# Post Halloween Depression



## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

It is such a high from mid-October to the 31st. Emotions running constantly, the rush you get the week of Halloween, then of course, Halloween day is filled with such intense feelings....such a high with that high running the full gambit. The next morning when the high is gone, it is such a depressed state.
364 more days until...
This blows...


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I started to feel that last night before it was even over. Trying to chill today & work on projects.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

I was so stressed this year working nine shifts straight on the home stretch to Halloween. While my fingers froze as I made a major lighting design change or dragged in my Devil and reworked him for the third time, I was actually wishing it was over!

It turned out to be one of my favourite years. Everything looked great, the weather was crisp and still and more than one kid was scared silly. Success!

But at the end of the haunt when I turned out the lights I felt that same old feeling - sad, wistful, wondering if this year will be the last.


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## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

^^ I know bro!! This stinks


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## HalloweenieChallenge (Oct 8, 2014)

I'm thinking about moving to Halloween Town.

Oh what? that doesn't really exist?

Then I'm thinking about starting my own Haloween Town!

(Hey - there is an entire Thomas Kinkade neighborhood thing - with actual Thomas Kinkade houses - if he can do that I can do this!)


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## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

^^ if you find Halloween town... Let me know!!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

I start getting it Halloweek because I know I will miss seeing Halloween in stores.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

I didn't get this very much this year but I have had it on various previous years. I just babied myself for a couple/few days, took things slow, let myself be a little "off" and kept my decorations up a bit longer. Then I channeled holiday excitement into Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Other holidays" channeling has really helped me, I find. I think of Halloween into Christmas as one long "holiday season" that only begins with Halloween. It has definitely taken the sting out of the post-Halloween blues.

I also keep up some autumnal stuff. That has helped too. Again, it makes it all one long(er) season. Autumn stuff doesn't look weird when it's up until Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving is associated with fall colors too - leaves, pumpkins and other gourds, Indian corn and so on.

I think some blues following the Big Day are natural for some people considering how much time and effort we put into that "one day," then bam, all of a sudden it's gone. Be gentle with yourself, and start climbing out of the blues and planning for next year!


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## drmort (Sep 30, 2004)

Very depressed and feeling under appreciated for all the work I put into it (although, I really do most of it for my own pleasure). Just upsets me when people don't take the time to look at everything and just want to drink/eat.
Well, the turkeys are up outside now but the inside ghouls will stay for another week. Not looking forward to climbing the ladder and carrying boxes. Did get 4 dinner parties out of the holiday, however.
Til next year...


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

drmort said:


> Very depressed and feeling under appreciated for all the work I put into it (although, I really do most of it for my own pleasure). Just upsets me when people don't take the time to look at everything and just want to drink/eat.
> Well, the turkeys are up outside now but the inside ghouls will stay for another week. Not looking forward to climbing the ladder and carrying boxes. Did get 4 dinner parties out of the holiday, however.
> Til next year...


WE appreciate all that work, I promise you.

What would this forum be without all the people who knock themselves out to create amazing haunts? That gives so much to the next person and really sets that mood that we all crave.

This world just wouldn't be the same without haunters.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I know the "Blue" feelings you all are expressing here, I used to dwell in those same lower chambers with the passing of seasons.
I see people coming to see my Haunt most nights of the entire year with only blizzards and ice keeping most home.
If I ever become severely down with no fun from entertaining my patrons, I guess that i could begin screening some of the old DVD tapes I have been making for all these years to maybe cheer me up?
They just show one room of the house.. but there are some terrific genuine screams to be enjoyed on those tapes!
The bed tips, they slide off gaining speed, vanishing from the camera into the deep depths of the wine cellar,a large stone arched room deep under the surface of the Earth.
Last Winter a professional Roller-Coaster Rider was speechless and stunned after his very scary ride into those depths. (The drier weather helps the quickness increase)
I wonder if those tapes could become a profitable You-tube channel for me? hahaha!


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## ichasiris (Aug 8, 2014)

Yeah, even though I went to The Spirit Store for the sale today, it still just felt sad, but I was thinking about next years party and such as I was shopping and still excited to get several items just for the hell of it.

I guess it's good to have a break though....I'm really big on Thanksgiving so I can focus on that, but Christmas is not my thing at all. I do not observe Christmas in the traditional way, actually I don't at all, although I will decorate a little. Plus my birthday is so close to Christmas, I do not care for it much either.


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## keithcorcoran (Sep 29, 2010)

Today I discovered the hair of the dog that bit me as a cure.

I've never been up and out to take advantage of post halloween 50% off sale at Spirit but I went today and scored a bunch of LED spotlights and a bunch of Minecraft stuff for my son that is impossible to find at less than full price anywhere.

With 3-4 stores close by there was anything I wanted for half the price but since we already have our plan for next year there wasn't 'too much' I could take advantage of.


