So, for the second year in a row, absolutely no trick-or-treaters came to my parents house. I actually just moved into an apartment of my own, so I only heard from my mom about it, but even on my long run through suburbia this evening, I didn't come across a single kid walking up to somebody's doorstep for candy. There were some children wearing costumes walking about, but clearly, things have changed quite dramatically since 15 years ago, when I was still a kid myself.

What happened to cause this iconic tradition of one of the biggest holidays to die such a rapid and quick death? How do Gen-Z'ers spend their Halloween nights nowadays if they aren't mimicking what kids do in the numerous Halloween specials that still get played every year?

I actually just heard from my sister that it has a age limit to it now. If your above 16, its over for you. Also, its usually cold on Halloween.

Are they spending time on their electronic devices??

Or are they just losing interest altogether?

For me, I trick-or-treated for the final time when I was 13; I figured by that point I was getting too old for it. In subsequent years we'd hand out candy to trick-or-treaters at our door... until it started getting out of hand when people who don't even live in the neighborhood started coming around.

I guess some kids don't wanna ToT because of the potential dangers in their neighborhood.

I guess some kids don't wanna ToT because of the potential dangers in their neighborhood.


Considering the crime rate is lower than it was in the 90s and early 2000s, that just doesn't add up.

I also just don't understand how the advent of social media would really eradicate children's desire to go trick-or-treating when people of my generation still enthusiastically went out for candy despite already being surrounded by an abundance of recreational technology like computers, video games, and handheld toys.

Considering the crime rate is lower than it was in the 90s and early 2000s, that just doesn't add up. I also just don't understand how the advent of social media would really eradicate children's desire to go trick-or-treating when people of my generation still enthusiastically went out for candy despite already being surrounded by computers, video games, and more abundance of technology.

In some places the crime rate is worse than in others.

I should also add that I did not always ToT solely in the neighborhood. When I was 10 I went to a shopping mall to ToT (my dad accompanied me). Other than that, I only ToT-ed in the neighborhood where I live; I didn't go elsewhere.

In some places the crime rate is worse than in others.

Well, both my parents and I live in extremely safe neighborhoods, and still the trick-or-treaters have all but vanished every October 31.

The opposite is happening in Australia. Halloween has always been a thing here, but it was never really celebrated by the masses and only a few people would actually take part in it. It was never a big event when I was a kid and I think I only ever did it once, but even then I didn't actually dress up as anything.

However, that has changed over the past 5 years. Retail stores have cotton-on to the premise of Halloween and now they are exploiting it, so that more people can come into their stores and purchase more products. As a result, the public are becoming more intrigued by the concept of Halloween and are now starting to take part in it. It's only getting bigger in Australia each year.

Although, with that said, there is a strong faction of the community who are completely against the idea of celebrating Halloween. A lot of people see it as just another example of the country becoming "American-ised". I personally don't like the thought of it being celebrated here, but i'm not going to stop people from celebrating it if they'd like to. For the record, no one came "trick-or-treating" at my house last night. I was home alone, so I deliberately shut the blinds, closed the front door and put my car in the garage. :P

The opposite is happening in Australia. Halloween has always been a thing here, but it was never really celebrated by the masses and only a few people would actually take part in it. It was never a big event when I was a kid and I think I only ever did it once, but even then I didn't actually dress up as anything.

However, that has changed over the past 5 years. Retail stores have cotton-on to the premise of Halloween and now they are exploiting it, so that more people can come into their stores and purchase more products. As a result, the public are becoming more intrigued by the concept of Halloween and are now starting to take part in it. It's only getting bigger in Australia each year.

Although, with that said, there is a strong faction of the community who are completely against the idea of celebrating Halloween. A lot of people see it as just another example of the country becoming "American-ised". I personally don't like the thought of it being celebrated here, but i'm not going to stop people from celebrating it if they'd like to. For the record, no one came "trick-or-treating" at my house last night. I was home alone, so I deliberately shut the blinds, closed the front door and put my car in the garage. :P


Well, it looks like my point still stands in Australia as well, regardless of how popular the holiday itself is.

Well, it looks like my point still stands in Australia as well, regardless of how popular the holiday itself is.


