Halloween is already The Thing. We don’t need ‘Boo baskets,’ trunk or treat, other dumb stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

don’t eat sugar? If you don’t let your kids eat any sugar then you need to do something yourself with any other crazy friends you have that feel the same way and not even go TOT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

Hi there! My kids have nut allergies, and our friends down the street don’t eat sugar, so I get it. Um no, don’t expect money. We give the Halloween-themed bags of Pirates Booty (gluten free) and Veggie Straws (shaped like bats and also gluten free), as well as sugar-free gum as some of our non-candy treats. Thank you for asking so I could give you those ideas!

Gum? Many kids aren’t allowed gum. Halloween must be hard if you have such rigid expectations about what others give.

I know you’re addicted to cheap plastic crap from China. Must be hard to give up, but yes, there are many alternatives to candy if candy is your concern. And if a kid isn’t allowed to have gum, parents can confiscate it. Are you OK?

No, I said I give candy. If you don't like it donate it somewhere. Or confiscate the candy your kids don't like. Or just stay home probably easiest for high maintenance people like you who have difficulties navigating life.

I…do donate candy we don’t want somewhere. Keep trying to make points I never made, though, because you recognize yourself as one of the overblown types who can’t be satisfied with one day of Halloween festivities. I know you’re mad that the Boo Bag tradition you started in your neighborhood irks people.

Please quote where I mentioned anything about a Boo Bag. Keep trying to make points I never made. Sound familiar?

Just giving it right back to ya, babe.

[Anonymous]

I agree, OP, because of the meaning and historical celebrations of Halloween and Christmas.

Samhain is supposed to be the only time in the year when this world and the spirit world are closest, and on that night, spirits can walk the earth - humans historically feared them, as they could play dangerous tricks, and kidnap or kill. This fear became strongest as the Pagan festival was subsumed by the Catholic Church into a sort of evil prelude to All Hallow's Day (All Saints' Day) on November 1st. The Catholic Church has a long history of erasing various pre-Church celebrations around the world by deliberately placing its feast days at around the same time as the ancient feast days.

So there is no other moment when All Hallow's Eve can be celebrated.
Same for Christmas: setting up the tree was done on Dec 24th, otherwise the needles would fall. Lighting the candles on the tree was done in the evening of the 24th for a short period of time, and obviously supervised. The caroling was historically done on Christmas Eve, a time when people were resting at home before the feast instead of doing backbreaking work. Presents were on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on cultures.

It's perfectly fine if people want to extend the celebrations and parties to cover the entire fall and half of winter! But it's a bit ridiculous and in my opinion, dilutes the special cultural and historical significance of the exact dates (I'm not commenting from a religious perspective, of course).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

Hi there! My kids have nut allergies, and our friends down the street don’t eat sugar, so I get it. Um no, don’t expect money. We give the Halloween-themed bags of Pirates Booty (gluten free) and Veggie Straws (shaped like bats and also gluten free), as well as sugar-free gum as some of our non-candy treats. Thank you for asking so I could give you those ideas!

Gum? Many kids aren’t allowed gum. Halloween must be hard if you have such rigid expectations about what others give.

I know you’re addicted to cheap plastic crap from China. Must be hard to give up, but yes, there are many alternatives to candy if candy is your concern. And if a kid isn’t allowed to have gum, parents can confiscate it. Are you OK?

No, I said I give candy. If you don't like it donate it somewhere. Or confiscate the candy your kids don't like. Or just stay home probably easiest for high maintenance people like you who have difficulties navigating life.

I…do donate candy we don’t want somewhere. Keep trying to make points I never made, though, because you recognize yourself as one of the overblown types who can’t be satisfied with one day of Halloween festivities. I know you’re mad that the Boo Bag tradition you started in your neighborhood irks people.

Please quote where I mentioned anything about a Boo Bag. Keep trying to make points I never made. Sound familiar?

Just giving it right back to ya, babe.

Ok crazy lady, it's perfectly fine to sit out events you don't like. You don't need anyone's permission. But it's bizarre that OP and others want to tell other people how to live their lives. You can even only ToT at houses where you know people pass out only the acceptable things. And skip all the rest and I promise nobody will miss you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a fan of Halloween in general, but I don't understand this logic.

Would you apply the same to Christmas? Christmas morning and presents is already THE THING. No need for caroling or holiday parties or gift exchanges or pictures with santa or anything else. The morning of 12/25 is already THE THING.

Just participate in what makes you happy OP and skip the rest.

OP here. That…is how I feel about Christmas.