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## Rigormortor (Sep 7, 2009)

Im more motivated then ever now..... I started collecting stuff last week to make props for next year and me and the mrs hit the after
Halloween sales this morning and im going to hit some more tomorrow..... im making plans and every month I have a prop to work on
and must be completed..... audio, lighting etc.....


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## Gumpster09 (Dec 17, 2009)

I managed to put off some of the depression by planning for a December 12 Krampus Encounter haunt. Going to leave the haunt in my garage and decorate it all christmasy.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

I always get sad afterwards. The leaves all fall off the trees and it gets too cold for comfort. All they show on TV are Christmas programs. Green and red (then blue and silver) are absolutely everywhere. It's funny; I like Christmas and all, but it's so stressful rushing madly to buy gifts and decorate (nevermind the cost of all this!). Halloween brings me back to a time where I could have fun and be a kid. I get scared but then get candy. November 1st gets me down a little because I know all that is coming, not to mention 11 more months til the next October.

Just like y'all have been saying: we need to find a Halloween Town, stat!


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

HFer tomanderson is starting the notion of Novemberween. Embrace it folks! It helps. http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/145541-novemberween-begins.html


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

There always is a bit of a letdown after the big day. Thanksgiving for us was in October, so I don't have that to look forward to, but I do like Christmas, but in much more moderation. I put up the christmas lights as soon as the halloween stuff comes down, but that's only because it's better weather now for it. They don't get lit until the last weekend in November, and then I start decorating the house. it's not the same though. Christmas is so much pressure. Halloween feels more intimate to me, it's just mine. No one expects more than a Jack, so whatever else I do is amazing. Christmas you're just required to do the tree, and decorate, and everyone does lots so yours isn't special. And that's to say nothing of gift pressure. It's nice, but it's not the same.


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

This year was a little rough. I'm back in school full-time and my spouse works a lot. Between that and the weather we didn't get our yard as decorated as we wanted. It was all a bit of a let down this year. I even told my husband that if it were just the two of us I'd have turned off our lights and watched a movie. It was still sad when Halloween was over.


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

LadyMage said:


> There always is a bit of a letdown after the big day. Thanksgiving for us was in October, so I don't have that to look forward to, but I do like Christmas, but in much more moderation. I put up the christmas lights as soon as the halloween stuff comes down, but that's only because it's better weather now for it. They don't get lit until the last weekend in November, and then I start decorating the house. it's not the same though. Christmas is so much pressure. Halloween feels more intimate to me, it's just mine. No one expects more than a Jack, so whatever else I do is amazing. Christmas you're just required to do the tree, and decorate, and everyone does lots so yours isn't special. And that's to say nothing of gift pressure. It's nice, but it's not the same.


I'm planning to put Christmas lights up this weekend. They won't get turned on until Thanksgiving night, but I don't want to be outside freezing. We decorate a little more for Christmas than we do for Halloween. I took it as a compliment this year when one of my kid's friends said that we have more indoor decorations for Halloween than his family does for Christmas.


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

It's always a letdown once November 1st rolls around. Autumn will soon give way to winter here in the NE, and I dislike the cold, being an outdoors person. The hype and excitement of Halloween does give way to Thanksgiving and Christmas, both of which I love. But I keep the den decorated for Halloween all year long. I watch my favorite supernatural and horror shows and movies all the time. Since we moved, the mountain and the property around our new house has that element of mystery and magic all the time, especially at night. Nothing more primeval than heavy woods.  I write my stories and books, so the spooky factor is always present. And think about keeping your own Halloween area, even if it's only small. Check out my thread below. 20,000 viewers can't be wrong lol!

http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/101058-halloween-room.html


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## Dyne (Sep 25, 2013)

I didn't get the post-holiday blues this year, except maybe to the extent I only put in a token effort to chase clearance sales (none of the Halloween stores were open by 9:30 am, at which point I got tired of driving around) and didn't buy anything but candy.

Probably avoided it because early on I was a little disappointed how it was turning out and nearly threw in the towel more than once, so I guess I got the depression out of my system when I soldiered on. The problem was that this year I went in expecting to be the only one decorating (my dad's house, so I don't have full control) and ended up with others trampling all over my plans and ignoring that I was going for a particular style.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I never actually got the Halloween high this year so I can't say that coming down was too bad. I've been ready for it to be over for the last couple of weeks, to tell the truth. I am seriously dreading getting out to the garage and sorting and packing it all up though. I guess that's my post-Halloween depression.


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## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

I pulled up to my house yesterday after taking all the decorations down and it is just an empty abyss.
I have out a haystack with 5 pumpkins on it for Thanksgiving but the pumpkins I carved are strategically placed along the walkway which they will remain until they are rotted.
Samhain...I miss you.


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## little_miss_scare_all (Oct 13, 2015)

Thought I was the only one..

I am completely bummed now that Halloween is over. 
I try to keep the buzz going for a few extra days by keeping everything decorated, and watching horror films, ect. (I call it Halloween encore). 
It helps a little, but I am still truly sad that the holiday has passed 

Where did this past month go??!


