Do many parents still


let their kids trick or treat? I think the past couple of years, I didn't get a single knock. I know if I were a parent, no way would I let my kids do this given the complete idiots out there in today's world.

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Probably depends on where you live. More and more events around my area are being put on (such as at malls and other shopping centers) that have kids and parents not out on the streets. There are still some, but it's not nearly like it used to be around here.

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i take my daughter (now 4) trick or treating in our small hometown. i know alot of people here, so its not a problem, but it is quickly disappearing. the big thing around here is trunk or treating at churches and shopping centers, where people in a parking lot set up there cars and give candy away. most even decorate the trunks. lol. most of these functions are put on by local civic groups who keep tabs on who is giving away candy so that it remains safe.

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That sucks. I'd hate to see the tradition of (door-to-door) trick or treating die out. I'd never want to take that away from my kids (not that I have any now, but in the future). Luckily I haven't seen that yet in my small hometown. I hope I don't.

"We know a little about a lot of things, just enough to make us dangerous."

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Halloween is still pretty popular around my house. We probably get around 30 kids coming to our door. The kids are not by themselves of course. I never went by myself. I always went with my dad up until I was about 15. Though I think I stopped when i was 16.

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I hate the trunk or treat fad! I think in my area of the midwest, it is primarily done by churches to discourage people from celebrating "the devil's holiday." So stupid! If anything it is a candy holiday. Thank goodness door to door trick or treating is still popular here in my hometown!

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I guess it depends on where you live. I live in a suburb of Seattle and Halloween is becoming more of a "big deal" every year! I take my son (10) and his friends trick-or-treating (I dress up too!). Last year was perfect, a foggy night, lots of groups out trick-or-treating, and almost every house was lit up with decorations. My teenagers go to parties and there are a lot of adult costume parties too ... now I can't wait till next year!

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I have a few kids coming by, but it looks like it's getting slightly more popular in my area since I've seen more kids out last year than in the previous few years.

I don't understand why people are so scared of kids having stuff done to them. As long as you're accompanying your children and checking the candy first then you have nothing to be afraid of. Almost every single story you hear of doctored candy or freaks grabbing kids into their houses is an urban legend. Once in a blue moon you'll find something real, but it's very few and far between- as in "once every 20-30 years" rare. Parents have more to fear from big parties than door to door trick or treating. After all, I've seen a lot of kids come in from parties where they've been pulled into a closet and molested or had the crap beaten out of them by a few of their friends as a "trick".

While I'm on my self indulgent rant, I also hate that older kids can't go trick or treating without getting harassed. I'd rather have a 16 year old trick or treating than going out to a party and boozing it up, then getting into trouble somewhere.

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Isn't it sort of a myth that it's more dangerous to have your kids kidnapped or molested by a stranger now then it was in the past? I mean, the majority of kids that get molested or kidnapped are by people they're related to or know. It would be a shame if parents quit taking their kids out trick or treating based on a false assumption.

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For the most part it's a myth. You do hear more stories of kids getting molested and/or kidnapped, but then you have to figure that in the past it was more that we *didn't* hear these stories. Most of the kids either didn't tell anyone or their parents didn't follow up with anything.

It's kind of the same premise as rape. You didn't really hear about rape as much back in say, the 50s or 70s because there was still this idea of "you don't tell anyone". It's only in the last 10-20 years that openly admitting you were raped or molested was more acceptable. People back then just didn't want to deal with the possible problems that sadly came with admitting such things, such as possibly being socially outcast.

So yeah... it's pretty much a myth. It does happen but not in as extreme an amount as the media would have you believe. A child is more likely to get hurt in a big party than in a small group of trick or treaters chaperoned by their parents. It's just that people feed into the media's fear mongering and some don't want the amount of responsibility it takes to go trick or treating. I love what the media can accomplish, but I hate it when they make people afraid when there's no reason to be.

