Halloween is Changing in Idaho and Maybe for the Better

A day may come when no kids are coming to your door for Halloween.  It looks like a cultural change long in the making.  Parents have become increasingly concerned about safety.  When I was a boy, if our parents didn’t go along, we still went trick-or-treating with a large gaggle of neighborhood friends.  I think there was safety in numbers, and in a small town, crime didn’t seem to exist.  Most often, at least one parent from the group followed us reasonably closely.

Times Have Changed, and Maybe for the Better

We moved out of town when I was in the 3^rd grade, and after that, I can’t remember going door-to-door.  When my own daughter was growing up, the local elementary school sponsored a large party, and it was a safe place for the kids and a family event.

I was at work one morning 20 years ago when one of the guys mentioned his local Wesleyan Church sponsored something called trunk-or-treat.  It may have been the very first time I heard the phrase, but these events have since become common.  A fellow here at the office mentioned a couple of weeks ago that these events now start early, and you can often find one every weekend in the Magic Valley.  Sometimes several on one day.

Candy is the Same Either Way

My guess is the little ones don’t mind the difference.  There’s still candy, and that was the focal point 55 to 60 years ago.  And wearing a costume that made you an individual.  If this is the future, and a safer one, count me in with the change.  Click here to learn about one safe event.