The Halloween Change

As I went out trick or treating for possibly the last time last night, I thought about how Halloween has changed. Many of the houses in my neighborhood didn't even welcome trick or treaters and most didn't want to give anything even though I was taking my younger siblings out. I also noticed that there were almost no kids trick or treating. My dad was handing out candy and said he saw a max of ten kids which was even a large step back from last year. then a thought came to me about something one of my teachers said about Halloween.

When this teacher was asked if they were doing anything for Halloween they promptly replied no and said that they didn't like the holiday. Naturally we wanted to know why because we all love Halloween. They replied that Halloween used to be a kids holiday about trick or treating and dressing up in cute costumes and now, it has turned into an adult holiday about going to haunted houses, costume parties, and seeing how slutty you can dress. I didn't think I agreed with this until I saw the reduced number of kids getting candy, more costumes for older people, and the increased number of haunted houses. I was shopping in the mall with my family today and we stopped by the Halloween store to see what they had left because everything was half off. I bought a wig but that was it because the store was filled with two things: revealing outfits for women and gory masks. That was about it. I didn't want to believe it but maybe Halloween had really become an older holiday. But why would that happen? It could be that we are slowly becoming a more mature society but I think it is more likely that the holiday is growing with the generation before me. Maybe the Halloween we once knew was based on what the last generation thought of Halloween and now that they are adults the holiday is growing up to match them instead of staying young and supporting the children of today. Think of how kids would have to go out trick or treating: their parents would have to drive them. Who hands out candy at the door: The parents again. If the parents decide that they want something different for the holiday or don't want it at all, then the children have no choice but to forget about the holiday and some of them may never even learn about it. I hope that is never the truth but in this ever changing world we live in you never know what will happen next.