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

It must be strange and depressing for the professional haunted attraction owners who make their living during the season. It seems to rip by so quick, and if you have bad weather or crowds, that can make or break your year. I know they're not in it only for the money, but also have a passion for the holiday. You really have to in this line of work. It does seem like only days ago when all the haunts started their opening week. And for the home haunters who do it all in one night, I'm sure the emotions run rampant. Some relief, others in shock that it's over for another year.


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

For those having difficulty transitioning from Halloween to Christmas, there's always this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry7PcYtKPhA


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## Jenn&MattFromPA (Sep 4, 2013)

I'm a little sad to see the Halloween stuff come down - the inside of the house feels so festive with it set up, and frankly - having a party means the house is always cleaner. Not that we're pigs or anything, but with a 4 year old DD & almost 2 year old DS, toys & clutter are sort of constant companions these days. 

Like others, I keep a lot of the fall decorations up through Thanksgiving. We used cornstalks in our yard display, and we moved some closer to the house with the non-carved & plain pumpkins for an outdoor Thanksgiving display, so the house doesn't feel 100% naked from Halloween on the outside either. Although I like Christmas & Christmas decorating too, October is really one of my favorite months for so many reasons. I miss having all the fun to look forward to, but I try to keep the spirit going by imagining what I want to add to the display next year.


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## little_miss_scare_all (Oct 13, 2015)

I would kill for one more week of haunted houses. I didn't get to hit any before the last week of October, and we have some really excellent haunts around here.
I had a blast at the ones I did get to go to. That seems to be what saddens me most..wishing I could have done more. I never feel as though I have done enough spooky/autumn activities. And I do quite a bit, so it just goes to show how much I love this time of year, and the Halloween holiday. 

HalloweenTown needs to happen! &#55357;&#56841;


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## DavyKnoles (Dec 5, 2009)

I was a scareactor at Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights this season. That meant for 30 days from mid-September until last Sunday, it was always Halloween. The street we performed on and the backstage break areas became second homes. The other scareactors - at first strangers - became family. We scared together. We hung out after the show together. I'll never forget that night we all got hungry, found a Taco Bell with an open drive-through, and sat on the sidewalk in a group till 5 a.m. We went out with a bang Sunday night at midnight, giving a massive, unexpected conclusion to the story line of the scare zone that nobody but those die hard November first Horror Nights fans got to see or even know anything about. But as intense an experience as it was, suddenly it's over. Sure, we have a secret group site on Facebook and, sure, there's the wrap party at this small club in Orlando. But basically it's over. Tomorrow it's back into the normal world trying to explain an experience to people who can't possibly understand or relate to it. What I'm feeling isn't simple post depression. It's more like total loss. None of us who were there wanted it to end. And even as we slowly and inevitably drift apart, very few of us can accept the fact that it is.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

DavyKnoles said:


> I was a scareactor at Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights this season. That meant for 30 days from mid-September until last Sunday, it was always Halloween. The street we performed on and the backstage break areas became second homes. The other scareactors - at first strangers - became family. We scared together. We hung out after the show together. I'll never forget that night we all got hungry, found a Taco Bell with an open drive-through, and sat on the sidewalk in a group till 5 a.m. We went out with a bang Sunday night at midnight, giving a massive, unexpected conclusion to the story line of the scare zone that nobody but those die hard November first Horror Nights fans got to see or even know anything about. But as intense an experience as it was, suddenly it's over. Sure, we have a secret group site on Facebook and, sure, there's the wrap party at this small club in Orlando. But basically it's over. Tomorrow it's back into the normal world trying to explain an experience to people who can't possibly understand or relate to it. What I'm feeling isn't simple post depression. It's more like total loss. None of us who were there wanted it to end. And even as we slowly and inevitably drift apart, very few of us can accept the fact that it is.


I can only imagine what that's like! It's sad to have those people ripped away from you so quickly, especially after all that blood, sweat and tears for the past month and a half. We just gotta stick it out til next year; and if we don't dwell on it too much, it'll go by a lot faster. Then back to the ghouls and goblins we all know and love


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## lovbyts (Oct 4, 2015)

drmort said:


> Very depressed and feeling under appreciated for all the work I put into it (although,* I really do most of it for my own pleasure). Just upsets me when people don't take the time to look at everything and just want to drink/eat.*
> Well, the turkeys are up outside now but the inside ghouls will stay for another week. Not looking forward to climbing the ladder and carrying boxes. Did get 4 dinner parties out of the holiday, however.
> Til next year...


I know what you are saying/feeling. I have always noticed the same thing over the years but even more this year maybe because I put so much more work into making it look even better. Ive decided I'm going to set up a path they have to follow next year such as you find when you are standing in line waiting for a ride, zig zag line.

