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

tremblin'toad said:


> thank you for requesting a view-my hats were just hung from my oak tree. When saki.girl posted her hats, i was thrilled-it was a great way to define a party space! She also had the vibrant green striped hats-very striking!
> View attachment 276801
> my photo is not very good, too zoomed. I did put 30+ full size hats up-i had to do something easy and quick last year! Maybe this year there will be full size pumpkins (if the plants make it through the summer!) honestly, i love suspending things from the tree-if paper lanterns could survive the weather i would use them. I was actually happy with myself for improvising the broom-dead tree limb and dried johnson grass (one of the most feared weeds.) as i mentioned before, i can't decorate the yard with something that will distract drivers-i live on a notorious curve-too many accidents-we almost had a full blown accident today due to the rain.


love it!!!!


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

Living in a large neighborhood with lots of kids in the 60's and 70's was always enjoyable. Tons of fun, many houses were open for the TOT's. I know there were some houses that had lots of props in the yard, but never any gore. Most just did their best to scare you as you walked up to the front door. The evolution, I feel, came with "Halloween", aka "Micheal Myers". The bloody themes of the movies had to be outdone by the next show produced. This moved to the homes in which the point was simple. How much gore do you have ? You now have older kids trick or treating in the hoods so you had to make sure you scared them first. Nothing worse than hearing one of these smart-asses saying, "Nothing scares me". Well now, me stepping out from behind a bush, or a tombstone or the dark somewhere with an ax, or sword or head in my hand, always has an effect on tightening up the sphincter a little. Yep Halloween has changed some.


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## OctoberDream (Aug 7, 2011)

Halloween is what you make it. 
If you are feeling like you miss the old days then by all means bring it back.
Look, I understand that we all wish for a simpler time. The fact is, it will never be like it used to be. That's what makes it so special.
Each year we embrace the traditions and share them with our family, friends and neighbors so that one day they can share Halloween with their love ones when we are gone.


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## sumrtym (Aug 16, 2008)

Is it just me, or does nostalgia have a palpable feel to it? I experience it thinking of the old window decorations and paper skeletons, etc. It's an actual feeling that hits with force.

I agree regarding some things, not others. The women's costumes are definitely skimpy now and seem a contest to who can show off more skin. I don't see the modern kids costumes that much different than our from the store mask with string plastic outfits they used to sell in the 70's to early 80's. Regarding decorations, I find a lot of anything you might want. HomeGoods always has great items for decorating. Spirit has a good mix of the gore, vintage, etc. 

On a separate note, I finally am moving to a house from the apartment! Don't know I could do much this year but looking forward to future ones....until I found this in the HOA....

_Exterior holiday lights shall be permitted only between November 15 and January 31. Except for such holiday lights, all exterior Iighting shall be white and not 
colored._

And...

_No speaker, horn, whistle, siren, bell or other sound device, shall be located, installed or maintained upon the exterior of any residence or in any yard, except intercoms, devices used exclusively for security purposes, and stereo speakers used in accordance with my rules specified by the Board. _

Why does this sound like I may have big problems when it comes to October depending on the Board??? I am in Bible-beating land.


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## FascinatinatedFright (Aug 9, 2015)

I think Halloween has become more diverse. Today, it's a celebration of the macabre and disturbing in any way. I myself don't see the point in "realistic" horror like gore and slasher stuff, but the classic spooks are still thriving. Every year, prop companies come up with creative ideas, and the spirit seems to be alive and well. No generalization is universally correct. The Halloween spirit may be lower in some places than others, but it's a huge industry and a highly marketable holiday that people love. 
And it may not be as prolific, but I see a lot of vintage-styled products. People love vintage and retro, and there are a lot of old-fashioned decorations on sale each year. 
Pop culture has big influence on costumes for sure, but the lowered monster costumes doesn't equate to Halloween dying. It's still a great holiday, and I see no reason to complain.


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## Verse 13 (Oct 26, 2010)

Halloween is bigger now than It ever has been, which is a great thing! We have much more to choose from then ever before. Has it changed over the years? Absolutely. Love it or hate, it's this constant evolution that breathes new life into the holiday and prevents it from dying. It's a bitter sweet, and I honestly don't think I would enjoy celebrating Halloween exactly the same every year for the rest of my life. The vintage stuff is great to remember and cherish, but memories are sometimes better than actuality. I don't think costumes are any cheaper now than they were in the past either. I grew up in the 80's, and I remember wearing a My Pet Monster costume that consisted of an incredibly uncomfortable plastic mask, and some cheap one piece outfit that tore by the end of the night.


