Neato! I especially like the one on the bottom - he's cute.
Yeah, I've noticed that the number of trick-or-treaters in my area seems to have steadily declined over the years. Makes it feel like a dying holiday around here.
Turns out my timing was off - once the grade-school-or-older kids starting coming around, we started getting customers.
The Young Lady has decided to take a break from her college applications to sit outside with the candy bowl, and that seems to be increasing traffic too.
I still have a few. I'm sick so I set out a bowl of candy. I think the reason it's declining is that fear has led to organized trick or treats by churches and downtown associations.
I have my doubts that in our hippie-dippie neighborhood, organized activities would take precedence over door-to-door (although things like the bazaar and father-daughter dance at the open-minded Presbyterian church in the heart of town are usually well-attended). It looks like it was just that my timing is off - we don't know the people with the really tiny kids, so they weren't coming to our house. But now that the older kids are out, we're getting some.
We're having a lantern walk and samba procession in the city instead. There will probably be some street festival style performances—fire dancers and stilt-walkers, etc.. Where I live, the driveways are dark and secluded, lined with tall evergreens, and people never know how long they will have to walk before they reach an actual dwelling. The only trick-or-treaters we've ever gotten were the children of friends. So we partake in community-sponsored activities.
We have a pretty close community with old-style houses near walkable sidewalks, so the house-to-house tradition persists. (Also, we're notoriously free-spirited ... there was a costume parade for little kids in Old Town this afternoon, but the wandering around after dark in costumes thing is right down our alley.)
It turns out I was just too impatient - once it was time for the older kids to be out, we started getting customers.
We got more customers after I posted the picture, especially when TYL went and sat out there with the candy bowl and flagged the groups of kids down as they went by ... they kept coming up the sidestreet and not realizing we were open for business because you can't see the front door from there.
Hee! very cute! I love the little wings. She looks very dainty indeed, and the way her head is cocked in the second picture is quite flirty! :D
Hehe! I didn't dress up, although I have a really boffo gothy-y witch hat (dark purple satin with a spider-beaded lace veil and grean/black feathers). I fail. ;_: Are you a sparklepire like in Twilight?
This is the third year here w/o tricky treaters. They go to the apartment complex, or down in the subdivision down the street. I live on a hill, and I guess it is a little too daunting. ;_;
So you take her out together? When the Young Lady was a small thing (and before we moved here), one would stay home (usually the Mr.) and mind the door, and the other would take her around.
This year, she did most of the door-minding herself as a break from college essays. (The previous couple of years, she and her best friend dressed up and took the best friend's little brother around.)
We've thought about doing that, but we don't get enough traffic at the house these days to make an impact. (Also, it's the only time we see a few relatives!) They did a big trick-or-treat thing on the park this year that we might do, and then we'd have to split up.
The Young Lady did that little one! She didn't carve all the way through on some parts - she scraped them until they were thin enough for the candle to shine through.
I also like - from the various comments here - that most people only trick-or-treat where they know people. Halloween isn't a German tradition but like most other nifty stuff (except for Thanksgiving and 4th of July) we've got all the paraphernalia here (although our traditional season for dressing up is carneval in February).
Either you get no kids or any - never mind people you know. They only come with their parents, as well (which is probably a good idea considering they don't know who will open the door as they ring wherever they please).
Last year no one came and I had to eat my candy alone, this year there were two boys on my entrance video screen, but I had no candy on offer - someone else from the apartments let them in and hopefully gave them some candy.
It's true that people usually go where they know at least some of the residents, but actually, we're thought of a safe neighborhood that way, and some parents from farther into the city bring their kids out here to trick-or-treat.
Children under 10 or so usually come with their parents (or elder siblings), but older than that, they just go in groups, usually with at least a couple of cellphones per group.
Most of our candy got passed out to the trick-or-treaters, but some was left to be eaten by my daughter, who made herself ill. (At least, I'm assuming that's what did it.)
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-10-31 10:56 pm (UTC)Yeah, I've noticed that the number of trick-or-treaters in my area seems to have steadily declined over the years. Makes it feel like a dying holiday around here.