Almost every year you also get the one or two small group of kids who go through 6 or 7 times and the last 4+ they start commenting how it's not scary and wanting to touch everything.  Over the years Ive had to run more than on off. Simply no appreciation.

I'm not done with Halloween yet. I have some improvements to make and test over the next couple of weeks.

As you said, it's mainly for yourself and for those who do come through and complement you/your work. Wife enjoyed handing out candy and getting complements for the great job WE did also. To be fair she did make me a sandwich one day while I was setting up...


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## DrooOOOOoooRausch (Nov 3, 2015)

I got hit hard by the PHD this year and it was really unexpected, which I think made it worse. Almost every weekend my wife and I had some sort of Halloween plans. From Disneyland, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, to seeing Crimson Peak and searching for random home haunts around Burbank with friends - all leading to the Danny Elfman Nightmare Before Christmas show at the Hollywood Bowl ON HALLOWEEN - and he played Dead Man's Party and everything was just perfect and magical...

... and then it was all over. Thankfully, there tends to be enough "spooky" things in the area to do to keep the season alive, but there's this break neck pace into Christmas and I just want to hide under the covers, clinging to my jack o' lantern watching Trick R' Treat for the hundredth time just a little longer.

Le sigh.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Madame Leota said:


> I never actually got the Halloween high this year so I can't say that coming down was too bad. I've been ready for it to be over for the last couple of weeks, to tell the truth. I am seriously dreading getting out to the garage and sorting and packing it all up though. I guess that's my post-Halloween depression.


This is sorta how I feel too. I never got the big high this year either & I cut way back on setting stuff up. 

I think it was last years low of 30 ToTers that originally bummed me out so I wasn't expecting a ton of kids this year. I was HOPING to have more kids but didn't expect more even though I had plenty of goodie bags & then when we got 15 I knew cutting back in general was the right idea. I didn't wipe myself out totally setting up stuff though I still did ZERO on Sunday.

So am I sad it's over? Not really & generally by the next day I'm not even in bigger & better years. I'm ready for it to be over & to move on to Thanksgiving & Christmas. In fact, if I could get away with putting ALL the Christmas stuff up right now I would. I mean ALL OF IT. The big tree, the aluminum tree, the outside stuff, everything.

Mostly because it's all stored in the same place & since you're moving crap & rearranging stuff why not? You've cleared the usual spaces, the mantle, the shelves, etc. for Halloween so why put back the usual stuff when you're going to have to move it all again in a month or so? 

Plus the closer we get to Christmas the busier we all are, I SAY WE REVOLT & MOVE CHRISTMAS DECORATING UP TO NOV.1 !! It seems as though the stores want us to start in August so why not?!



Why DON'T I do it earlier you ask? Because one month of a holiday is quite enough for me. By Dec. 26 I'm really ready for Christmas to go just like Nov. 1 I'm ready for Halloween to go. I need the break. 

This is not to say I don't have Halloweeny/Christmassy stuff out all year, I have it in places here & there, but I can't do full-on HOLIDAY MODE for too long. It would also lose some of it's specialness (if that's a real word).

I don't know how someone like Gym does it but I'm sure glad he does it.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I'm one of the few swimming against the tide, I guess. I feel a lot of stress leading up to Halloween, though overall I enjoy it. Now that the pressure is off, the party is over and everyone had a good time, I'm euphoric! I can put stuff away at my leisure because I don't have any big commitments in early Nov., and I can bask in a sense of accomplishment for having pulled it off. I never get everything done that I had hoped, but since I don't dramatically change out the theme each year, that just means I have some good plans, and a good start for next year. I'm always fired up about next year  
Living in Minnesota, I'm not thrilled about how long the impending winter will be, but I enjoy a hike in the snow (maybe snowshoeing) and coming home to a fire in the fireplace and some hot chocolate. It could be worse! Out in the country the snow stays clean and pretty. The crunch time from crop farming is over so we can do more socializing.
Our Thanksgiving is low key and nice-- same with Christmas. DH and I are both from small families, and our commitments are modest. I love Christmas time-- decorating, baking, getting together with closest friends and family! It's when New Year's Day is over and we're looking at 4 more months of winter with no holiday excitement-- that's when my enthusiasm just might run dry!


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## Godcrusher (Sep 21, 2015)

I had no time for PHD. I had to travel the next morning for work for 2 weeks so I had to get up and take down everything before having breakfast with the wife and head out. I did get to hit up a 50% off sale at Meijer and grab a huge skull I had been eyeing but didn't want to pay $60.


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## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

These responses are killer... Keep the PHD going


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> I can only imagine what that's like! It's sad to have those people ripped away from you so quickly, especially after all that blood, sweat and tears for the past month and a half.


I do not mean to come off as condescending or demeaning, but people who have known each other a month or two drifting apart after the season is nothing compared to losing a friend of many years. It happens every single season at haunted attractions, Halloween stores, etc., and if any truly _wanted_ to remain in contact, they would.

