When I was growing up, this was how we decorated for Halloween. With mom and dad’s help, we got the knives out and tried to carve the scariest pumpkin we could imagine, after we had scraped out the insides–all those seeds you could roast in the oven and the flesh that was the stuff of pumpkin pies, or just went onto a newspaper to go into the garbage. Then you set a long-burning candle on the inside and tried to place it where it was both visible but not too easily grabbed and smashed by Halloween pranksters.
That was Halloween decorating for most of us. I think most of our parents were too busy with work or tired from it to spend time on elaborate decorating only to take it all down to put up Christmas decorations. The only elaborate Halloween displays I remember were those haunted houses where volunteers dressed up as ghosts, goblins, and witches to scare the bejeebers out of us (a great ploy to get our girlfriends to hug us!). Most of us just focused our creativity on our costumes–many of them homemade.
No longer. Walking in my neighborhood toward sunset last night, I was amazed at the elaborate displays some people had. Graveyard fences. Tombstones. Ghouls. Goblins. Skeletons–some appearing to come out of the ground. Ghosts and goblins in the trees. Cobwebs on the bushes (one house had two big eyeballs looking out from the bushes). Illuminated inflatables, some with arms waving around with the breeze. Orange lights strung over houses and trees.
Something happened between when I was a kid and my son was a kid. It was when he was old enough for us to take him out to trick or treat that we first noticed it. Really, at the time, when we lived in Maple Heights, near Cleveland, around 1990 or so, it was just one guy. But in the years since, it has spread–some houses just decorate modestly and others go all out.
Some speculate that it was all the horror films like “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” What is clear is that it has become big business. A Retail Dive article from 2022 states that it has become a $10 billion business with all the big box stores devoting sections to selling decorations. We see empty storefronts turned into seasonal decoration stores and party stores and even garden centers have big sections for decorations.
What I wonder is whether the kids have any more fun than we did. After all, the big deal was the magical night where you could dress up as bums and pirates and ghosts and walk from house to house, knock on doors, demand treats, and people gave you candy. What could be more fun than that? At least, that’s how I remember it, growing up in working class Youngstown. How do you remember it?
To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!
Being of similar age, my Halloween trick-or-treat memories are much like yours. I remember, as kids, hitting the streets without adult supervision for a couple of nights of candy gathering. The candy haul was a bit slimmer on the second night, but still fun. I liked the “treat” side of the equation. Never cared much for the “trick” side.
I believe the changes to how Halloween is handled started with the increase in the number of harmful pranks, such as tampering with candy and fruit being given out. The aimless wandering of unescorted groups of kids was discouraged, house parties and community gatherings became more prominent. And then, of course, there’s the outsized commercialism that has impacted nearly everything else in our society. That last item is a sizable part of what attracts us to your blog.
We have become insane consumers, I swear.
Your comments are right on. The candy sacks we carried were grocery bags from the A&P. My best costume, ever, was wearing my father’s army tunic which fit me like a sack. I’m sure I looked so very military.
For treats, my father made popcorn balls with Karo syrup. They were a hit for some of the older kids who’d just pull their jackets up over their heads to appear headless. I, however, preferred Snickers.
At home afterwards, everything was dumped out on the living room floor and my brother and I would barter exchanges.
It’s amazing we survived!
Great post
Mine was similar to yours. I think social media specifically Facebook is showing the dark side of people and is all about outperforming your neighbor.
On the Westside when my kids were young in the early 80s we did a few home made decorations, and made most costumes. Exceptions were when my son asked for a store bought, plastic Luke Skywalker costume, and daughter was 5 she wore her dance recital ballerina outfit. When they got old enough to trick or treat without me, I dressed as a witch and sat on the porch swing handing out treats. It was always fun, and they both came up with some really good costumes. Kirkmere Elementary had an outside Halloween parade during school hours that was always wonderful to attend.
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Good memories. During elementary school years, I remember taking our costumes to school. We would change into them for our afternoon walk around the neighborhood – down Portland to Mahoning Avenue and then onto Lakeview. Back to the classroom where we would find cookies on our desks – a
wonderful and magical experience. It seems quite simple now, but I wouldn’t change one thing – more meaningful (and fun) than all the lawn decorations and haunted venues of today.
You brought back more memories for me with your comment!