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

printersdevil said:


> I love the hats! Thank you for sharing so quickly. I have two big oak trees in the front yard. I added two large white ghost flag type things in them this year in front of my props and had more comments about them. I paid 99 cents each for them at the 99 cent store. I am trying to decide if the hats would work since I have so many props in the yard. I just love the looks of these suspended hats.
> 
> Great job!


Thank you, Printersdevil! Inexpensive but a good display. I have thought to do a bigger "Witch" theme but must consider the local population. They really might have issues with witch stuff! It's possible they could confuse fantasy with reality. Funny, when I think about it-I think the locals would like the gore/serial killer stuff but would question "witchy" stuff!


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## panther93 (Mar 25, 2015)

I remember when I was a kid back in the early 1970's the neighborhood streets was packed with kids on Halloween night and you just see that anymore. My sister lives in a upper middle class neighborhood in Alabama and they get a lot of kids trick or treating every Halloween, but the majority of the kids come from other neighborhoods.

Some of you have mentioned about houses not decorated like the old days and I agree. My sister used to place a jack-o-lantern in her front porch a few days before Halloween and somebody always sneaks up and smash it and she got tired of it and quit doing it. Last Fall, her neighbor placed two pumpkins in front of their house to celebrate Autumn and somebody smashed both of them. I still carve the jack-o-lantern every Halloween but I sit next to it with a 40 caliber Beretta at my side to make sure nobody mess with it. 

I remember when retail stores used to carry the old Beistle Halloween cutout decorations and you just don't see that anymore. The last time I've seen the Beistle cutouts was at Walmart in 2002. Beistle Halloween is still around, but you have to order them now.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

panther93 said:


> I remember when retail stores used to carry the old Beistle Halloween cutout decorations and you just don't see that anymore. The last time I've seen the Beistle cutouts was at Walmart in 2002. Beistle Halloween is still around, but you have to order them now.


Party stores have a lot of Beistle. New Beistle too.

Your post reminds me that the only time I've ever had a JOL smashed was in the 80s when I was in jr. high. They smashed it late Halloween night which didn't upset me since Halloween was over & it made it easier for the squirrels to get at the seeds. 

I knew the boys that did it, I went to school with them. They didn't damage anything else, no T.P.-ing, nothing else. As far as we were concerned they did us a favour. 

The only time I ever got t.p.'d was a few years ago & I also knew who did that. They only did ONE crepe myrtle out front by the road & didn't use the cheap stuff so I knew they were amateurs. We have a GIANT holly tree right next to it that they really could have messed up & but since they knew us & knew we'd know who did it they didn't make us work for it.

I was also kinda happy because I've always heard stories about being t.p.'d & it hadn't ever happen in all my years I was kinda proud they felt I was worthy!

Plus it took all of 3 minutes to clean up.


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## sookie (Sep 19, 2010)

I think it's what you make it. I remember lots of witches, vampires ghosts and scarecrows when I was growing up in the 70s. But I also remember Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman then too.

My decorations are all creepy, spooky. Probably vintage to some, but I don't like gore so I don't put it out. I have skeletons, ghosts, vampires, cemeterys, black cats, fog, mist, witches. All of them are mainly Gothic looking or 60s/70s style. Lots of Beistle. I think if you have a certain style you just need to look a bit in the stores or make it.

I also love jack o lanterns and scarecrows. 

And the Grim Reaper and the Headless Horseman 

We are lucky if any one here even decorates so to be honest seeing any decoration for me makes me happy. I'd say most are pumpkins, some mini lights in orange and few ghosts, spider webs. Though there is one house that does his whole home in blue and has a very cool cemetery out each year. It's my favorite.


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## TheSamhainGhoul (Jan 24, 2016)

sookie said:


> I think it's what you make it. I remember lots of witches, vampires ghosts and scarecrows when I was growing up in the 70s. But I also remember Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman then too.
> 
> My decorations are all creepy, spooky. Probably vintage to some, but I don't like gore so I don't put it out. I have skeletons, ghosts, vampires, cemeterys, black cats, fog, mist, witches. All of them are mainly Gothic looking or 60s/70s style. Lots of Beistle. I think if you have a certain style you just need to look a bit in the stores or make it.
> 
> ...


Thats very true, back then there will still superheroes and such, but ghouls still took first place when it came to costumes unlike today with princesses, pirates etc. My Halloween decorations are all very 'classic', similar to yours, I always have Jack-O-Lanterns, skeletons, ghosts, coffins, tombstones, webs and other things along with some Beistle cut outs for my window with some LED Halloween lights. Luckily, my town always decorates and in a classic Halloween manner as well, always Witches, ghosts and other ghoulish decor. But I agree, ultimately, Halloween is what you make it.


