and are you expecting a lot this year?

I live in the centre of the city, so get a fair few trick or treaters. I didn't last year, (because of covid), but the government is allowing it this year so will probably have a fair few

I usually leave a tub of candy treats outside my house for the kids to help themselves too, and it's not often I show myself. (usually curtains are closed and I'm watching a movie or something!)

what about you

[Broken Old Man]

I live alone.
Normally just turn the porch lights out and pretend its any other day.
Been contemplating sitting on the front porch with a large bowl of candy this year.
No idea how many will show up,
But feeling the need to see the kids smile.

BOM

[eskielover]

None.....farm country with farms 1/4 mile apart is not an inviting kind of environment for them. They go to town & the businesses are open & give out candy

[Mountaindewed]

At my last house no. We’d buy one bag of Reese’s and end up eating most of them ourselves. Last year of course we turned off the porch lights and didn’t even leave a bowl of candy out. I’m not sure what to expect this year though. I live on a good long block so I could get a lot.

[downandlonely]

I don't get any. The kids in my apartment complex go to wealthier neighborhoods to trick or treat.

Originally Posted by downandlonely

I don't get any. The kids in my apartment complex go to wealthier neighborhoods to trick or treat.

Same. I've lived here 13 years and never had anyone stop. Which is fine by me.

[Nammu]

In the last two years a bunch of families with little kids moved in to the neighborhood so I’m expecting a lot. Plus the area across the street used to be cornfield is now a new suburban tract with lots of young families. So I’m expecting a lot this year despite delta and unvaxed kids.

[Mountaindewed]

Ugh I didn’t even think that most of the kids would be unvaccinated.

[downandlonely]

well pretty much all the kids under 12 are unvaccinated. I think the FDA just got emergency approval for Pfizer to kids 5 to 11. But we'll see how many parents get their kids vaccinated.

[lizardlady]

I'm in the same situation as Eskie. Live in the boonies. Parents load kids in cars and take them into town. Won't get any trick or treaters. The redneck adults will be shooting off guns though. Any excuse to get drunk and shoot.

[RoxanneToto]

We used to get a fair few when I was a kid myself, but that seemed to peter out as I got to my teens and we haven’t had a single one in years. So, not expecting any this year.

[eskielover]

Originally Posted by lizardlady

I'm in the same situation as Eskie. Live in the boonies. Parents load kids in cars and take them into town. Won't get any trick or treaters. The redneck adults will be shooting off guns though. Any excuse to get drunk and shoot.

We don't get that on Halloween but it has happened other non-Holiday times of the year just driving down the road shooting.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by eskielover

We don't get that on Halloween but it has happened other non-Holiday times of the year just driving down the road shooting.

I have some trashy neighbors who use any excuse to get drunk and shoot guns. As far as Im concerned booze and guns don't go together.

[Blue_Bird]

No, I live in an apartment complex, we don't get any, The apartments are inside a building, like you go inside the main building and all the apartments are inside. You can't get inside the building unless security lets you in or you have a key fob, or if a person calls your apartment number from the camera box thing outside and the person who lives here unlocks the door for them remotely from their apartment security system/camera thing.

[Soupe du jour]

I no longer live in the US, and the country I'm in doesn't really have trick or treaters. They have other autumn festivities, though. When I was in the US, we got maybe 10 or so where we last lived. Eventually my husband turned into a scrooge and wanted to stop offering candy, so we got none. A tradition we always had was to have our first fire in our fireplace for the season on Halloween night. We loved that! Now we have no fireplace in our new home We miss it. Very few houses have working wood fireplaces in my new country, though many have wood stoves, but ours doesn't. Wood stoves are better house heaters, but less romantic.

My parents never got any, except maybe my nephews and younger cousin. They lived sort of in the country. Most trick or treaters only went downtown where houses were closer together.

[Ford Puma]

Non ever as far as I can recall. I live in a quiet spot, and there are about 5 homes on my road, which is 1 mile long.

[hvert]

My neighborhood used to be a destination for trick or treaters. No matter how much candy I bought, I'd run out. Now we just see them occasionally at my end of the street.

[*Beth*]

When I was a kid my sister counted how many trick-or-treaters we got one year. 236!

Times sure have changed. My husband and I used to take our kids out, but that was a lot of years ago. Now there are not many kids out - if they are, they go to the shops on Main Street, because they hand out candy every year.

I also live in an apartment. I decorate just a little bit and will probably leave a bowl of candy out, mostly for my neighbors.

[Brego]

We never had many trick or treaters at the other house. And we have next to nothing here. They never come visit us or something.

[SprinkL3]

Originally Posted by raging vortex

and are you expecting a lot this year?