I…do participate in just what makes us happy and skip the rest. But even when we proactively put up a sign that “We’ve Been Booed,” literal baskets of plastic landfill items somehow end up on our front porch. We put them back on the porch of the person we suspected. Once a friend texted why and I said, “Oh, you must not have seen our sign—we were Booed already, so I wanted you to have the chance to Boo someone who didn’t get Booed!” Like no thank you to a bin of crap.

OP, I think your post could have been more clear if this is your concern. It reads as being mostly about you opposing the festivities themselves, not the landfill issues.

So if all of those events happened- leaving baskets, "Trunk or treats", etc. but the items used were useful or otherwise not headed to a landfill, you'd be good?

I guess you have reading comprehension issues?

“Halloween night is already The Thing: an evening of dressing up, getting candy, seeing friends and neighbors, having fun. That’s it, that’s the thing. Maybe also a school party or school parade—great, fine.”

That is literally how much post started: that there is already an entire evening dedicated to festivities, and that is great and fine. What I have an issue with (again you can re-read the original post) is all the unnecessary add-ons. The festivity of actual Halloween itself is more than enough, and the night itself is great!

I guess I do have reading comprehension issues. I still read you as saying two things: 1) the night of trick or treating is all that people should do to celebrate Halloween, no other events except maybe one school thing. and/or 2) people should not give unnecessary junk at other events.

Is it one or both?

If you don’t do #2, you’re automatically in step with #1. See how that works?

I still do not understand you. Maybe my question is not clear: Is your objection to many different events/activities to celebrate Halloween or is it to the exchange of certain things at those events/activities? Or is it both?

It is very possible to enjoy participating in multiple different activities to celebrate the occasion without condoning adding to landfill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

don’t eat sugar? If you don’t let your kids eat any sugar then you need to do something yourself with any other crazy friends you have that feel the same way and not even go TOT.

I have a neighbor whose two sons are not neurotypical and who have intense behavioral issues and different physical abilities. They cannot eat sugar in the form of straight sugar/candy—they are OK with fruit and the amount of sugar that is in processed foods like jarred pasta sauce.

Also…did you know that some kids are diabetic? No one in our neighborhood, but a friend of ours has a kid with diabetes.

So anyway, yes, there are kids out there who cannot have sugar. My neighborhood is great about that and often offers non-sugary treats. As mentioned, Pirates Booty, Veggie Straws, small bags of pretzels, sugar free gum. These are just some ideas. There are a lot of things out there that are themed for this very purpose this time of year. Even pencils are fine, just not those stupid erasers that don’t even function.

[Anonymous]

Holy cow I am so happy nobody I know does any of these things. I also feel a bit sick when I go down the seasonal aisles in stores and think about the environmental impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

OP suggested a few non-candy treats for those who need it, but doesn’t think people should skip candy and hand out nothing but the plastic trash, sorry, I mean, toys. I agree with this.

No OP did not suggest an alternative. No plastic crap allowed. What is a non candy treat that fits the bill? Is a sticker better? That’s still crap in my book. It’s all crap, there is no alternative so take what you are given and say thank you.

DP. Balsa wood toys, paper toys like origami (can be simple or complex) or paper fidget spinners, etc.

Not quite as cheap as plastic (that's why we have so many tons of plastic throwaway that it's forming new islands in the ocean), but most kids are going to need or want candy anyway.

[Anonymous]

The question is : Do your KIDS enjoy it? The answer is yes. Kids like trunk or treats, receiving and giving the tangible things in a Boo Basket, the sights and sounds of outdoor decorations (which I'm guessing you think are tacky and wasteful), and the list goes on.
It's just how kids (and people who enjoy holidays) are wired. Visual, tactile, very sensory (taste, smell of pumpkin spice)

Yeah, letting kids wear costumes around the house or to events during the month, making themed foods, watching movies, etc. is something different that they look forward to and makes the next few weeks a little special. It's different from how fall/Halloween was when I was a kid, but I enjoy seeing them relish it so much.

Our neighborhood does not do Boo Baskets, but I think I would just leave a polite sign indicating that we are opting out if it bothered us. You can't control other people or their purchasing of plastic and candy, so just focus on how you want to celebrate (or not).

[Anonymous]

My kids love to "boo" others and don't need the stuff back. I actually dislike the "pass it on" pressure. I think it should be done as a gift and if you don't want to pass it on to other neighbors, just don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly are we supposed to give kids with allergies or don’t eat sugar? Seems like money is the only thing you would find acceptable, which isn’t going to happen. I have a variety of candy and let kids pick. That’s the extent of it. You can’t please everyone all the time.