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## Ozark Apparitions (Feb 5, 2016)

You can always do what myself and a few hardcore haunters did. Check out Centerton Arkansas Trail of fears. Last year I managed over 350 tots for our first official year, and this year we are doing a community haunt for a day. We are becoming a Halloween town. Last year we had 18 houses on the trail, we have 26 already signed up this year! If you build it they will come!


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## ntokheim (Aug 28, 2007)

I think modern life is part of the problem. Kids and people in general are not interacting face-to-face as much. They are so engrossed in cyberspace, social media, phones, tablets, video games etc. And adults seem to be so busy these days just trying to make ends meet they don't have the time or energy to deal with Halloween festivities. And the media has put us in such a state of fear people and local authorities alike want to shelter the kids. I still live in my home town of a population about 600. Times have changed. Things were simpler when I was a kid in the late 80s to mid 90s. I know when I was elementary school age I liked to do the ninja, soldier, batman kinda thing. But when I was jr. high early teens that would have been considered uncool. The scary stuff was what was cool. My friend went as a grim reaper. I couldn't decide so I just got a "bolt in the forehead" and "bolts in the neck" makeup kit. I think with kids costumes it is just whats trendy or cool according to their social groups. It does depend on where one lives. Small towns like mine are dying. When I was a kid there were many families and kids in town. Halloween was a big deal. But most of them have since left for the cities. Only a small handful of my generation have stayed here in our home town. Our school closed a few years ago for lack of enrollment. Most of our population is elderly who are too frail or uninterested to do decorating. And my decorating consists of outdoor lights and jack-o-lanterns. My pumpkin carvings are a hit. As one year I was unable to do them because the pumpkins had fungus and were uncarvable. The TOTs wondered why I didn't have any. I do miss the old window decorations and simple ghosts in trees even the pumpkin trash bags that you filed with leaves. But regardless of the type of decor I think any is better than none.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

ntokheim said:


> I think modern life is part of the problem. Kids and people in general are not interacting face-to-face as much. They are so engrossed in cyberspace, social media, phones, tablets, video games etc. And adults seem to be so busy these days just trying to make ends meet they don't have the time or energy to deal with Halloween festivities. And the media has put us in such a state of fear people and local authorities alike want to shelter the kids. I still live in my home town of a population about 600. Times have changed. Things were simpler when I was a kid in the late 80s to mid 90s. I know when I was elementary school age I liked to do the ninja, soldier, batman kinda thing. But when I was jr. high early teens that would have been considered uncool. The scary stuff was what was cool. My friend went as a grim reaper. I couldn't decide so I just got a "bolt in the forehead" and "bolts in the neck" makeup kit. I think with kids costumes it is just whats trendy or cool according to their social groups. It does depend on where one lives. Small towns like mine are dying. When I was a kid there were many families and kids in town. Halloween was a big deal. But most of them have since left for the cities. Only a small handful of my generation have stayed here in our home town. Our school closed a few years ago for lack of enrollment. Most of our population is elderly who are too frail or uninterested to do decorating. And my decorating consists of outdoor lights and jack-o-lanterns. My pumpkin carvings are a hit. As one year I was unable to do them because the pumpkins had fungus and were uncarvable. The TOTs wondered why I didn't have any. I do miss the old window decorations and simple ghosts in trees even the pumpkin trash bags that you filed with leaves. But regardless of the type of decor I think any is better than none.


Dang, this makes me kinda sad because you're right (about the interaction and cyberspace and all that). I will say though that I think cyberspace can actually help people get into the spirit more. The amount of horror games online has risen soooo much in the last 2 years or so, and a lot of my friends who don't like scary stuff have a newfound appreciation for horror and Halloween. So perhaps it's not all lost. Yes, it doesn't necessarily bring out more TOTs, but I don't think it really hurts numbers either.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

How much we give our kids makes a difference in their interest levels, too. Kids who have access to lots of candy all the time aren't going to be as impressed with the idea of running all over town to get a bucket full. If they've been to Disneyland/World 10 times already, it will probably take more sophisticated props to impress them.


