Everyone around me loves Halloween and Fall; I now find it depressing and I don’t know what changed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to enjoy it as a kid and have fond memories of Halloween. As an adult it seems the adults around me all have a love for Halloween and Fall in general. My neighbor was saying it’s her favorite holiday. A couple of good friends, my husband and teenage daughter have Fall as their favorite season. They’ve been mentioning this more and more lately as we get into Fall.

The closer it gets the more depressing it seems. Costume shopping for my kids is probably the most exciting part for me but the day of Halloween it just seems not exciting at all.

Depressing probably isn’t the right word but it seems like I have such a letdown feeling about Halloween and Fall. Maybe it’s the end of Summer I feel or I generally don’t like Fall? Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday also.

I don’t know what changed over the years but I just don’t enjoy Halloween or Fall anymore.

The worst is a neighborhood who loves it and you could care less

Yeah, someone asked me a few weeks ago if I'd decorated yet and I wanted to say what are you talking about? It used to be just a few houses, now it's an expectation?

I actually like fall and am kind of neutral about Halloween, but I don't like how early you have to plan costumes for the kids and how constrained you are to see leaves because it's such a short window during which so much else is happening while also making sure everyone has clothes/coats/hats/gloves to fit. So it's too many opportunities to fail all at once. All while I can't sleep as well with the heat on.

[Anonymous]

I meant to address the used to like it part. Now you have to do all the work. It's much more fun to show up in a costume getting candy than to be the one coordinating all of that with the rest of your adult life and obligations staying in place. Same for Thanksgiving when someone else did all the work. You're looking at cost/benefit and coming out on a different side now, whereas as a kid it's all benefits with no costs.

I also hate that holidays tell you when they are and you're stuck. You can't just decide Halloween is a different day or month if that would work better for your schedule or energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to enjoy it as a kid and have fond memories of Halloween. As an adult it seems the adults around me all have a love for Halloween and Fall in general. My neighbor was saying it’s her favorite holiday. A couple of good friends, my husband and teenage daughter have Fall as their favorite season. They’ve been mentioning this more and more lately as we get into Fall.

The closer it gets the more depressing it seems. Costume shopping for my kids is probably the most exciting part for me but the day of Halloween it just seems not exciting at all.

Depressing probably isn’t the right word but it seems like I have such a letdown feeling about Halloween and Fall. Maybe it’s the end of Summer I feel or I generally don’t like Fall? Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday also.

I don’t know what changed over the years but I just don’t enjoy Halloween or Fall anymore.

The worst is a neighborhood who loves it and you could care less

Yeah, someone asked me a few weeks ago if I'd decorated yet and I wanted to say what are you talking about? It used to be just a few houses, now it's an expectation?

I actually like fall and am kind of neutral about Halloween, but I don't like how early you have to plan costumes for the kids and how constrained you are to see leaves because it's such a short window during which so much else is happening while also making sure everyone has clothes/coats/hats/gloves to fit. So it's too many opportunities to fail all at once. All while I can't sleep as well with the heat on.

You're not late to decorate. You can decorate right before the treaters come and bring in the decorations at the end of the night. People have gone maaaad for ugly tacky inflatables

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest I try to just get into everything. Summer means pool, blackberries and fresh peaches, fall is about fall festivals, apples, new school years, and fall produce. Winter we get snow and hot chocolate, and visit family for Christmas. Spring is flowers and planting the garden.

I used to find January and February among the hardest months. The darkness, I can't garden, nothing is particularly in season. Nowadays, one of my kids was born in January so we have his birthday and that's a project to look forward to.

January and February are the worst. I’d rather have three Octobers instead.

[Anonymous]

I think Halloween is fun. I don't dress up or decorate i just think the idea of it is really fun. What a totally unique celebration!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to enjoy it as a kid and have fond memories of Halloween. As an adult it seems the adults around me all have a love for Halloween and Fall in general. My neighbor was saying it’s her favorite holiday. A couple of good friends, my husband and teenage daughter have Fall as their favorite season. They’ve been mentioning this more and more lately as we get into Fall.

