People who encourage Halloween should be ashamed of themselves

[Miri]

I really don’t understand why parents allow their children to go out on Halloween.
If they want to go door knocking to friends and family that’s one thing. But making
a nuisance by knocking on stranger‘s doors when they do not know who lives
there, is completely out of line.


It’s dangerous to children, parents spend lots of time telling their kids not to
talk to strangers or go with them, but then allow them to go randomly knocking
on doors begging, some even take them around and encourage it! It also causes
great distress to elderly and vulnerable people. The carers have been saying
how their clients get really upset on Halloween.


How have we reached the point where it has become socially acceptable to
cause a nuisance on Halloween, just to keep up with the Jones’ because parents
don’t want to feel their kids are missing out.


My poor aunt keeps trying to answer the door and keeps wondering who is there.
Just out of hospital after 8 weeks, confused with delerium and stupid parents are
trailing around with kids in tow, causing a nuisance. It’s a disgrace.


All adults who support Halloween and buy into it, just help to encourage this
annual, antisocial evening.

 

[Willie-T]

Wow!
And they say I am hard. ☺

 

[Depleted]

I really don’t understand why parents allow their children to go out on Halloween.
If they want to go door knocking to friends and family that’s one thing. But making
a nuisance by knocking on stranger‘s doors when they do not know who lives
there, is completely out of line.


It’s dangerous to children, parents spend lots of time telling their kids not to
talk to strangers or go with them, but then allow them to go randomly knocking
on doors begging, some even take them around and encourage it! It also causes
great distress to elderly and vulnerable people. The carers have been saying
how their clients get really upset on Halloween.


How have we reached the point where it has become socially acceptable to
cause a nuisance on Halloween, just to keep up with the Jones’ because parents
don’t want to feel their kids are missing out.


My poor aunt keeps trying to answer the door and keeps wondering who is there.
Just out of hospital after 8 weeks, confused with delerium and stupid parents are
trailing around with kids in tow, causing a nuisance. It’s a disgrace.


All adults who support Halloween and buy into it, just help to encourage this
annual, antisocial evening.

The first year we lived in Philly, I bought the usual amount of candy as we did back when we lived in Jersey. (About five bags.) Mind you, we moved from a setting with about 100 tiny houses to a setting where there were 50 houses just on this one block of this street, but how does one guess how much candy is needed for such a place? At the time, the youngest kid on the block was 12, so it wasn't like we saw a plethora of kids.

Anyway, by dinner time, (and most folks take their kids out when it's still light here), we had 3.5 bags of candy left. (No complaining. Not like I didn't love candy myself, and I did buy the stuff I love. lol)

By 9 PM, no one else came, so I put on my jammies.

At 9:30, a bus load of kids came. No, literally, a bus load! And none were wearing costumes. There wasn't enough candy left for that first group that came that late. More came, so we just didn't answer the door.

And we stopped answering the door on Halloween then.

And no one has rung the door since then.

Here, the kids can tell who to go to and who not to go to by decorations or no decorations. Hallow tradition around here.

Why not just put a sign up? Saying something like "Sick person inside. Please don't disturb us."

 

[maxwel]

In the grand scheme of the universe, I don't really think Halloween, one way or the other, is all that important.
So I have no huge axe to grind.

I just want to answer 2 small points of this post:



1. "It also causes great distress to elderly"

A. It probably cause great distress for SOME of the elderly, and probably causes great joy for OTHERS of the elderly.

(Some people love children, and love to see them having fun.... and... even love to have them visit.)

B. The "elderly" certainly grew up in a time when THEY all went trick or treating, and most certainly went trick-or-treating with even LESS parental supervision than kids now.

So for the elderly to be all upset about a few trick-or-treaters one night a year, when they themselves did the very same thing... well... this just isn't a very good argument.


2. "All adults who support Halloween and buy into it, just help to encourage this annual, antisocial evening."

This almost makes me wonder if you were ever a child.

Surely there was a time when you used to just do silly things for fun?

