HALLOWEEN! The ONE night of the year its ok to take candy from STRANGERS!!!Why?

I would like to address some posts on here, and try and make things a little clearer to some.

First off the Op never alluded to the fact he was asking this question because of religious beliefs.

He merely asked the question why?..why do we tell our children not to accept things from strangers..then on the night that the creepy scary, and ghoulish things are venerated, we tell them its ok to run around and accept candy from strangers.

Now maybe some of you KNOW everyone that your child trick or treats from, but many don't know everyone, and that was one his points.

He also made a good point to say that he will go with his daughter to trick or treat..yet some of you want to label him paranoid.. what is paranoid about that ? Its common sense not to let your young daughter go knock on strangers doors alone, even if it isn't Halloween.

I could well imagine that if a parent let a child who was 7 go out trick or treating with maybe another child.. and something did happen where the child would disappear, that many of you who called him overly paranoid..would then scream.."what kind of parent doesn't supervise their child on Halloween ?"

To the Op..I am truly sorry that so many twisted your words around.. and took away from the point you were trying to make.. that point being the absurdity of parents saying one thing, then on some given day (filled with horror stories and scary stuff)..its ok to not follow the original advice.

I did not see you putting down halloween, and for the last time I will say.... the question in the op was a valid question

The kids go supervised.

What kind of a parent will let their young children walk far away and ask complete strangers for candy, randomly?

In my family the kids are supervised and the area they trick or treat is the area they live in where we know most of the neighbours.
The kids love Halloween, they dress up, they collect candy and have a FUN time, they actually have fun.

What's wrong with that?

I'm 30 and still dress up.

Originally posted by jed001

Originally posted by AllUrChips
So apparently 7billion dollars will be spent this year on the holiday. Over 41million will go trick or treating(13 % of the population) the same number roughly as are on food stamps by the way. One question I have always had was why it became tradition to beg complete strangers for candy, and have it ENCOUARGED by your parents. When I was young I remember coming home only to be subjected to a "safety check" (really just a chance for my parents to TAX me of all the chocolate) I have a 7 year old daughter and can not imagine her going trick or treating without parental supervision, like we used to do as a child. Point is the world is just so much crazier than it was 10-20 years ago, but even with that MORE kids are going out as the years go by? Anyhow, just wanted to know if any ATS'ers have any explanation for the phenomenon

We now return you to you usual doom and gloom, and OWS threads-

edit on 31-10-2011 by AllUrChips because: (no reason given)

What are you a born again christian

, I had a huge amount of kids come to my house last night for Halloween
and there was not a single 7 year old that did not have parental supervision. also i knew 90 percent of the kids that came through my neighborhood the other 10 percent were friends of the 90 percent.

I dunno...when I was 7 we had free run of the neighborhood on Halloween...WITHOUT adult supervision. There was none of this "trick or treating 6-8 pm only" stuff. We made multiple trips home to unload and then we were back out again until the last porch light was off. Which sometimes wasn't till 10 or 11 pm. This was back when the scariest words a kid could hear were, "I know your mother!" and everybody knew each other. If you got out of line, you could be sure you were in for it.

And were actually allowed to gorge ourselves on all that chocolate and sugar right before bedtime. Oh, the horror of it! We were obviously neglected and our parents didn't care about our safety or our teeth!

The safety check thing didn't start till later, even though the world is not crazier than it was--it just seems that way.

reply to post by gabby2011


Yes thank you and with that ill leave my own thread due to the harrasment. Gabby is probably the only SANE person on this site anymore to be honest with you. A guy tries making a non doom n gloom thread and get chastized for it? Take a look in the mirror and see who REALLY is out of line here. Try reading a WHOLE post and taking reading comprehension classes or something so you all can comprhend what you READ. Again, we have alot bigger fish to fry than starting a crusade against some nobody making an observation, thank you!!!!

reply to post by AllUrChips


Oh my God - Think of the CHILDREN! The Children!

Hush up. You guys are ridiculous.

reply to post by AllUrChips


People give candy out because of the old christian holiday called hallow's day, the day before october 31st. That's how it gets its name (Hallows Eve). Nonetheless, children would go door to door so they could get a treat and in return they would pray for the souls stuck in neither heaven or hell. It was believed that the only way to get out of the "limbo" was to have people pray for you, after enough people prayed for you you could move on to heaven.