Hi there! My kids have nut allergies, and our friends down the street don’t eat sugar, so I get it. Um no, don’t expect money. We give the Halloween-themed bags of Pirates Booty (gluten free) and Veggie Straws (shaped like bats and also gluten free), as well as sugar-free gum as some of our non-candy treats. Thank you for asking so I could give you those ideas!

Gum? Many kids aren’t allowed gum. Halloween must be hard if you have such rigid expectations about what others give.

I know you’re addicted to cheap plastic crap from China. Must be hard to give up, but yes, there are many alternatives to candy if candy is your concern. And if a kid isn’t allowed to have gum, parents can confiscate it. Are you OK?

No, I said I give candy. If you don't like it donate it somewhere. Or confiscate the candy your kids don't like. Or just stay home probably easiest for high maintenance people like you who have difficulties navigating life.

I…do donate candy we don’t want somewhere. Keep trying to make points I never made, though, because you recognize yourself as one of the overblown types who can’t be satisfied with one day of Halloween festivities. I know you’re mad that the Boo Bag tradition you started in your neighborhood irks people.

+1
I suspect there is a frustrated "you have to appreciate my boo bag skillz! it's so fun!!" person, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holy cow I am so happy nobody I know does any of these things. I also feel a bit sick when I go down the seasonal aisles in stores and think about the environmental impact.

You are soooo lucky! We have basically two moms in the neighborhood who make everything a forced-participation, Pinterest-y, performative absurdity of waste.

We occasionally do things like drop of muffins for neighbors, or give the girl who just turned 16 next door a Starbucks gift card (her obsession), or bring small boxes of specialty chocolate around to neighbors at the holidays. But what we don’t do is attach some kind of form letter that basically says, “Now do this for someone else, or you’re a bag of dirt.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The question is : Do your KIDS enjoy it? The answer is yes. Kids like trunk or treats, receiving and giving the tangible things in a Boo Basket, the sights and sounds of outdoor decorations (which I'm guessing you think are tacky and wasteful), and the list goes on.
It's just how kids (and people who enjoy holidays) are wired. Visual, tactile, very sensory (taste, smell of pumpkin spice)

Yeah, letting kids wear costumes around the house or to events during the month, making themed foods, watching movies, etc. is something different that they look forward to and makes the next few weeks a little special. It's different from how fall/Halloween was when I was a kid, but I enjoy seeing them relish it so much.

Our neighborhood does not do Boo Baskets, but I think I would just leave a polite sign indicating that we are opting out if it bothered us. You can't control other people or their purchasing of plastic and candy, so just focus on how you want to celebrate (or not).

All those homemade, home-centered things are totally great and not at all what this is about. This is about “oh let’s do a soccer team trunk or treat”—for kids who will already have tons of candy on Halloween night! Watching movies is something everyone would do at home anyway…watching “Hocus Pocus” doesn’t involve putting more plastic in our oceans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The question is : Do your KIDS enjoy it? The answer is yes. Kids like trunk or treats, receiving and giving the tangible things in a Boo Basket, the sights and sounds of outdoor decorations (which I'm guessing you think are tacky and wasteful), and the list goes on.
It's just how kids (and people who enjoy holidays) are wired. Visual, tactile, very sensory (taste, smell of pumpkin spice)

Yeah, letting kids wear costumes around the house or to events during the month, making themed foods, watching movies, etc. is something different that they look forward to and makes the next few weeks a little special. It's different from how fall/Halloween was when I was a kid, but I enjoy seeing them relish it so much.

Our neighborhood does not do Boo Baskets, but I think I would just leave a polite sign indicating that we are opting out if it bothered us. You can't control other people or their purchasing of plastic and candy, so just focus on how you want to celebrate (or not).

Sorry, my kids, and all their friends, think celebrating for days on end is way too much trouble and gets boring. Not ALL kids are greedy consumerists with low-attention spans, you know. They've said multiple times that for something to be special, it has to be scarce. And they're right. You don't get the same kick out of a festival if there are several pre-festival and post-festival events.

And given that most neighborhoods don't have Boo baskets and that sort of crap, I think a lot of people feel the same way.

[Anonymous]

My kids love to go out booing.

In our area, kids go with friends and enjoy the ding dong ditch aspect sometimes followed by a chase.

We only give a small bag of candy. No plastic.

And we only hand out candy on Halloween. (Kids choose from a huge bowl.)

Trunk or treat sometime during October is mostly a social event for families. It’s not a big thing in our neighborhood.

Candidly, I think the haters are overthinking this. It’s not your thing. Okay. If you get a boo basket, then just drop it off at another person’s house. NBD.