I mean, come on, I try to act like an adult, but ya know... I still laugh at fart jokes.

: )


Miri,
I don't dislike you, and I'm not mad at you, and I appreciate many of the posts you make... so please don't take my points of disagreement, or my little jokes, as a personal thing.
And to be fair, there may be some really good reasons to STOP the trick-or-treating, or to stop all Halloween celebrations.
There may be some very good reasons.
I just think the particular reasons listed here are not particularly strong reasons.

Let me reiterate this, just because this is such a controversial issue:
There may be VERY GOOD REASONS to stop with all the halloween and trick-or-treating stuff... I'm just contending these particular reasons aren't particularly compelling.

 

[Miri]

The first year we lived in Philly, I bought the usual amount of candy as we did back when we lived in Jersey. (About five bags.) Mind you, we moved from a setting with about 100 tiny houses to a setting where there were 50 houses just on this one block of this street, but how does one guess how much candy is needed for such a place? At the time, the youngest kid on the block was 12, so it wasn't like we saw a plethora of kids.

Anyway, by dinner time, (and most folks take their kids out when it's still light here), we had 3.5 bags of candy left. (No complaining. Not like I didn't love candy myself, and I did buy the stuff I love. lol)

By 9 PM, no one else came, so I put on my jammies.

At 9:30, a bus load of kids came. No, literally, a bus load! And none were wearing costumes. There wasn't enough candy left for that first group that came that late. More came, so we just didn't answer the door.

And we stopped answering the door on Halloween then.

And no one has rung the door since then.

Here, the kids can tell who to go to and who not to go to by decorations or no decorations. Hallow tradition around here.

Why not just put a sign up? Saying something like "Sick person inside. Please don't disturb us."

Unfortunately the stupid parents send their kiddies into the garden, who can’t read or ignore
signs. Sigh.

In previous year’s I’ve have tied up the garden gate, but can’t do it now as the carers need
to come in.

 

[Miri]

Wow!
And they say I am hard. ☺

Im really annoyed, one little darling just stood there knocking on the door then
started kicking the door, while the idiotic parents stood outside the garden laughing
at them.

My aunt who has delerium, in the meantime keeps asking me to answer the
door or to tries to answer it herself, as she does not understand it’s halloween.
Last few times she tried to answer the door she ended up with a fractured shoulder
on one occasions and a dislocated shoulder another time. Plus ended up laying
on the floor for 4 hours on one occasion until I got home from work. So I make
no apology for being hard.

Is it really hard to suggest adults and especially Christians should not encourage
this kind of behaviour. Yet every person who decorates their house and decides to
give out goodies, unfortunately does encourage this.

 

[Miri]

In the grand scheme of the universe, I don't really think Halloween, one way or the other, is all that important.
So I have no huge axe to grind.

I just want to answer 2 small points of this post:



1. "It also causes great distress to elderly"

A. It probably cause great distress for SOME of the elderly, and probably causes great joy for OTHERS of the elderly.

(Some people love children, and love to see them having fun.... and... even love to have them visit.)

B. The "elderly" certainly grew up in a time when THEY all went trick or treating, and most certainly went trick-or-treating with even LESS parental supervision than kids now.

So for the elderly to be all upset about a few trick-or-treaters one night a year, when they themselves did the very same thing... well... this just isn't a very good argument.


2. "All adults who support Halloween and buy into it, just help to encourage this annual, antisocial evening."

This almost makes me wonder if you were ever a child.

Surely there was a time when you used to just do silly things for fun?

I mean, come on, I try to act like an adult, but ya know... I still laugh at fart jokes.

: )


Miri,
I don't dislike you, and I'm not mad at you, and I appreciate many of the posts you make... so please don't take my points of disagreement, or my little jokes, as a personal thing.
And to be fair, there may be some really good reasons to STOP the trick-or-treating, or to stop all Halloween celebrations.
There may be some very good reasons.
I just think the particular reasons listed here are not particularly strong reasons.