Now that Halloween is over, I feel ever more lost, since I really do not belong anywhere. I am simply being honest and don't want anyone's pity, so please spare me that reaction if anyone intended to say anything of the sort.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

I can't say that I'm depressed. It's just time to move to the next thing. I look forward to getting things cleaned up and put away. 

And Garth, you do belong here...


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Garthgoyle said:


> Now that Halloween is over, I feel ever more lost, since I really do not belong anywhere. I am simply being honest and don't want anyone's pity, so please spare me that reaction if anyone intended to say anything of the sort.





Scatterbrains said:


> And Garth, you do belong here...


And I concur with Scatterbrains! You belong here, with 'your kind'...one big, sometimes a little dysfunctional, freaky family!


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## little_miss_scare_all (Oct 13, 2015)

Some people attach quicker and more intensely than others..there is absolutely nothing strange, or wrong in that. When you really love something that is outside the "norm" (and I think loving spooky things is generally considered as such) , I think you tend to bond more with the other people who feel that way. This forum exists for those of us who want to connect with other Halloween enthusiasts, yes? It isn't everyday you meet people who adore the macabre, or people who would dedicate a month of very hard work participating in a haunted house. DaveyKnoles, I really hope you can keep in touch with the friends you made. Your post was very honest, and I hope you feel better soon. I am still really bummed out too, so you're not alone in that.
Cheers


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## tomanderson (Dec 6, 2007)

I do invite anyone who is feeling depressed to consider doing Novemberween. I started a thread about this in the General section, and a few people find the idea enjoyable and even logical.

During Novemberween, you can enjoy an entire extra month of spooky celebrating. It may help you satisfy the hunger!

I do, anyway, enjoy reading everyone's PHD stories. I don't want you guys to feel sad at all, but your emotions show how much you care.


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

Heck, work a prop into Christmas decorations. I keep a light up jack-o-lantern around for a week or two after and just enjoy the simplicity of looking at that- kind of a just for me thing. There's always another Halloween coming. Don't blink, 2016 Halloween is right around the corner.


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## little_miss_scare_all (Oct 13, 2015)

Novemberween sounds fantastic to me!


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## just_Tim (Sep 3, 2009)

I get this every year.... For me Halloween day it started kicking in, realizing damn..... Halloween will be over in hours. The stuff I will miss so much is the Halloween decor in stores. Shopping to me is boring, and every August until Oct when the stores out here have Halloween, it always makes even a simple trip to pick up some items fun, because I always stop in the Halloween section and buy something. Knowing that is gone for several months is not cool lol. =/. At home to keep the Halloween spirit going for me I have my bedroom pretty much fully decorated 365 days, and up until Jan, I will continue to read my Halloween themed books, and watch Halloween movies, tv shows etc online. That works for me anyways lol, and I also know that time does move pretty fast so it will be here again before we know it =-)


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## curiosity killed the fox (Sep 10, 2015)

i keep my litl haunted ally a bot spooky al year ..to bad that the ig props ar gone


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

tomanderson said:


> I do invite anyone who is feeling depressed to consider doing Novemberween. I started a thread about this in the General section, and a few people find the idea enjoyable and even logical.
> 
> During Novemberween, you can enjoy an entire extra month of spooky celebrating. It may help you satisfy the hunger!


My whole year is Novemberween, lol. I spend all my time enjoying spooky movies and doing/buying Halloween things


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## GobbyGruesome (Sep 14, 2005)

I was feeling a bit down this year...setup went pretty well but we didn't have any show stoppers that were new. Had a decent amount of trick-or-treaters, but didn't hit a record. Had a lot of nice general comments, but nothing specific. So feeling kinda meh about it after the fact. 

Had this dropped in our mailbox today though. 

















I'm sure it's more a reflection on how cool our neighbours are than on our actual haunt, but it feels pretty good.


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## bayoubrigh (Jan 12, 2007)

Interestingly this is the first year I'm not suffering from any depression (at least yet). The past 3 years I've been in a funk as it was such a build up and I was SO into one night. This year I was more organized, had a more laid back attitude for the night - (didn't have any major panic attacks or 'freak outs' when things didn't work or break). Plus I had been working steadily on the haunt and decorations for over a month so kind of don't mind putting it away for a while. 

Hope everyone gets through the next few months and can enjoy the convention and build season for 2016!


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## tomanderson (Dec 6, 2007)

The thing with me is, and the reason Novemberween works for me is, that I am kind of a monster/horror fan, and have been since I was a kid. Halloween, for me, was always awesome because it was "the day/night" when the whole world was in tune with that stuff. All the stores have Halloween stuff, you see it everywhere, and one feels a sense of "approval" from the outside world. They're singing your song! But it's depressing to think "it's over" once the day has "come and gone," and I say, keep celebrating. As much as you want. Until you feel you've had enough.

Heck, this message board exists because of that, and is reflective of that. Halloween is only one day in the year, but the love for it, and the enjoyment of it, can be always if you like.