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## bayoubrigh (Jan 12, 2007)

As haunters aren't we at the fringes of society? There are quite a few kids who still interact and aren't always buried in their phones. If nothing else it is a special, rare opportunity to experience something in real life. We run a home haunt and have great reaction from the community. My daughters friends are already planning on what they want to do for this years haunt at the last couple birthday parties they went to. Granted I have had a major hand in conditioning my kids attitude and thus spreading to their friends but those classic scares are still working today. We are in a suburbia neighborhood that has schools who still decorate and participate in Halloween. There are trunk or treats but they don't usually fall on Halloween night and the range of costumes still includes home made and creative outlets. I know from hearing kids in high school (teacher here) that one of the biggest complaints that generation has is all the complaining we older generations lay at them and claim they are lazy and not creative. For the ones I know it's not so much about the candy as it is a chance to costume, decorate, scare and be outside with friends.


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## oaklawn Crematory (Jun 25, 2010)

I think every old fart thinks that.......

It happens with age.....

You might be right though.....

Playboy no longer has pictures....


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## Serpentia (Sep 10, 2011)

creepymagic said:


> This is a Holiday that has been shunned throughout history but marches on, its 3000 years old. About the only thing many religions agree on is that it should be shunned. Most governments does not give you the day off so its not even officially recognized, yet 25% of all candy is sold for Halloween, it is second only to Christmas for money spent (LA Times estimated that Americans will spend 6.9 Billion in 2015). Its a Holiday built on nature, the end of the harvest, and the entrance to winter. It can't be hurt and it can't be stopped. Stories of razors and needles in candy (later proved false) could not stop it, the Roman Empire could not stop it, the potato famine could not stop it, the depression could not stop it. It celebrates dead things, makes celebrities out of killers (Freddie kills, Jason kills, Michael kills, why are they celebrated?), it sends kids out saying basically that you better give them candy or else, it is so politically incorrect that it should have no place in society, but Halloween literally stomps all over every standard ever set by any decent society. You got to love it for that. We live in a society where something like Halloween cannot possibly exist, yet it does. For a brief moment in time we remember our ancestors fear. Summer is over, the harvest is in, will we survive the winter, will we survive Freddie, will we die of starvation, will Jason get us.
> 
> Every kid who watches a horror movie on cable in October, or downloads a Halloween song off Itunes, or goes and watches the latest 3D thriller at the theatre, will remember the chills of Halloween and will grow up and continue the work that we do today, just as we continue the work of those before us. We have no choice, its in our nature.


YOU, SIR OR MADAM, ARE THE BOMB. Please take a well-deserved bow.

I have two links to my childhood left. One is the model horse hobby. The other is Halloween. In both cases, I build upon what I could do as a child.... but now, it is more.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

It is a sometimes sad fact of life that nothing remains the same. People move away, feel too mature to dress in costume, die off, become more interested in other pursuits, lose their motivation due to a wide variety of factors, do not know/trust their neighbors, or any number of other reasons for not getting into the celebration. Halloween is being forced to change, but it is still very much alive, at least in the hearts of those who are willing to believe in the magic of the midnight hour and embrace the unconventional.


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## Halloweiner (Oct 2, 2003)

I think why a lot of homeowners don't decorate like they used to is because they just don't have anyone to decorate for. Most homes back in my day (60's and 70's) decorated in anticipation of all the ToT'ers coming to their house on Halloween night. Back then it was nothing for my parents to go through four or five big bags of candy every Halloween. The last ten years my Dad was lucky to get a dozen kids come to his door. I remember back them people used to come on our street with van loads of kids. Then they just turned the kids loose. Now you just don't dare do that. It's sad. The apartment we lived in for ten years we never got a single ToT'er. We had plenty of decorations out too. Plus I played a spooky sound mix cd I made out the window. It was the most We were allowed. Anyway it got disappointing to even continue to decorate. What the answer is I have no clue.


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

Halloweiner said:


> I think why a lot of homeowners don't decorate like they used to is because they just don't have anyone to decorate for. Most homes back in my day (60's and 70's) decorated in anticipation of all the ToT'ers coming to their house on Halloween night. Back then it was nothing for my parents to go through four or five big bags of candy every Halloween. The last ten years my Dad was lucky to get a dozen kids come to his door. I remember back them people used to come on our street with van loads of kids. Then they just turned the kids loose. Now you just don't dare do that. It's sad. The apartment we lived in for ten years we never got a single ToT'er. We had plenty of decorations out too. Plus I played a spooky sound mix cd I made out the window. It was the most We were allowed. Anyway it got disappointing to even continue to decorate. What the answer is I have no clue.