Let me reiterate this, just because this is such a controversial issue:
There may be VERY GOOD REASONS to stop with all the halloween and trick-or-treating stuff... I'm just contending these particular reasons aren't particularly compelling.

Actually when I was a kid we didn’t have trick or treat at all. It was an unfortunate
American import which came over after I had grown up. The worst thing ever to come over
to the UK. The commercial sector are the only ones who benefit as they rake in the money.

 

[Depleted]

A shame people aren't listening long-term on here.

For Shirley, much of this had to do with this paragraph --

My poor aunt keeps trying to answer the door and keeps wondering who is there.
Just out of hospital after 8 weeks, confused with delirium and stupid parents are
trailing around with kids in tow, causing a nuisance. It’s a disgrace.

Here's the rest. Her aunt also is very frail, and can't stand, quite often, although she doesn't remember that, so tries anyway. If she falls, EMTs have to come to help her up. That frail!

Add to that, she has delirium, not just in the parts of the day when Miri has time to remind her of this, but at inconvenient times -- like the middle of the night often and when Miri is trying to do normal things the rest of us never have to think twice about -- like making meals, doing laundry, etc.

Add to that, her aunt is very sickly in other ways.

And, mostly add to that, Miri has been alone in this for over five years now. Even when her aunt is in the hospital so much else is going on with her aunt, that Miri is frayed always trying to keep things going -- mostly her aunt and herself.

She hasn't been quiet about this. She had another post on this forum earlier today about being sleep deprived.

If she could get fulltime help, even the fulltime help would need someone to do what she couldn't do, and that's with Miri still helping. She's doing the work of three people this week alone. AND, when she goes back to work, four people.

So, come on, and let Miri have a place to grumble. Yeah, most elderly aren't like that. Even her aunt isn't like that, but try taking care of her aunt for a week, and you'll be amazed how kind Miri is being.

Mostly? Mostly, I wish people would listen to each other more often on a Christian site.

 

[Depleted]

Unfortunately the stupid parents send their kiddies into the garden, who can’t read or ignore
signs. Sigh.

In previous year’s I’ve have tied up the garden gate, but can’t do it now as the carers need
to come in.

Can you tie it onto the garden gate? It only has to last a few hours.

 

[blue_ladybug]

Put the candy bowl outside, and a sign on the door. Problem solved..

 

[Miri]

A shame people aren't listening long-term on here.

For Shirley, much of this had to do with this paragraph --



Here's the rest. Her aunt also is very frail, and can't stand, quite often, although she doesn't remember that, so tries anyway. If she falls, EMTs have to come to help her up. That frail!

Add to that, she has delirium, not just in the parts of the day when Miri has time to remind her of this, but at inconvenient times -- like the middle of the night often and when Miri is trying to do normal things the rest of us never have to think twice about -- like making meals, doing laundry, etc.

Add to that, her aunt is very sickly in other ways.

And, mostly add to that, Miri has been alone in this for over five years now. Even when her aunt is in the hospital so much else is going on with her aunt, that Miri is frayed always trying to keep things going -- mostly her aunt and herself.

She hasn't been quiet about this. She had another post on this forum earlier today about being sleep deprived.

If she could get fulltime help, even the fulltime help would need someone to do what she couldn't do, and that's with Miri still helping. She's doing the work of three people this week alone. AND, when she goes back to work, four people.

So, come on, and let Miri have a place to grumble. Yeah, most elderly aren't like that. Even her aunt isn't like that, but try taking care of her aunt for a week, and you'll be amazed how kind Miri is being.

Mostly? Mostly, I wish people would listen to each other more often on a Christian site.

Aw you made me cry now with your kind words.

Seriously though I really dont understand why children along with their parents go knocking on
strangers doors, what if it’s an elderly person, a drug addict, a sex offences, a deranged madman
with a gun, or someone sleep deprived person like me. Lol

Why can’t they just go to friends and family.