Novemeberween is all about not accepting that sadness. Be happy, guys!!


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## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

GobbyGruesome said:


> I was feeling a bit down this year...setup went pretty well but we didn't have any show stoppers that were new. Had a decent amount of trick-or-treaters, but didn't hit a record. Had a lot of nice general comments, but nothing specific. So feeling kinda meh about it after the fact.
> 
> Had this dropped in our mailbox today though.
> 
> ...



Makes it all worth it, doesn't it?


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## capo33 (Oct 9, 2015)

Definitely makes it all worth while! It is such a whirlwind of emotion then gone so quickly I kept my Atmosfearfx projectors running until around 2 in the AM just because I did not want to take them down and the last TOT I had was around 9!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

GobbyGruesome-- That's excellent! It reminds us both that we might be getting a lot more appreciation than we realize, and that we should remember to let others know when we appreciate their efforts!


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## themyst (Sep 4, 2012)

I had way too much going on this year and I didn't fully get to enjoy Halloween as I would have liked. It is somewhat depressing, but I'm using that to improve next year's celebration. 

In years past, I normally dressed up my yard a bit with skeletons and hay and pumpkins ... fairly simple and classic. But I was really inspired by this forum and started too many projects I couldn't finish for one reason or another, or they just didn't work out as I had planned. And, I had a Halloween party running at the same time I was trying to finish everything up and deal with TOT's. I was a complete frazzled mess and in fact was happy it was all over when I collapsed in bed late that evening. My feet hurt so terribly ... 

I tried to go too big too fast. Lesson learned.


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## Quirksome (Nov 1, 2015)

I only got about 30 trick-or-treaters this year. This was my first year decorating the yard, and I worked so hard on everything, but the day before Halloween my mom just said something small that kinda set me off, like "Don't work so hard, hardly anyone is going to see it anyway."

That set me in a really foul mood, but I'm determined to keep going so that hopefully next year I can entice some friends to come over at least and appreciate what I did!


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## TosaTerror (Oct 1, 2015)

Quirksome said:


> I only got about 30 trick-or-treaters this year. This was my first year decorating the yard, and I worked so hard on everything, but the day before Halloween my mom just said something small that kinda set me off, like "Don't work so hard, hardly anyone is going to see it anyway."
> 
> That set me in a really foul mood, but I'm determined to keep going so that hopefully next year I can entice some friends to come over at least and appreciate what I did!


Give it time, kids will come. I was in the same situation. I live right along the highway so there's no homes across the street from us. It seems like kids like to ToT on blocks where there's homes on BOTH sides of the street....so our block gets overlooked. When we moved here 8 years ago were would only get a dozen or two kids at first.

I took that as a challenge and have been making my yard haunt bigger and bigger each year. So, this year, I took someone's advice on this board and started giving out full-sized candy bars. They seemed really pleased at that and I hope word spreads for next year. I think I only exptected 20-30 kids this year, but more than double of that came up my drive way. I quickly ran out of full-sized bars, and was forced to ask my 6-year-old daughter to give me her ToT candy that she didn't like.

Just about everyone who walked by said they really loved my decorations. One group even stopped to take a family picture in front my house (that to me was my favorite part of the night) making all that work worth it. I'll have to be more prepared next year and get more candy!

Hang in there!


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## Eblore (Sep 18, 2013)

I'll move to Halloween town with you! It would be great. Hopefully it is some where that doesn't get rain every weekend in September and October like where I live.


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## Rigormortor (Sep 7, 2009)

Quirksome said:


> I only got about 30 trick-or-treaters this year. This was my first year decorating the yard, and I worked so hard on everything, but the day before Halloween my mom just said something small that kinda set me off, like "Don't work so hard, hardly anyone is going to see it anyway."
> 
> That set me in a really foul mood, but I'm determined to keep going so that hopefully next year I can entice some friends to come over at least and appreciate what I did!


Keep working hard. Me and the wife started 6 years ago by just standing outside handing out candy. We now set up the yard and get 500-600 Tots and people tell us they look forward to our house and our street. Play spooky music too, if they hear it they will come to check it out.....


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## GobbyGruesome (Sep 14, 2005)

Quirksome said:


> I "Don't work so hard, hardly anyone is going to see it anyway."


Well a few things:

1) It's ok to admit, in part, you're doing this for yourself. You may not get a ton of kids (yet) but you don't want to deliver sub-par work. That's a very admirable quality, as long as it's not jeopardizing school or work or whatever.

2) Those few kids likely had their minds blown. And they'll be back next year and they'll bring friends.  Enjoy the time where you don't have a bazillion kids. We really enjoy talking to the TOTers (honestly, largely to hear their compliments). That gets tougher when you start getting 100+ a night. (and as the lovely note says, at least some of the kids really enjoy that we have the time to notice the work THEY do.)

