The past couple of years, the amount of kids out on Halloween has dwindled down in my neighborhood. This year, my wife and I were at her cousin’s house and we saw maybe a couple of kids walking around. My wife blames people going to Trunk or Treat things. We both work in retail, so we see more of the public, and nobody was in costume. What was everybody’s experience with Halloween this year?

  • titanicx@lemmy.zip
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    49 minutes ago

    We normally have kids up until 11 pm, this year we had less then normal, and only 3 after 10 pm. We live on a main street, and are the known Halloween house with the way we decorate. We probably had 1/3 less this year. We attribute it to the trunk or treats. Our next door neighbor took his kids trunk or treating 6 times in the past week. Safer? Maybe. Lazier? Very much so.

  • count_dongulus@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Nobody seems to have mentioned this yet, but Trunk or Treat for lazy and/or helicopter parents has cannibalized door to door visits.

  • UnPassive@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    We had zero this year. We even put out decorations and every year we give out full size bars and pokemon packs. Live in the center of town in a dense neighborhood. I do think part of the reason is none of the street lights ever are on anymore

  • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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    2 hours ago

    No one this year because of a stupid baseball game and suddenly everyone cares about baseball because go local team. Canada is supposed to be “elbows out” but we throw money at US team sports that over schedule.

  • washbasin@sh.itjust.works
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    2 hours ago

    Depending on your neighborhood and how long you’ve lived there, you’ll see ebb and flow overtime. Families age out but stay in the neighborhood. My neighborhood actually saw an uptick for the first time since before COVID. We had some old families move out and replaced with just a few families with kids.

  • Monzcarro@feddit.uk
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    4 hours ago

    UK - Only had one kid come and had lots of treats. My own kids went out and got quite a haul, but most people had left bowls out so they didn’t knock on many doors (they know only to go to decorated houses).

    For the last few years, there seem to be more people decorating and putting treats out than there are kids going out. Plus our weather has been shit.

  • BanMe@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    Our street only has 2 houses that do it, so everyone drives right on by our block. Some of them go to parties instead, some of them are just lazy and disinterested.

    I’ve kind of shamed people into decorating for Christmas, I made my house elegantly lit with a warm white glow and theirs were dark and depressing. But Halloween, just the 2 of us for years.

    We’re in a high crime city so a lot of folks do trunk-or-treats and I get that, but, those kids are gonna be adults that have to learn to live here too. There’s something humanizing about going up to strangers doors, finding out your neighbors aren’t actually monsters or assholes, but kind people.

    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      I rent, so you don’t get a chance to pass out candy anymore, but it was a bright spot in my childhood. I’m sad that we’ve abandoned that.

      Plus, you got to peak into all your neighbors doors and see a bit of their life and it was a positive experience for all involved.

  • myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip
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    11 hours ago

    Definitely on a down swing. Not a lot of houses do it. Lack of kids and candy prices. Kids get transported to more expensive neighborhoods or the trunk or treat events. I haven’t done it the last few years cause of the decrease in traffic, raising cost of candy, and the increasing number of rude ass kids (teenagers) that grab everything they can without saying a word.

    • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
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      10 hours ago

      declining at least a decade before covid, due to the rise of smartphones and ipads, people just want to watch youtube most of the time, or thier favorite influencer.

      • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml
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        5 hours ago

        Real life just has to beat youtube in quality. Which will never happen because life is fucking shit for all but our masters.

  • dil@lemmy.zip
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    12 hours ago

    Neighbourhoods have less kids because they grew up and then didn’t have kids at the same rate, it’s prob more active near new suburbs built by schools or other areas they are renting at.