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Date: 2009-10-31 11:38 pm (UTC)We started getting some more after I posted!
I think the people with really wee kids don't know us (our daughter is in high school), so we had to wait for older kids to start coming.
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Date: 2009-10-31 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 11:38 pm (UTC)I'm so glad you like them! My daughter did the little one.
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Date: 2009-10-31 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 11:40 pm (UTC)Turns out my timing was off - once the grade-school-or-older kids starting coming around, we started getting customers.
The Young Lady has decided to take a break from her college applications to sit outside with the candy bowl, and that seems to be increasing traffic too.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 11:45 pm (UTC)I have my doubts that in our hippie-dippie neighborhood, organized activities would take precedence over door-to-door (although things like the bazaar and father-daughter dance at the open-minded Presbyterian church in the heart of town are usually well-attended). It looks like it was just that my timing is off - we don't know the people with the really tiny kids, so they weren't coming to our house. But now that the older kids are out, we're getting some.
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Date: 2009-10-31 11:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 11:54 pm (UTC)We have a pretty close community with old-style houses near walkable sidewalks, so the house-to-house tradition persists. (Also, we're notoriously free-spirited ... there was a costume parade for little kids in Old Town this afternoon, but the wandering around after dark in costumes thing is right down our alley.)
It turns out I was just too impatient - once it was time for the older kids to be out, we started getting customers.
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Date: 2009-11-01 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 02:19 am (UTC)So cute! >huggles her<
We got more customers after I posted the picture, especially when TYL went and sat out there with the candy bowl and flagged the groups of kids down as they went by ... they kept coming up the sidestreet and not realizing we were open for business because you can't see the front door from there.
(Are you feeling better today?)
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Date: 2009-11-01 03:06 am (UTC)Hehe! I didn't dress up, although I have a really boffo gothy-y witch hat (dark purple satin with a spider-beaded lace veil and grean/black feathers). I fail. ;_: Are you a sparklepire like in Twilight?
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Date: 2009-11-01 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 02:20 am (UTC)Oh pooh! What are today's youth coming to, that they can't climb a hill for Halloween candy!
>hugs!<
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Date: 2009-11-01 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 02:21 am (UTC)Aww, I'm glad you like them! The Young Lady did the little one.
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Date: 2009-11-01 02:04 am (UTC)We had three. To be fair, some of that is because we were out and about with Little Miss, but still....
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Date: 2009-11-01 02:24 am (UTC)I'm happy you like them!
So you take her out together? When the Young Lady was a small thing (and before we moved here), one would stay home (usually the Mr.) and mind the door, and the other would take her around.
This year, she did most of the door-minding herself as a break from college essays. (The previous couple of years, she and her best friend dressed up and took the best friend's little brother around.)
no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 03:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 02:54 am (UTC)Awwww, thanks! Actually, my daughter did the little one.
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Date: 2009-11-02 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 02:55 am (UTC)The Young Lady did that little one! She didn't carve all the way through on some parts - she scraped them until they were thin enough for the candle to shine through.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 07:32 pm (UTC)I also like - from the various comments here - that most people only trick-or-treat where they know people. Halloween isn't a German tradition but like most other nifty stuff (except for Thanksgiving and 4th of July) we've got all the paraphernalia here (although our traditional season for dressing up is carneval in February).
Either you get no kids or any - never mind people you know. They only come with their parents, as well (which is probably a good idea considering they don't know who will open the door as they ring wherever they please).
Last year no one came and I had to eat my candy alone, this year there were two boys on my entrance video screen, but I had no candy on offer - someone else from the apartments let them in and hopefully gave them some candy.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 03:00 am (UTC)It's true that people usually go where they know at least some of the residents, but actually, we're thought of a safe neighborhood that way, and some parents from farther into the city bring their kids out here to trick-or-treat.
Children under 10 or so usually come with their parents (or elder siblings), but older than that, they just go in groups, usually with at least a couple of cellphones per group.
Most of our candy got passed out to the trick-or-treaters, but some was left to be eaten by my daughter, who made herself ill. (At least, I'm assuming that's what did it.)