Remember, Trick or Treating got a bad rap. All those razor blades and such. From what I've read most of the danger was nonsense. Physical safety has been more the issue as you well know. Sad, but true. I understand everyone's caution-we don't get Trick or Treaters here-we decorate for ourselves. Where I lived in Wisconsin they never had Halloween on Halloween. Drove me nuts. They even went door to door during daylight according to the rules. I guess there are the malls and car trunks (Trunk or Treating?) but I would never participate in those activities.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 10, 2010)

I have a motto I live by -- "Challenge traditions, embrace change." Life and everyone and everything around us are constantly changing. But we humans have such a hard time with changes. It's no one's fault, we're just wired that way. But if we look back in history. All of the thousands of years Halloween has been around. You'll see that it has been constantly changing and evolving. Maybe it's us that need to change and adapt, not try and hold Halloween to what it used to be. We need to evolve with it or fall behind. The old traditions have grown stagnant. The commercial side of the holiday knows this and are trying to steer the direction. But maybe we should trying new things and stay ahead of them. Create our own traditions. The commercial side will follow the demands of the market. But as long as we keep doing the same stuff others will grow tired and crave something new or different. We should be the ones driving and meeting that need. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've grown tired of things myself and crave something new.


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## Rigormortor (Sep 7, 2009)

TheSamhainGhoul said:


> Does anybody agree? Though the seasonal feel of the holiday and the happiness it brings me will NEVER change, I am a bit sad to see how it has been evolving in these past years. When I was a small boy I remember Halloween felt very 'vintage', everywhere in my small town always focused on the classic monsters and Halloween symbols, like pumpkins, witches, ghosts and black cats usually with some gore intertwined which I did not mind as it still felt like the Halloween I grew to know and love. Now a days, everything seems to 'shiny' for my taste, so many princesses and superhero's and no witches or ghouls anymore, and is it just my town or have the Halloween decorations (Unless its from Spirit) become more shiny and cheap looking then the old hard plastic rubbery fake pumpkins we had on the shelves back in the day? I decided to be Micheal Myers from H2 (1981) this year, and when I decided to go to a party, barely one other person was actually something frightening, everyone else being something very shiny and 'cute'. What I also seem to notice is that gore has toppled over the classic symbols of the holiday, instead of classic monsters, pumpkins and witches in my store, its non-Halloween related slashers, clowns and severed heads. While I know everyone has their vision of what Halloween is to them, and many love the gory aspects of it, I do miss the days of the older more dangerous and vintage Halloween.
> 
> What are your opinions? I would love to hear them if you agree or disagree.


I agree with the costumes..... everything today is happy clowns, super heros, princesses and happy stuff. No more ghosts, blood and gore.

We are limited to 2 hours of TOT in our town but our street is the place to be. Most of us decorate our yards and put on a show. We have been 
doing it since 2009. Last year we got 700 kids in the 2 hours, it was non stop from 6-8 pm with no break. It was crazy and even the cops patrol
our street to watch the action. We went through 2000 pieces of candy. It is a great turnout but I do agree with you on the costumes but it is
what it is........ just keep the kids coming


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Rigormortor said:


> I agree with the costumes..... everything today is happy clowns, super heros, princesses and happy stuff. No more ghosts, blood and gore.


Your region must be quite a drag if that is true.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I have never understood how serial killers got associated with Halloween? Yes, I know, Holly Wood making a big bunch of bucks with such scripts did this.
Having a possibly "Supernatural" October 31st would be much more like it.
Is it one in every ten US Presidents have been shot? And of course several killed. 
So should we dress up our small kids as "Shot Presidents" to teach them.... some "History" lesson?
Having serial-killers attached to Halloween is fairly close to the same thing , at least in my mind it is. (Not a "Good Fit".)
This house I live in and own is a haunted house. Maybe half of this small town is haunted (numerous accounts) A great number of my patrons have told me their personal ghost stories... almost none of them ever sound like a Holly Wood -- TV movie, why is that?
I believe it is because most supernatural experiences never resemble a horror movie at all. Holly Wood spices up such stories and then they become much more... exciting... dangerou$ (It's all about the munny! )
And, of course, if any such movie ever happens to inspire an actual criminal's activities........?


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## Hilda (Jul 31, 2011)

Gym, I am not into the whole serial killer thing either (for the most part)... but it's a pretty easy leap to make. Halloween explores death and the world beyond. Serial killers kill people. Thus, harbingers of death. Boom! The foot was in the door. They became a part of pop culture. Thus iconic.


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## creepymagic (Apr 16, 2012)

In the strictest fictional sense, wouldn't all the Universal Monsters be considered serial killers?


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