What do you guys do on Halloween?

[Jess from VA]

I never did big house decorations, other than maybe a big pumpkin on the doorstep.  Some of my neighbors go crazy with giant 20 foot skeletons and such all over their yards (every year). I wonder where they store all that stuff.  Some have a yard full of inflatable stuff, which lays flat all day and inflated with lights at night.

I saw a really funny one out riding the other day.  Out in front of an old commercial auto repair shop in town was an old beater of a 50s pickup truck.  A life-sized skeleton was looking under the raised hood.  Another skeleton was laid out flat with arms and legs spayed with something like a push rod sticking out of his head, and a third skeleton was kneeling by him apparently trying to deliver first aid.   

I never had any kids, but greatly enjoyed the wonder and excitement of the little Haloweeners (supervised by moms or older kids).  But some years ago I ended up with a group of older boys (too old to be out begging candy), in no costume other than maybe a hat and neckerchief (and one with a ball-cap and carrying a Louisville Slugger baseball bat over his shoulder), acting surly and aggressive and criticizing the quality of my candy.  And that was my last year giving out candy.  My corner lot front house light (70 watt sodium) lights up the whole corner, but on Halloween my lights are all off until late (and no decorations). 

And with all the reports of tainted or razor-bladed candy over the years, and Covid, the number of kids going around has dropped off to very few the last few years anyway.  The pranking (thrown eggs, soaped windows, smashed pumpkins) has disappeared. Though years ago, they pulled a couple of my front yard split rail fence rails out and laid them on the ground.  It used to be if you didn't give out candy, you got punished, but no more.

I kind of feel like an old Humbug turning my lights off and not participating, though the majority of my neighborhood does the same these days.   

[LadyDraco]

My gates are always locked and  cattle in the driveway.

But I do  take a  ride around town and get a pic  of   2 places  that go all OUT!
When I  was doing ScooterDogs ,I did  dress  up and  give candy out .
While  I  was working

[Jersey mike]

Halloween for us was a fun day for the most part. When the kids got home from school it was homework first and then into costumes that they had already decided on days before. Dinner was pizza, every time.

We decorated around the house a little bit, had some “spooky stuff” and plastic spiders and whatnot. Outside I’d pit a plastic 4’ tall pumpkin guy that plugged in and glowed (like a Santa) but with a sort of smiley grin not evil looking and when the kids got a little older I made up a life size dummy with a scary skeleton mask that glowed in the dark. On the from lawn I had red and green floodlights shining on the front door and walkway. At some point I bought a fog machine and as the visitors approached the door they’d get a short burst of fog.

As the years went on, the kids grew up, the neighborhood went through some changes and the number of trick or treaters dropped off quite a bit, so all the decorations stopped but we still buy candy…usually too much but it doesn’t go to waste

We made as much fun out of it as possible, tried some spooky stuff and had some laughs.

[0leman]

Early in our marriage the DW was the one that handed out candy.  I was ban from doing to due to just on time.  DW left me at home with my middle daughter to hand out candy.  She would answer the door.  If the trick-or-treaters were middle teens, I, wearing dark closes and a hockey type mask, would come up  out of the shadows and grab my daughter.  With a large rubber knife act like I was attacking her with it.  It was all in fun.  BUT several of them ran home scared out of their minds.   

Both of us thought is was fun.   DW not so, much so I got banned.   i should add that I am well over 6 feet.

Now, DW has decided not to hand out candy anymore.  So lights out from sundown on Oct 31st.

[Challenger]

We get over 100 trick or treaters due to us being on a dead end street and it is safer for the little ones in costume. We got tired of answering the door, so now we put the patio furniture in the garage. Several friends come with their candy and we all hand it out together. We have maidrites and wings for when trick or treat is over and make a night of it.

[Oss]

if light out candy on porch

after dark lights out candy gone  (little hershey bars)

the little ones are 4 to 630 pm almost 100%

[Oldfishguy]

I live in a rural environment.  Not a lot of kids, so the ones that do come are rewarded.  For the last fifteen years or so I’ve handed out king size candy bars. Just a dozen or so; it gives the kids a thrill.

[Chrisj CMA]

We watch a couple movies with most lights (especially the front porch light ) off all night. We have peace and quiet

[GiG]

We be recovering from Devil’s Night, which just happens to be Big Hair Chick’s Birthday    

[Rams]

The holiday doesn't matter, my wife's got decorations for every one of them but is limited by me.   I won't put up, install, take down anything that requires me putting a hole in my home.   So, it's got to be a decoration that can stand alone in the yard.   

Unfortunately, my wife is smarter than me, she got these things that hang from the top of the door(s) so, you can't see outside through the windows.   But, she is the one that has to put them up.   I rarely look forward to most holidays, they interrupt most of my projects.  But, it's too late in life to trade her in on a different model. 