Also, there are so many people out on that night it actually makes it really safe to walk to streets at night on halloween because all the kids and parents are out. I say let your kid go out and trick or treat after they are 12 or 13. Some might say "Well they'll get in trouble" well all kids get in trouble at one point or another but that's what teaches them responsibility (and how to run fast ) plus kids usually have a better time when they are off on thier own with TRUSTED friends and can run around and let loose.

This should not be looked at as evil at all, its a way for a community to get together and do something nice for each other. You don't always have to give out just candy. What about apples? or other seasonal foods to each other.

Another note, devils night (night before halloween) is probably the lesser of the day to go out at night because kids are going around teepeeing houses and throwing rotten eggs at cars.

reply to post by gabby2011

He merely asked the question why?..why do we tell our children not to accept things from strangers..then on the night that the creepy scary, and ghoulish things are venerated, we tell them its ok to run around and accept candy from strangers.

Because it's a tradition.
What would we rather have the children do, sit with us ranting on an internet board?
Why ask on one night for candy and not the rest?
Well that would just be a little greedy now wouldn't it?
So is it not ok to say to your children "you can trick or treat on this night because it's halloween and a tradition?".
The way I have been brought up is, dont be rude and ask but wait until you're offered.
We do this all year round but when halloween comes, we go trick or treating and ask.
I dont find this wrong, I actually find it good. Apart of course all the fun the kids have and adults at the same time.

Originally posted by AudioGhost
reply to post by AllUrChips

 

People give candy out because of the old christian holiday called hallow's day, the day before october 31st. That's how it gets its name (Hallows Eve). Nonetheless, children would go door to door so they could get a treat and in return they would pray for the souls stuck in neither heaven or hell. It was believed that the only way to get out of the "limbo" was to have people pray for you, after enough people prayed for you you could move on to heaven.

Also, there are so many people out on that night it actually makes it really safe to walk to streets at night on halloween because all the kids and parents are out.

This should not be looked at as evil at all, its a way for a community to get together and do something nice for each other. You don't always have to give out just candy. What about apples? or other seasonal foods to each other.

Another note, devils night (night before halloween) is probably the lesser of the day to go out at night because kids are going around teepeeing houses and throwing rotten eggs at cars.

You're right, but it's even older than that. It's from the old Celtic Samhain. The Christians just stole it--they didn't invent it. In the old Celtic calendar, November 1 was the first day of the new year, so Samhain (which means "November" in Scots Gaelic) was New Year's Eve. It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the "dark time"; ie, winter. The "All Souls" in the Christian calendar comes from the Irish and Scottish Féile na Marbh, the Festival of the Dead. Our jack o' lanterns were originally carved turnips. And, they wore costumes and masks to ward off evil spirits. On Samhain, the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest.

It was the Irish and Scots who brought the tradition to America in the 19th century.

Bill Maher has the answer!


I encourage everyone to watch this!

www.mediaite.com...


Just scroll to the bottom of the article and press play!

Sorry I can not embed it!

The chances of a kid getting e coli or some other dangerous sickness from accidentally contaminated food you buy at the super market is infinitely higher than someone getting poisoned from some sinister person handing out candy on halloween (and honestly what criminal would even be stupid enough give out poison right from their house when police can just find out which houses the victim went to?). So should we not let kids eat anything ever just in case??

At some point kids have to learn that living life terrified that everyone is out to get you in some way and allowing that miniscule chance to keep you from all the fun things in life isn't living at all. Seems like a lot of people on ATS never got that lesson.

reply to post by gabby2011


You can't prove something hasn't happened beyond a shadow of a doubt, you can only prove it has. Therefore, the burden of proof is on him.

Of course, if someone did have a photo, then you'd just claim that they can't prove they didn't stage the photo. Then if they could prove that, then you'd suggest that they set up the situation for attention.

Your Logic Fallacy Fails.

Originally posted by cetaphobic
reply to post by gabby2011

 

You can't prove something hasn't happened beyond a shadow of a doubt, you can only prove it has. Therefore, the burden of proof is on him.

If you want to say that you have the proof that there never has been candy tainted on halloween..go right ahead..documented cases on the internet, and actual reality may differ a bit, wouldn't you think?

That wasn't even the point of the op , he was making an observation about what we teach our kids, and then what we allow them to do. much like saying to a child don't lie..then deciding its ok to lie to them about Santa Claus.

It was an observation.

yes..Halloween is a lot of fun for kids, and for many grownups.. he wasn't saying it wasn't..and he wasn't being paranoid about tainted candy...and hes not living in fear like so many of you accuse.