 

[maxwel]

Actually when I was a kid we didn’t have trick or treat at all. It was an unfortunate
American import which came over after I had grown up. The worst thing ever to come over
to the UK. The commercial sector are the only ones who benefit as they rake in the money.

Ok.
Well that makes sense.

In the U.S. it's more of a traditional thing, and it's a big thing for the children.

 

[Miri]

Put the candy bowl outside, and a sign on the door. Problem solved..

See above, unfortunately people around here can’t seem to read.

A bowl of candy would be taken by the first person and everyone else would still knock
on the door.

 

[maxwel]

Miri,
little addtion to my last comment.


In the U.S. it's more of a traditional thing than a purely commercialized thing.
Since the treats were originally homemade, the tradition would seem to predate the advent of giant candy corporations.
So although it's certainly commercialized NOW, it may be handled here, and viewed here, very differently than in the U.K. simply due to having very different origins in both places.

So in fairness, Miri may not even be dealing with the same thing we're dealing with in the U.S.

 

[maxwel]

Caveat:

I reserve the right to be absolutely wrong about anything I say.

: )

 

[Jenizona]

A shame people aren't listening long-term on here.

For Shirley, much of this had to do with this paragraph --



Here's the rest. Her aunt also is very frail, and can't stand, quite often, although she doesn't remember that, so tries anyway. If she falls, EMTs have to come to help her up. That frail!

Add to that, she has delirium, not just in the parts of the day when Miri has time to remind her of this, but at inconvenient times -- like the middle of the night often and when Miri is trying to do normal things the rest of us never have to think twice about -- like making meals, doing laundry, etc.

Add to that, her aunt is very sickly in other ways.

And, mostly add to that, Miri has been alone in this for over five years now. Even when her aunt is in the hospital so much else is going on with her aunt, that Miri is frayed always trying to keep things going -- mostly her aunt and herself.

She hasn't been quiet about this. She had another post on this forum earlier today about being sleep deprived.

If she could get fulltime help, even the fulltime help would need someone to do what she couldn't do, and that's with Miri still helping. She's doing the work of three people this week alone. AND, when she goes back to work, four people.

So, come on, and let Miri have a place to grumble. Yeah, most elderly aren't like that. Even her aunt isn't like that, but try taking care of her aunt for a week, and you'll be amazed how kind Miri is being.

Mostly? Mostly, I wish people would listen to each other more often on a Christian site.

Good explanation!

Miri, if I were there, I personally would buy candy, dress up, and sit on a chair outside your door so I could handle it for you... seriously... what a pain for you and your aunt, Lynn's post helped clarify that! Maybe you could find a good friend who would handle it for you? No doorbells! And you need a restful night!!

 

[Miri]

Caveat:

I reserve the right to be absolutely wrong about anything I say.

: )

We all do. Lol

 

[Willie-T]

See above, unfortunately people around here can’t seem to read.

A bowl of candy would be taken by the first person and everyone else would still knock
on the door.

Both points are true....... especially the last one.

 

[notmyown]

poor, sleepy Miri. it's too late for this year, and since the wheels of 'justice' turn so slowly, a suggestion:

around here (and this may be particular to the northeast, or just to our little area of it) there are town ordinances in almost every town. they say if a person's outside lights are on, they are entertaining trick-or-treaters.

if the lights are off, no trick-or-treaters may come, by town ordinance. parents don't seem to want to run foul of that one.

even the little ones learn this rule quite quickly, and i haven't ever seen anyone disrespect it.
maybe you're ill one year, or away, and so though you normally leave lights on, you have a choice.
(ummm.... the police also patrol more than usual tonight. lol)

petition for next year? ('cause you totally have time for that! )
i bet there are loads of folks who would support it, even if they usually left their lights on.
i'm so sorry, sister.

 

[Miri]

Every year in the UK there are debates and petitions to ban trick or
treat in the UK. It sounds more civilised in the US, over here it’s a marauding
free for all. I think there is also an element too of parental peer pressure, where parents
feel they have to join in as they don’t want it to appear their children are missing out.