Rams   

[f6john]

No Halloween decorations at our house although my wife does an admirable job of decorating the front porch for the Fall season, same for Christmas. Our subdivision is far enough out in the country that we don’t don’t get many kids from outside the immediate area and the families communicate among themselves and identify the homes that participate in trick or treating. It works great from my perspective and their are enough homes with Halloween displays that there is no doubt about the season we are in.

[carolinarider09]

We also live in a rural area.  Only access to our home is via a road that extends from downtown to another SC highway about 4 or 5 miles away.  There are some "housing" areas along our road but all are about 1/2 mile away toward town.

So not much expected here.   Wife does have three pumpkins on a block wall we have along part of our driveway. 

No other outside "decorations".  We will turn off the exterior lights which sometimes get turned on just before our dog is walked. 

So, I don't expect much to happen here. 

[John Schmidt]

Shut off the lights, put one car in the garage, close the blinds in front and leave for the evening. Usually go out for a looong dinner date after some shopping. Nancy can go to Wally World with one item in mind and leave two hours later with a cartful. I just ask her to wake me gently. The combination of shopping and dinner out will get us home well after all the kids are all gone.

[scooperhsd]

Well this year I'm visit% an old college roommate  in Tampa FL. In years ars past, we have bought a couple bags of fun size candy bars and waited for ANYONE to come by.

[Robert]

No decorations, but I like seeing the kids, and have memories of when I was young. So we buy candy and most of it winds up at work the next week. There has been a definite decline in the amount of kids coming around.

[flsix]

In Fl. we had 2 or 3 kids show up.
Moved to SC and was informed we get 800 to 1000 kids through the neighborhood. About 850 last year. No decorations either.

[RP#62]

RP

[Willow]

I give away candy to children.  It's the only thing about All Hallows Eve that I truly enjoy.

[Jess from VA]

Well, I'm seeing a new one.

Cars are cruising the neighborhood, and when they see a house obviously decorated and lit up for business, it stops, the kids get out and run to the door for candy, then back to the car.  

It's 42 degrees out there now.  

[Serk]

Big sister Kali came up from her base and did her siblings up, and they all went out and had a great time.





I'm skipping my usual safety inspection/daddy tax off the top of their haul tonight, deer season starts in a few hours so early to bed for me.

[Moonshot_1]

There was a time where I was kind of into the Halloween experience. Not so much any more. But in the early 90s, it was fun. One year I got a couple chase loungers. Set one up on one side of the sidewalk heading to the house. On it I had a pair of pants and shirt stuffed with towels to form a body. I attached a rotisserie motor to the chair and put a carved pumpkin on the top. Plugged it in and the "head" turned. It turned out pretty cool.

On the other side of the sidewalk was me. In a set of coveralls with leaves coming out the sleeves and pants, gloves, and a kind of full face gorilla/monster mask. Of course had the scary music playing and other Halloween decor.

So I would stay real still and wait till the group of kids would come up the sidewalk between me and my pumpkin friend and yell "Trick or Treat". Scared the hell out of everybody. Gave candy to who ever stuck around.

One Dad and his son came to the house but the kid wouldn't come up the sidewalk. The Dad, showing his kid there was nothing to fear as they are just a couple of dummy decorations, walked up to me, bent over to get right in my face, inches away, thinking I was just a dummy decoration, and I said "Boo!" The poor guy screamed and ran past his kid and to the street. Funny, funny, funny. This was back in the 90's.

A few years ago, I'm just handing out candy. Got the scary music going and the door bell rings. There is a Dad with his kid. The Dad was the kid from the 90's who's Dad I scared the hell out of. He is retelling me the story as we reminisced. It was hard for him to tell the story because he kept laughing.

Fun times.

Didn't do any thing this year. Only had a couple kids. The World Series is on and our local Football team is in the State Playoffs tonight. They won and now continue on. So it was pretty slow here Halloween wise.

[Jess from VA]

Big sister Kali came up from her base and did her siblings up, and they all went out and had a great time.

I'm skipping my usual safety inspection/daddy tax off the top of their haul tonight, deer season starts in a few hours so early to bed for me.

Wow Brian, your kids are growing up.  I remember many pics of them on here over the years.  Time marches on. 

I can't remember you talking about deer hunting before.  Where do you go, and what do you hunt with?

All of my mom's family were big on deer hunting in WVa (and all long gone now). 

Whoever carved those pumpkins should lay off the hooch. 

[crow]

I have a bowl of habanero peppers and say it's pumpkin candy

[Rams]

I give away candy to children.  It's the only thing about All Hallows Eve that I truly enjoy.

That's always the fun part.   

Rams