Really sad how so many jumped all over the op for sharing a simple observation, and questioning it.

Originally posted by Dr Cosma
reply to post by gabby2011

 

He merely asked the question why?..why do we tell our children not to accept things from strangers..then on the night that the creepy scary, and ghoulish things are venerated, we tell them its ok to run around and accept candy from strangers.

Because it's a tradition.
What would we rather have the children do, sit with us ranting on an internet board?
Why ask on one night for candy and not the rest?
Well that would just be a little greedy now wouldn't it?
So is it not ok to say to your children "you can trick or treat on this night because it's halloween and a tradition?".
The way I have been brought up is, dont be rude and ask but wait until you're offered.
We do this all year round but when halloween comes, we go trick or treating and ask.
I dont find this wrong, I actually find it good. Apart of course all the fun the kids have and adults at the same time.

oh..ok its tradition.. so that's a reason he shouldn't make observations and have some curious questions about the nature of the tradition.

Did I ever suggest that the child should stay home and rant on the net..? Did he? Why are you choosing to be so rude? ..simply because he had an observation, questioned it some, and decided to share it.

Not once..did he ever say it wasn't fun..

reply to post by gabby2011

oh..ok its tradition.. so that's a reason he shouldn't make observations

Not once did I say he shouldn't make observations.
I respect that.
I'm just voicing my opinion on the matter that's all.

Originally posted by AllUrChips
When I was young I remember coming home only to be subjected to a "safety check" (really just a chance for my parents to TAX me of all the chocolate) I have a 7 year old daughter and can not imagine her going trick or treating without parental supervision, like we used to do as a child. Point is the world is just so much crazier than it was 10-20 years ago, but even with that MORE kids are going out as the years go by? Anyhow, just wanted to know if any ATS'ers have any explanation for the phenomenon

First, Halloween was created by the Catholic Church, so they can divert people away from winter solace. Celebrated during winter solace is a pagan holiday, which the Celtics use to practice in the old world.

Second, our world is becoming too serious. If you pay attention to the online and offline news media, no one seems to be having fun anymore. No one is happy. No one wants us to relax. Everyone wants heavily regulated laws put into place, so that certain behaviors and words are banned from society. Halloween is a celebration for both children and adults. Even though it was originally created to bring children into the church, the tradition has turned into an all ages celebration. Sure, we have more reactive people within society, and sometimes things can feel a little stressful. We must also remember to take the time to have fun. Halloween is a day in which we can break free from the laws that bind us, so that we can lift our morale out of a slump. If we had more of these days, we would not have laws created under the banner 'politically correctness'.

Break free, watch the candy your kids collect, and live in the moment.

Have fun.

They aren't really strangers. They are your neighbors.

I think you'd be more likely to get poisoned from contaminated factory candy than from your neighbors.

reply to post by AllUrChips


I live in a small town and we know our neighbors...this year trick or treating was different. First, I would like to say that they are trying to squash trick or treating in our town by replacing it with fall festivals...although there are still houses that do it, just nowhere near what it used to be. I took my kids trick or treating last night, we were on a hayride with some family. There was ONE stranger that was very weird..he just came out from behind a church and asked to take pictures with our kids for his sister that was very old and that she was in the truck with him, then he would give them candy (he smelled to high heaven). We asked where he was from, he said the swamp..wtf. Anyway, we kept walking, and rounded the corner when he jumped in the truck cursing at whoever was in there very loudly and drove off. I could not help to think that he was after a kid. We called the cops. I don't mind our town cops as they are pretty decent...but, now we are starting to have more and more state troopers in town. They were all over last night stopping people with kids on hay rides and the backs of trucks. This is a normal tradition for us and being in a small town the cops look the other way. Anyway..a little off topic with the cops. I don't let my kids take candy from that sort of stranger off the street...very creepy that was.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by EvanB

 

I must admit I never did get British humor. Maybe you just didn't get my sarcastic American response to your sarcastic English post.. two cultures collide in a sarcastic episode that could rip the very fabric of the universe!

It is called sar-chasm.

-rrr

reply to post by AllUrChips


The ONE night of the year its ok to take candy from STRANGERS!!!Why?

Because it's a far cry from some sicko pulling up beside a kid and saying that. I have a 7 and 8 year old who went trick or treating and I went with them to keep them safe from getting hit by a car more so than the worry of them being abducted. But yeah, you have to be wary of your children because there are some freaks out there.