I live in the centre of the city, so get a fair few trick or treaters. I didn't last year, (because of covid), but the government is allowing it this year so will probably have a fair few

I usually leave a tub of candy treats outside my house for the kids to help themselves too, and it's not often I show myself. (usually curtains are closed and I'm watching a movie or something!)

what about you

I live in an apartment building with shared air space in the halls, with hospitals still under crisis standards of care, and with locked entrance doors that require a FOB for entry. We never get any trick-or-treaters - especially now, during these pandemic times.

I suppose if I lived in a townhome or house, I would leave treats outside and stand or sit in my window to wave hi to all the trick-or-treaters! If I had the money, I would also leave coloring books and crayons out there for the littles under 10 years old. I'd use the honor system, in hopes that they don't run out, but I'd replenish them every hour or two (with my full PPE gear on). I probably would be dressed up inside. I would even decorate the outside of my house if I were allowed. I liked that one idea with multiple skeletons scaling the roof and the sides of the house. I always got a kick out of that one. It reminded me of my time in service when we had to repel. I would probably also have a Casper ghost outside blinking, as well as non-threatening artifacts like pumpkins and what not.

But I live in an apartment, so all I can do is dream about the above.

I look forward to seeing the stories here though.

[MuseumGhost]

In our part of the world, long before Covid became a household word, there was a move to take kids to private parties to celebrate Halloween, rather than putting them through the often-sleety, cold, rotten slog that frequently happens on October 31 in Southern Ontario. So, over the years, we've seen the numbers dwindle.

Before that, though, I did enjoy seeing all the kids and their costumes, when I was well enough to plan for it, decorate, and answer the door. The old me, pre-depression, used to get dressed-up, too and have a good old laugh with the kids and parents. (I did myself up as a different type of witch every year; it was kind of an inside joke among all our crowd.) Friends used to make the trip to our neighbourhood with their grandchildren, as we're kind of in an out of the way development and it's pretty safe and quiet, here---and people did go all-out on Halloween, the neighbourhood was bustling with cars full of kids from in town---and we LOVED seeing the little cuties on their first Halloween outings. But of course, Covid has put an end to all of that.

This year will be a bit sad, I think, as I do not plan to open the door to ANYONE. It'll be lights out and no candy. And that's got me a little bummed out, as I've been feeling better, and would love to dive right back into the fun again.

My parents do get quite a bit. Not sure how it will be this year though. I don't get any.

[SprinkL3]

I wish they would publicize safer ways to trick-or-treat, as opposed to abolishing it altogether, or recommending against it. It's safer to be outdoors than it is to have a Halloween party indoors - even with trusted people within your pod. Unless you are having an exclusive Halloween party for only members of your immediate household, indoors is always more risky around this time.

Outdoors is safer, especially if masks can be worn with the costumes.

Children won't be vaccinated by this time, so elderly persons can use caution by wearing masks, making sure that candy bundles are in baggies with perhaps a yarn threaded through a hole in the baggie, so that those could be easily picked up instead of the plastic. That would be a better way to protect against flu, pneumococcal infections, and Covid-19, among other respiratory illnesses circulating, including mutations. The yarn kills the bacteria and viruses faster than plastic. Or - better yet - paper bags (sandwich size) with candy and treats inside, which will produce fewer fomites.

It's really the close contact and aerosolization that spreads respiratory illnesses. But the flu can be picked up with fomites. So its best to be cautious about all, since some areas are surging and have crisis standards of care.

Having a sign outside with a table and large bowl would be best - where you could say pick one bag per person only, as they all have the same exact candy assortments. (Parents can pick up as many bags for as many children in their party.) The bowl will be recycled when it gets low. If there are no more available, a new sign will be put out ("Sorry, all the candy has been snatched, but warm thoughts for a good, happy, and safe Halloween!"). You can either greet people outside while maintaining 6 feet social distancing, or you can be behind a window inside and only come out to refill the bowl.

So those are some ideas for safer trick-or-treaters.

The parents could tell their pods/groups to only be close within their group, but to remain 6 feet or more from those not in their group. And to always keep their mask on over their nose and mouth.

It would also be cool to have costumes that included matching masks for safety - to go with their costumes.

All these things would have been great marketing tools, etc., to help boost our economy, jobs, and what not. But no, the fight still continues against masks and vaccines, so here we are - with a polarized system and an unclear safety protocol for a safe Halloween.

[Mountaindewed]

So far we haven’t gotten any. Since we moved we had no idea what to expect. My mom bought a big 275 count bag of chocolate and my brother in law and sister brought over their 2 sick nephews and 12 cupcakes for some reason. Gross. Who’s going to eat all that? There’s 3 of us who live here. 2 are dieting. One is dangerously overweight. I won’t touch any of it and the others can’t control themselves. Why can’t my mom ever say no?

I swear adults who buy full size candy bars for trick or treaters are either super rich or or are compensating for bad childhoods.

[downandlonely]

I knew not to buy candy.