3) We started with 33 TOTers here and have topped out to 83 so far, without doing anything but decorating the yard. We live in an older neighbourhood though so not as many kids. But looking at our stats (yup) weekends are always slower. We get more kids on school nights. And if you can get some stuff out earlier, that'll help spread the word. So I would almost guarantee an significant increase next year when it falls on a Monday.  

4) It's not just the kids. We spend quite a bit of time talking to people walking by...or watching people slow down as they drive by and check out the yard. We had one elderly woman who comes from the other side of town once a year to visit her friend on our street, and apparently times her visit a bit based on how much of our yard is up. We had a woman Halloween night (possibly the one who left the note) say that they'ed been driving by for weeks watching as our setup grew. And we've wandered by the window a few times to see people in our yard taking photos. So you're likely bringing a lot of joy beyond those 30 TOTers.

You're well on your way!


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## Rylo (Nov 5, 2015)

I get it fully. The month of October and Halloween invoke so much happiness in me. Seeing things in the stores, doing amazing makeup all month long (I'm a makeup artist and although October is a crazy month, it's nice cause I get to do things other than "normal), projects, decorating, parties, the air, the movies. Everything about it. Then on November 1st, it's all done. It's only normal that being high on life and something we love to come to an end is going to make us depressed. I live in British Columbia, Canada and our thanksgiving is in October so I don't even have that to look forward to. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, not at all in fact.

Until next year....


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## GobbyGruesome (Sep 14, 2005)

Rylo said:


> I live in British Columbia, Canada and our thanksgiving is in October so I don't even have that to look forward to. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, not at all in fact.
> 
> Until next year....


My wife and I are in Alberta - no connection to the US at all but we've started celebrating US Thanksgiving just on our own for maybe the last 6 or 7 years. It's a a good time to have a nice big meal and some downtime before the pressures of family and shopping and the "real" holiday. And is there really a wrong time to be thankful?


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## mariem (Oct 7, 2012)

Quirksome I am sorry to hear you had such a bummer of a day; feeling sad for you. 

It is hard work to decorate and get everything just so but remember that even if they didn't say so to you, I am sure the 30 or so kids that saw your house appreciated it, and may have said something about it later. We often do that when we are out and about, we notice all kinds of things and don't comment on them until we are relaxing over a coffee or something. Kids are no different. Some are very expressive and some...not so much. 

Don't pay any mind to your Mom's comments. You know that when you post pictures of your decorating we are going to appreciate everything that you have done. Next year you will have forgotten all about your disappointment and your house will be awesome. 

Marie


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## mariem (Oct 7, 2012)

I made a ton of new tombstones and I never got to display any of them. It poured so hard for part of Halloween day and continued to rain the rest of the night that I didn't want to put out my cemetery. The weather is always either rainy, windy, rainy & windy, or snowing on Halloween day. I only remember a couple of decent Halloween nights in all the years I have been decorating so I started putting up a witches den on my covered deck so there would be some decorations out for the kids. I started quite small and have started to add things over the years, especially after finding this forum, because as I learned to make new things I started to get excited about Halloween again like I did when I was a kid. I now love to try to make things every year and I freely admit I decorate for myself as much as the kids. I just really enjoy it as much as I enjoy seeing all the great things being posted on this forum.

I carved some pumpkins for the first time in years, I ran out of time so I did some quick kid friendly patterns but everyone still thought they were awesome. I had the pumpkins on the front porch blocking the stairs so the TOTers would have to come around the side of the house to the deck/ witches den. I was on the deck and I could hear the comments and ooohs and aahs over the pumpkins. I have to admit I was a little surprised at the reactions and comments they brought. 

I also heard several people saying "Oh no! Where is the cemetery?" Several kids had brought friends to see the cemetery and they were quite disappointed. I got a lot of comments on my deck though. There are always several adults sans kids that come to see the deck every year to see what has been added. One woman who brought her daughter, and a couple of her daughters friends, came to the deck and said she almost cried ( of course I didn't take that literally) when she saw there was no cemetery and she thought I hadn't decorated the deck either. There are not many houses around our small town that decorate much so it appreciated by the TOTers. It is nice to hear kids say "this is always the best house" and other wonderful comments. It is always nice to get compliments but it makes it feel special especially when it comes from the kids.

I was quite surprised by the amount of comments I got and how many adults and kids were sorry the cemetery wasn't up. There were a couple groups of adults that came to my house, people had brought friends to show off the yard they had been telling them about, and of course it is the year I didn't put out the cemetery. A couple of the women have come here every year and never said a word so I was surprised at their reactions when it wasn't there anymore. It made me remember that people, like myself, don't always comment right away but we do notice what is there. Just because they didn't say anything doesn't mean they didn't like what they saw.

