Halloween: Have adults hijacked a children's holiday?
Okay, undoubtedly I’m going to annoy a lot of people, but I have to voice what has been my observation for many years now. When I was a small child — 60′s and early 70′s — Halloween was very much a children’s holiday, and the adults saw it that way and worked to make it a lot of fun for the kids. Even the schools and Churches had Halloween parties and carnivals. Kids of course went trick or treating, and there were plenty of parents out to make sure everything was a safe and secure event (not that we didn’t manage to slip away and do our share of yard rolling, etc.)
Somewhere along the way though, retailers — and bars and nightclubs — decided there was more money to be made by turning Halloween into an adults holiday — as I understand, it’s now the biggest holiday celebrated by adults. As a result, in my opinion, the holiday has become something a bit "ugly". There are haunted houses that are far too intense and gruesome for children. Bars and nightclubs have costume parties, contributing to that much more drunk driving on the road. Parents more often than not take their kids to controlled venues for trick or treating — such as schools or churches. And speaking of that, Halloween carnivals have been replaced by "fall festivals" and such, I would say in reaction to what the holiday has become. That part is sad, and although I don’t agree with a lot of the concerns about "satanic" and "evil" influences, I do understand where they’re coming from on that.
I look forward to responses and other perspectives.
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I agree. While it is fun for adults to dress up for Halloween it’s sad when it turns into Such things as you spoke of. I even get upset when I see teenagers and yes adults trick or treating. Yep you heard right. Grown adults trick or treating. On top of that they don’t even dress up. They are wearing their regular street clothes and get mad at you when you refuse to give them candy. To the point of threats. It’s gotten to the point that we don’t want to hand out candy anymore. My kids all decided that after you turn 11 years old, that’s too old for trick or treating.
I don’t think adults who want to party as well have hijacked it, rather than the politically correct people who fail.
i think all of this things are for being happy and every one deserves to be happy not Only the children so what is the problem of it i think adults need happiness more than children because most of the time we r sad
Sounds alot like what happened to christmas, which also is what has happened to our government. Business and the dollar decides how happy we live our lives. It used to be that you got a glove and a ball and spent your weekends on a grass field, vacant lot etc. throwing a ball around or kick the can, stick ball etc. Now you buy a 300$ game machine spend upwards of $20 months and speak to your friends through a video screen, headset and microphone.
The other thing different today with kids then when I was young (70-80′s) is that if I wanted a new bike or glove I delivered newspapers, mowed lawns sold sodas at the local golf course nowadays the parents get a second job and GIVE everything to thier kids. You think we have financial troubles now wait till our kids take over!!