The closer it gets the more depressing it seems. Costume shopping for my kids is probably the most exciting part for me but the day of Halloween it just seems not exciting at all.

Depressing probably isn’t the right word but it seems like I have such a letdown feeling about Halloween and Fall. Maybe it’s the end of Summer I feel or I generally don’t like Fall? Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday also.

I don’t know what changed over the years but I just don’t enjoy Halloween or Fall anymore.

The worst is a neighborhood who loves it and you could care less

Yeah, someone asked me a few weeks ago if I'd decorated yet and I wanted to say what are you talking about? It used to be just a few houses, now it's an expectation?

I actually like fall and am kind of neutral about Halloween, but I don't like how early you have to plan costumes for the kids and how constrained you are to see leaves because it's such a short window during which so much else is happening while also making sure everyone has clothes/coats/hats/gloves to fit. So it's too many opportunities to fail all at once. All while I can't sleep as well with the heat on.

You're not late to decorate. You can decorate right before the treaters come and bring in the decorations at the end of the night. People have gone maaaad for ugly tacky inflatables

My point was mentioning decorating as a "yet" implies it's expected I'll do it at some point, and I don't see it as a thing that ever needs to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dislike the period from late October to New Years. There are just too many social and familial expectations and the days keep getting shorter. I always feel relieved when we finally get to January.

Funny. I feel the exact opposite. September -December are my favorite months, despite the fact that my kids are grown, I am divorced, and my parents are deceased. I still love the darker days, crisp air, and colors. I loathe all things January-March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course you don’t like fall, it’s the season when all living things die or start abandoning ship. The falling red leaves are a like ticking clock to the shortest and coldest days of the year.

Who would like that?

Me!! There's a whole bunch of us who love dreary, cozy days. What's odd is that I have a sunny personality.

[Anonymous]

Love fall, hate Halloween.

Fall is especially great in DC because it finally turns cooler and the mosquitos die. Fall is my favorite time of year to be outside in this area because it's not intolerably hot or humid but still nice enough to go hiking, eat a meal on a patio, take a bike ride, etc. The spring is so windy and rainy that you rarely get as much opportunity to be outside. Throw in good color on the trees and I'm super happy. I look forward to "sweater season" every year.

Halloween sucks. I think if some people didn't
make SUCH a big deal out of it, I wouldn't mind it so much. But people really go overboard with costumes, planning them months in advance, hassling you about your costume, planning 47 different events for both kids and adults the week of Halloween, decorating in September, etc. I know this is how people feel about Christmas, which I also get, but because there is no imperative to participate in Christmas it doesn't bother me (I don't get a bunch of people asking me weeks before Christmas what I intend to wear, and Christmas doesn't require neighborhood participation, people just celebrate in their own homes with their families).

Halloween when I was a kid was just a few days of prep and then the night of. Costumes were usually not that involved. Now it's such a big drama. I do it for my kid but as soon as she's old enough to just do it on her own, I'm out. I'll hand out candy wearing some cat ears and that's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course you don’t like fall, it’s the season when all living things die or start abandoning ship. The falling red leaves are a like ticking clock to the shortest and coldest days of the year.

Who would like that?

Me!! There's a whole bunch of us who love dreary, cozy days. What's odd is that I have a sunny personality.

I love both the dreary fall days where you just want to stay inside and read, and I also love the crisp fall days where you want to be outside wearing a sweater and enjoying cooler, less humid weather.

Also, most things don't really die in autumn. Like trees are not dead. They just lose their leaves. And they do it in a fun and colorful way! I don't understand why this would be a bummer. It's turnover and renewal. It's like nature exfoliating. Very satisfying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dislike the period from late October to New Years. There are just too many social and familial expectations and the days keep getting shorter. I always feel relieved when we finally get to January.

Funny. I feel the exact opposite. September -December are my favorite months, despite the fact that my kids are grown, I am divorced, and my parents are deceased. I still love the darker days, crisp air, and colors. I loathe all things January-March.

January-March are absolutely the hardest part of the year. So little to look forward to, the weather sucks, and it feels like it just drags on and on. Holidays that time of year are incredibly lame with no good food or activities associated with them (unless you love candy and green beer).

Bleak. That's what January and February are. And then March is a mind f*&k because it starts to feel like "well surely winter is ending? yes?" and then it just drags on forever.

[Anonymous]

I have always decorated for FALL not for Halloween or TG. So, its a few pots of chrysanthemums and some pumpkins and gourds (I have fake artificial ones that have survived for more than 25 years).

As a Hindu, I did not like it when Halloween and Diwali fall on the same night. If that happens, I meet the kids at the end of my driveway to give them candy. I also light sparklers for their entertainment and to keep the negativity away. I would never decorate my house with grim and ghouly stuff because I do believe that this is bad energy according to Vastu and Feng Shui. But, treat all festivals as a chance to socialize and participate.

Also, my DH will always shout out "Trick" when the kids say "Trick Or Treat?". Then they all look at his face because they have no idea what TOT means. LOL.

[Anonymous]

Why do people not do Christmas carolling during Christmas season? As an immigrant, I was raised believing that carollers come to your house and sing...and you have to treat them with spiced cider and cakes.

Please revive it so that Christmas becomes a more festive, communal and traditional festival for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have always decorated for FALL not for Halloween or TG. So, its a few pots of chrysanthemums and some pumpkins and gourds (I have fake artificial ones that have survived for more than 25 years).

As a Hindu, I did not like it when Halloween and Diwali fall on the same night. If that happens, I meet the kids at the end of my driveway to give them candy. I also light sparklers for their entertainment and to keep the negativity away. I would never decorate my house with grim and ghouly stuff because I do believe that this is bad energy according to Vastu and Feng Shui. But, treat all festivals as a chance to socialize and participate.

Also, my DH will always shout out "Trick" when the kids say "Trick Or Treat?". Then they all look at his face because they have no idea what TOT means. LOL.

I am not hindu but agree about the negative vibe of Halloween decorations. I think it's so strange to want to decorate your house with imagery of death and scary creatures. I understand the Dia de los muertos decor because there's a very specific story behind it of honoring and communing with actual dead people from your life. It's spiritual and celebratory. It's not like "oooh, scary, a mummy!"

I have a neighbor who turns their yard into a graveyard for halloween, with headstones. They have skeletons and zombies that they show crawling up out of the ground. On the one hand it's very well executed and impressive. But I simply would not want that in my front yard because it's bad vibes.

My kid likes to decorate for halloween so we do pumpkins, a door sign (that is cheerful and friendly looking), and then hang these black bats on the front of the house that are neither scary nor friendly, just look like bats. I always like when Halloween is over and I can take down the bats and the sign and just put out mums and more pumpkins for autumn. But sometimes you make compromises for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people not do Christmas carolling during Christmas season? As an immigrant, I was raised believing that carollers come to your house and sing...and you have to treat them with spiced cider and cakes.

Please revive it so that Christmas becomes a more festive, communal and traditional festival for everyone.

My mom used to create a carolling group in our neighborhood during Christmas. But the truth is that people didn't like it enough. I remember the last year we did it, so many people weren't home, and the turnout was very low, and and it just didn't seem that festive. People seemed to be humoring us by listening and they definitely didn't treat us to cider or cake. It was just polite thank you and then closed doors. So we stopped.

I agree it's sad that it just doesn't seem to be a thing anymore. However in DC there are many, many places where you can go and see choirs or chorus groups singing carols. They just do it in more official public locations instead of going door to door.