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Actually, you're correct. I'm 26 and I grew up during the "razors in apples" scare of the 90s and other weapons stashed in Halloween candy. To disagree with the other poster, we did in fact hear about children being kidnapped, molested or raped, even killed close to Halloween, but it always turned out to be someone close to the family or even a family member and not a total stranger. Keep in mind that after 9/11 and the anthrax scares, people were scared of terrorists using Halloween gatherings to bomb the tar out of us or snuck anthrax into the powdered candies (pixie sticks, dippin' sticks). Of course again, for the majority, we were wrong and in rare instances anthrax was found among candy, it wasn't any terrorist organization behind it but some crazed American. Sadly though, the damage was done and cities and towns began holding trick-or-treating events at malls. Of course, this only ticked the Christian zealots running their Hell Houses and quite a few have manipulated peoples fears to their gain. Basically: If you're a homosexual, promiscuous, have an abortion, commit suicide, you're not better than heathen terrorists that don't believe in the one true God and will be damned to burn in hell for eternity.

If it's been fifteen years or more, it's no longer a spoiler.

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The razors et al in candy scare also happened in the 80's and from what I understand the 60's and 70's too. Sometimes the same old boogieman is brought out to scare a new generation. I believe that is what we call a reboot, and viciously attack it on message boards.

Is there a chemical in X that makes you dance like a prick?

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What?! lol
Maybe kids dont like you? are you the weird neighbor? lol
My parents said last Halloween they got over 100 kids at the door.
They had to shut the porchlight off cuz they ran out of candy

Why wouldnt parents LET their kids trick r treat?
What idiots are you talking about?
You do realize that the whole thing about people posioning or putting stuff in kids candy is all urban legend right?
And what else is there?
Pedophiles?
Something tells me grabbing kids and pulling them into your OWN house on Halloween night isnt a smart idea lol

Plus I dont know a single kid that goes trick or treating alone
Its always with mom and dad or when u get older its a group of kids
and everyone knows their neighbors so thats the houses you go to.
Jeez do u live in a big scary city or something??

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If I were a parent there's no way I'd let my kids do this.
Too many psychos out there!

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Ugh

Celebrating Halloween at a church is like having sex at your grandmas house.


Good movies may draw an audience, but bad movies make a scene.

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Err... And why did you reply to me? Your unfunny comment wasn't even relevant.

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is Halloween only celebrated in America? I am from Australia and we do not do trick or treating, We have halloween parties, just to dress up, but trick or treating never really happens here. Just mainly costume parties and things like that but its not hugely celebrated

You hate us 'cause we're beautiful, Well we don't like you either

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No, I'm Australian and we get plenty of trick or treaters in my street. I think it just depends on how many children are in your neighbourhood.

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[deleted]

RyanBgood...I think your comment is fcking hilarious!

I know I was born gay because my first sentence was, 'Get those boobs outta my face!'

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I moved into the house I live in now last summer and we didn't get a single trick or treater, I figured it was cause we lived on a busy road. There are kids that live in the same area as me and yeah, I didn't receive any neither did any of my neighbors.

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I think most parents still do, it would be sad if they didn’t due to all this society paranoia. Depending on where you live it might be normal to not get rick r’ treaters, my parents almost never had any living on a road with houses far apart, neighborhoods where my relatives lived got dozens a year.

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[deleted]

I moved into my current house 4 years ago and nothing would have prepared me for how this neighborhood celebrates holidays. July 4th, New Years, Christmas and Halloween are all crazy.

For Halloween, you are a minority if you don't rig your garage like a haunted house, some people go all out and the kids from all over town mob our street. I am at the end of the street so I can "dress down" a bit.

Last year, the most memorable to me was a guy who rigged a forklift with a chair and he dressed like a prisoner on the electric chair and he was lifted up real high, then a lightning show came on to make it look like he was being executed, then the forklift would lower and he would get up and chase the kids down the street, but he was on stilts, and you didn't realize it until he stood up. Creepy as hell man...but that is the price you pay if you want candy from him.

But he was only one of about 15-20 different shows put on. Can't wait for next month!

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Wow! I want to move into your neighborhood! I'd fit right in. :)

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