Well, yes and no. I think it's just the area I live in. My housing estate was built in the Mid '90s, so a lot of the kids have since moved out from home and their parents are still living in the estate.

Well, both my parents and I live in extremely safe neighborhoods, and still the trick-or-treaters have all but vanished every October 31.

Well that's good to know, re: your neighborhood conditions. O0

I did happen to notice some ToTers on the sidewalks in my neighborhood tonight when I peeked out my window; it looked like some were holding electronic devices. But none came to our door (that's because we didn't turn on any lights; we chose not to hand out candy).


I think many kids in the greater Los Angeles area chose not to ToT because tonight was Game Six of the World Series, and since it involved the Dodgers, I think they wanted to stay home and watch that. (In fact, I watched the game this evening and there were plenty of younger fans in attendance.)

Well, yes and no. I think it's just the area I live in. My housing estate was built in the Mid '90s, so a lot of the kids have since moved out from home and their parents are still living in the estate.

My current neighborhood was built during the late 90's and early 2000's, and some of the original neighbors are still around, just older now. (In fact, our next-door neighbors to the immediate north had two single-digit-age sons when they first moved in; now both boys are young men.)

I was just that for me last night, no one knock on the door, I had candy waiting. I feel parents are guarding over their children more, and with the event in West London of the tower block that caught fire, it feels wrong of the promotion of death the way Halloween does?

Well, yes and no. I think it's just the area I live in. My housing estate was built in the Mid '90s, so a lot of the kids have since moved out from home and their parents are still living in the estate.


Have new people not moved in though? That was over 20 years ago! :o

It's becoming a very big thing in Australia recently

It's becoming a very big thing in Australia recently
Very big in The Philippines too, the country is heavily influence by the USA.

In some places the crime rate is worse than in others.

I should also add that I did not always ToT solely in the neighborhood. When I was 10 I went to a shopping mall to ToT (my dad accompanied me). Other than that, I only ToT-ed in the neighborhood where I live; I didn't go elsewhere.
The crime rate is worse now than the 90s.

Where I live lots of organizations have Trunk or Treat as a safer alternative.  :)

https://www.thedatingdivas.com/wp-content/uploads/animal-collage-9-12.jpg

Where I live lots of organizations have Trunk or Treat as a safer alternative.  :)

https://www.thedatingdivas.com/wp-content/uploads/animal-collage-9-12.jpg
Five years time it will be happening here.

The crime rate is worse now than the 90s.


Media sensationalism would make you think that.
But I don't trust the media anymore.

I actually just heard from my sister that it has a age limit to it now. If your above 16, its over for you.

Who is gonna enforce that??

Probably zippo!!!

We only got about 15 here........

The crime rate is worse now than the 90s.

That's probably why some kids don't wanna ToT lately.

That's probably why some kids don't wanna ToT lately.
Literally, you do not know who is behind the door?

Last year we had about 20-30 trick-or-treaters ring our bell. This year, only two. We have so much candy left over  ??? There was a light rain yesterday, but the year before that, it was snowing. I don't think it can account for the entire difference.  ???

Last year we had about 20-30 trick-or-treaters ring our bell. This year, only two. We have so much candy left over  ??? There was a light rain yesterday, but the year before that, it was snowing. I don't think it can account for the entire difference.  ???
With my none appearance of trick-or-treaters last night, my candy bags have not been opened.

In my neighborhood lots of kids were still trick or treating. I went trick or treating as well but most stopped at 8 or 9 o’clock cause they had school the next day.

In my neighborhood lots of kids were still trick or treating. I went trick or treating as well but most stopped at 8 or 9 o’clock cause they had school the next day.
Over here, it is half term in some schools, that means some children are on holiday for the week.

I actually just heard from my sister that it has a age limit to it now. If your above 16, its over for you. Also, its usually cold on Halloween.


I think I stopped after 16 and that was probably after 1990.

Well, both my parents and I live in extremely safe neighborhoods, and still the trick-or-treaters have all but vanished every October 31.



over here, there's not too many of them anymore.

