Where Have All the Children Gone?

For years I shared your sentiments on the fading of a great holiday... until last night.

A friend invited me over to her neighborhood, which I have dubbed 'The Mayberry of Portland' to dress up, pass out candy and watch the festivities. 

We pulled into the neighborhood and as I suspected, the streets were packed with cars.... It was obvious, the secret had been out for years and my friend and I were the last to learn it... this was the place to be for a kid on Halloween night. 

Once at her house, my friend and I were immediately put on 'door duty' while the hosts went out as a family with their two children.  We did not mind at all.  We had a grand time passing out candy, complimenting kids on their costumes and refusing treats to older kids that didn't even bother to dress up (fortunately this didn't result in any pumpkin smashings).

Upon our hosts return, they exclaimed that we must go out and witness the sites.  With an open excuse to tour every house in the neighborhood, I thought this would be a great opportunity to get a bit closer to these majestic old homes.  I was not prepared for the flood of goblins and princesses I was about to encounter once we turned the corner onto the main tree-lined strip.  Every other house was adorned with ghoulish decorations and 'cackeling sound tracks'.   There were lines 20 or more deep of children with one parent parading them up the steps to a house while a line of 'the other parent' stood at the bottom ... waiting to join them in their slow walk to the next house.

The neighborhood was prepared.  There was an outdoor tent set up where the parents could get some hot cider at one house.  There were houses where four people stood all passed out candy at once to keep the lines moving (this often resulted in a crowd congestion just past their house).

Once we returned it was nearly 8pm and most of the cute kids had vanished, many of the porch lights in the neighborhood had been turned off (presumably due to candy shortages) and the big kids started emerging... until about 9:30pm.  As our friend is not on the main strip of the neighborhood, their final tally was around 300 kids... easily half of what the main strip houses received.

It was like the mall on Christmas Eve...  Crowded and slow.... but completely worth it.

Alisa - I don't want to sabbotage your post but take a look at My Halloween in the 60's that I posted recently.  It might take you back.  I agree, things have changed.  Sara's account sounded delightful.  Too bad we all can't have that.  I think with areas being so transient and subdivisions getting so large, we've lost connection with our neighbors and more importantly, the kids.  If the kids don't know who they're visiting, it kind of depersonalizes the whole experience.  It then becomes all about how much candy they can collect - not about showcasing their snazzy costumes or saying hello to their neighbors.

Alisa,

We have a huge bowl of sugar just waiting to be eaten as well.  Too bad we can't give it to the dog!!!

We just had a horrible story from neighboring Lake County that a "trick or treater" found a razor blade in a chocolate bar (three musketeers).  As a parent, I now use a magnifying glass on the candy before I let my daughter get near it.  It is a real shame that my daughter will not be able to enjoy the same fun on Halloween that my friends and I had a chance to experience.

I think there is a new Halloween -- many community centers and churches are having events on the Oct. 31 to keep the kids safe -- perhaps not a bad thing. Here is an example: First Annual Haunted House.

Alisa - Maybe it was just a bad year.  Or at least I hope so!  I can't imaginve the spirit of trick-or-treaters leaving the younger generation of kids.  Ann is right though, many communities have organzied activities to keep kids safe during the holiday.