Even though we only got about half the usual TOTers because of the rain, I got a ton of positive comments from the visitors that did come so it was still a good Halloween. I am grateful for all the compliments I got this year because although I don't do a large elaborate haunt or have tons of cool props (I make all my own) I still do pretty good considering all the health issues I have had and the surgery in September to remove another CA tumor. I have been reminded this year that everything we do for the TOTers is appreciated. As I said hardly anyone decorates around here and it is usually on a very small scale (a decade of 90%+ unemployment) so the houses that do decorate stand out. It is a small town and the neighborhood IS the entire town. We also get lots of kids from the outlying villages who come into town to TOT because the homes out there are too far apart, like miles apart. 

I started taking down the witches den today and will finish it tomorrow; it is too dark now. Kinds sad to take it down but it is nice to have daylight coming in through the patio doors in the dining room again. The light is all blocked out by the "cement walls" of the witches den. 

Next year my cemetery is going out come hell or high water and it is going to be AWESOME! 

Sorry for the long post.

Marie


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## annamarykahn (Oct 4, 2009)

this year we got the greatest feedback for our display ... people didn't know what we did and had no idea ... a retired radio personality in town discovered us this year ... and he told some of his friends ... a retired county judge, city council member, and a few other "distinguished" people showed up and said that they were amazed 

out last visitor was a grandmother, i think ... well her daughter said that she had to come & check us out ... she admitted to us, that she hesitated and thought, yeah, right, another boring haunted display, when we spoke with her, but she said that she was amazed of our "show" and had no idea what we do every year 

we don't advertise and rely on word of mouth ... 

so the amazing positive feedback we got more than made up for any depression taking stuff down, which we're still in the process of doing ... we leave stuff up for a few days in november and will be done this weekend ... there's no hurry and the weather has slowed things down some ... and we got a bunch of storage totes instead of our existing cardboard boxes, to put some of the props into so we're "organizing" and labeling the totes 

oh, yeah, although i've been meaning for years to build a laser vortex ... well i built one this year and it was a huge hit 

so, no post halloween depression this year ... looking forward to next ... it'll be better than ever

amk


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## Rylo (Nov 5, 2015)

GobbyGruesome said:


> My wife and I are in Alberta - no connection to the US at all but we've started celebrating US Thanksgiving just on our own for maybe the last 6 or 7 years. It's a a good time to have a nice big meal and some downtime before the pressures of family and shopping and the "real" holiday. And is there really a wrong time to be thankful?


That's kind of fantastic actually


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## Maranda Yates (Aug 9, 2015)

Does anybody actually get physically sick or am I the only one? I'm pretty sure I was running on adrenaline for the last few weeks. Combine that with lack of sleep and the little that I did eat....its now almost three weeks post party and I'm in bed with a virus/strep. I felt terrible immediately following the party though. I swear I've crashed. Ahahahahhaha. Well I guess the only way to perk back up is to start next years work


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

GobbyGruesome said:


> My wife and I are in Alberta - no connection to the US at all but we've started celebrating US Thanksgiving just on our own for maybe the last 6 or 7 years. It's a a good time to have a nice big meal and some downtime before the pressures of family and shopping and the "real" holiday. And is there really a wrong time to be thankful?


I have a friend who is from Canada. They do both Canadian and US Thanksgiving. They did a high tea for the Canadian one this year and will do the traditional turkey for the US one. I talked to my spouse about doing both, but do charity or volunteer work on one of them.


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## capo33 (Oct 9, 2015)

Quirksome said:


> I only got about 30 trick-or-treaters this year. This was my first year decorating the yard, and I worked so hard on everything, but the day before Halloween my mom just said something small that kinda set me off, like "Don't work so hard, hardly anyone is going to see it anyway."
> 
> That set me in a really foul mood, but I'm determined to keep going so that hopefully next year I can entice some friends to come over at least and appreciate what I did!


If you made just 1 person smile or run away in fear- it was all worth while! Having people ask me for permission to film my yard or take pictures was I needed to know that I want to do it again next year


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Maranda Yates said:


> Does anybody actually get physically sick or am I the only one? I'm pretty sure I was running on adrenaline for the last few weeks. Combine that with lack of sleep and the little that I did eat....its now almost three weeks post party and I'm in bed with a virus/strep. I felt terrible immediately following the party though. I swear I've crashed. Ahahahahhaha. Well I guess the only way to perk back up is to start next years work


Nope, woke up sunday morning with no voice and a terrible cold. Not bedridden sick, but not fun.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've been taking one thing down every day, so I get to enjoy focusing on each thing slowly. I like thinking about how I came across them. Gives me a post Halloween boost. I think my bat wreath is next! 

I've also been diving into making art. Being busy helps!


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## Kuebiko (Dec 11, 2015)

It's over so fast


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

OMG, this thread is so making me want it to be Halloween again. 

I mean since this thread was made, months have gone by...things are just flying...and before you know it, summer will be here and the stores will be poppin' with autumn stuff. 

Can't wait.


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## AtmosFX_Jen (Jan 13, 2016)

Why does it have to be only 1 day a year? The company I work for sells decorations so I'm always looking for fun things around the community in the off-season. Every day I'm reminded that it is not October. haha


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