Literally, you do not know who is behind the door?



and that's why you don't open the door even if they ring the bell a million times.

and that's why you don't open the door even if they ring the bell a million times.
I'll keep the candy for myself! Judging by the use by date on some of the packets, I can keep them for next year.

people don't go trick or treating that much anymore because maybe:

A they're on their electronic devices to keep them busy

B most likely the crime rate is up and they'd rather just stay home instead

C being politically correct or probably just sensitive about different costume wear that kids put on in this day and age.

I'll keep the candy for myself! Judging by the use by date on some of the packets, I can keep them for next year.


more candy for you.

I stopped celebrating Halloween a long time ago. :o  I never liked Halloween. Never liked the idea of celebrating evil things. That's just me.

When we lived in our house, I would buy 10 bags of the Hershey's bite size and there were some years where I would run out.  :o :o :o  I'm sure people for surrounding towns will bring their kids here to go trick-or-treating. I have seen them drop their kids off.

So we moved just around the corner-LITERALLY. One block away and we don't get HALF the kids. But, that is because they would have to cross a busy road to get to our house and we are pretty much the only house on the block that hands out candy.


As to less trick-or-treaters, many communities have alternative activities-like "Trunk or Treat" or they go trick-or-treating at malls, etc. Also, people are having less kids. It wasn't unusual for families to have 5 kids or more when I was growing up. (I am the last out of 6). Now rarely do you see families with 3 or more kids. 


Cat

Literally, you do not know who is behind the door?

I never answer the door to people I don't know. If it's a stranger, you never know if they want to commit a home invasion. :o

The crime rate is worse now than the 90s.


Hmmm...where specifically?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/191219/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-usa-since-1990/

last year, we ended up with nobody.  This time we got some little kids and a couple teens.  Not like when I was young and you would get tuns.

So, for the second year in a row, absolutely no trick-or-treaters came to my parents house. I actually just moved into an apartment of my own, so I only heard from my mom about it, but even on my long run through suburbia this evening, I didn't come across a single kid walking up to somebody's doorstep for candy. There were some children wearing costumes walking about, but clearly, things have changed quite dramatically since 15 years ago, when I was still a kid myself.

What happened to cause this iconic tradition of one of the biggest holidays to die such a rapid and quick death? How do Gen-Z'ers spend their Halloween nights nowadays if they aren't mimicking what kids do in the numerous Halloween specials that still get played every year?

Tons of kids came to our house this year. I think more families have moved into the houses a few streets down. Our street is mostly retirement age people. It's possible more and more kids do trunk or treat events where parents might feel it's safer? I'm not sure what your community is like vs here. There are lots of options for Halloween family events these days, but the ones I know of were held on Saturday.


I stopped celebrating Halloween a long time ago. :o  I never liked Halloween. Never liked the idea of celebrating evil things. That's just me.

It's not an evil holiday, it's basically what happens when a culturally appropriated ancient harvest celebration gets commercialized. For people more into the spiritual side of it, it's a day to honor loved ones who've passed, like Day of the Dead does. For everyone else it's our national salute to sugar, but so is Valentine's Day and Easter.

I think just maybe the tradition is starting to get old where families don't want to go out as much as they used to anymore, I don't know about you but that's just my two cents.

d. live where many families don't celebrate it because it's eveil according to their religion

My neighborhood has never been big on trick or treating but my place only got one trick or treater but that's probably due to the rain.

d. live where many families don't celebrate it because it's eveil according to their religion
Halloween was originally the pagan festival Samhain, and pagan beliefs are other than those of the main world religions.

Halloween was originally the pagan festival Samhain, and pagan beliefs are other than those of the main world religions.


What did they do on Samhain? ???

We live around people who don't celebrate holidays.  Don't ask me

We live around people who don't celebrate holidays.  Don't ask me










Even public holidays, like Thanksgiving?

you went and asked me didn't you? >:(

My neighborhood has never been big on trick or treating but my place only got one trick or treater but that's probably due to the rain.

Yes, sometimes if it rains on Halloween, that is a deterrent to the ToTers. In 2003 it actually rained on Halloween where I live, and even then I had no plans to answer the door.

What did they do on Samhain? ???


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They pronounce Samhain incorrectly tho.

What did they do on Samhain? ???
They celebrated the end of the harvest season.

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. Some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Bealtaine, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them. Like Bealtaine, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars.