Halloween - Giving Out Candy, and Scary-Monsters Turnout

[TSE]

This Best Bites (Washingtonian food blog) post makes a somewhat rhetorical aside regarding homemade Halloween candy. When I was of trick-or-treating age, my parents inspected my candy (no doubt taking a few pieces for themselves), and on a couple of occasions, discarded what they viewed as of questionable safety.

This made me wonder: what do DR.com parents think of allowing their children to eat homemade treats given out at neighborhood houses on Halloween? Were my parents paranoid or prudent?

[JPW]

This Best Bites (Washingtonian food blog) post makes a somewhat rhetorical aside regarding homemade Halloween candy. When I was of trick-or-treating age, my parents inspected my candy (no doubt taking a few pieces for themselves), and on a couple of occasions, discarded what they viewed as of questionable safety.

This made me wonder: what do DR.com parents think of allowing their children to eat homemade treats given out at neighborhood houses on Halloween? Were my parents paranoid or prudent?

If I know the person distributing home-made treats -- OK.

If I don't -- trash.

That's the way it worked when I was growing up, too. The only non-wrapped item we were ever allowed to keep was from a dentist who lived a block or so away. He gave out apples. Given his profession, we didn't hold it against him.

[smokey]

I'm with JPW. If I know the person distributing the treat, we keep. If not, I politely try to discourage them from even giving it. If they don't get the hint, the treat is discarded at home. Who the hell would even give something homemade to a child they didn't know?

[TSE]

The only non-wrapped item we were ever allowed to keep was from a dentist who lived a block or so away. He gave out apples. Given his profession, we didn't hold it against him.

I've never understood this- isn't it bad for business?

[DonRocks]

The only non-wrapped item we were ever allowed to keep was from a dentist who lived a block or so away. He gave out apples. Given his profession, we didn't hold it against him.

Then he must not have been that dreaded man who all children fear. You know, the one "who puts razor blades in his apples."

[Meaghan]

Then he must not have been that dreaded man who all children fear. You know, the one "who puts razor blades in his apples."

A reliable child told me that Don gave out edible razors one year (Fruit Leathers from Trader Joe's to be precise). The next year I consulted him and he upgraded to Fruit Gushers and mini Snickers, I think.

[Andelman]

I don't think I would let my daughter eat anything that wasnt wrapped. That being said, I made about 150 chocolates to give out to the adults tonight. So if anyone is in my hood......

[Al Dente]

Where do you stand on loose cigarettes? I don't have the budget to give each of the little freaks a whole pack.

[Pat]

Where do you stand on loose cigarettes? I don't have the budget to give each of the little freaks a whole pack.

Remember candy and bubblegum cigarettes?

[TSE]

Where do you stand on loose cigarettes? I don't have the budget to give each of the little freaks a whole pack.

If you pair them with an airplane bottle of Jack, I say go for it.

[Principia]

I grew up in the Tylenol-tampering era, back when hospital emergency rooms offered the service of parents bringing in their kids' candy to be x-rayed. So, no, no homemade anything for me. And sad to say, if I were a parent I wouldn't let my children eat anything that even appeared homemade unless it were from someone I knew and trusted.

[jparrott]

Sadly, I agree with Principia (always a good idea for a former scientist, no?). Although perhaps next year I'll go all British candy just to inject my exurban Pleasantville with an appropriate amount of East End Ennui.

[Heather]

Our rules are the same as JPW's. If we know the people then it's OK. If not, it goes in the trash.

ETA I am curous to see what the kids come home with now that we live in crunchy granola land.

[Barbara]

Our rules are the same as JPW's. If we know the people then it's OK. If not, it goes in the trash.

ETA I am curous to see what the kids come home with now that we live in crunchy granola land.

Is this still the rule, now that the "razor in the apple" and "poisoned candy" has long been shown to be an Urban Myth? Still, I would put labels on everything with my name and address and a list of ingredients (for all those with allergies). I LOVED home-made popcorn balls (my trick-or-treating predated all the scares).

[Heather]

Is this still the rule, now that the "razor in the apple" and "poisoned candy" has long been shown to be an Urban Myth?

Good question. My kid are little enough that they only go to a few places, and actually the only homemade stuff they've been given in the past was from neighbors that we knew. I'm usually inclined to cut people slack so maybe we should be less suspicious.

(I spent a significant portion of elementary and Jr. high in CA during the Hillside strangler thing. That makes one's parents jumpy come trick or treating time. Far more jumpy than the possibilty of razors in the apples.)

[laniloa]

(I spent a significant portion of elementary and Jr. high in CA during the Hillside strangler thing. That makes one's parents jumpy come trick or treating time. Far more jumpy than the possibilty of razors in the apples.)

I grew up in a surprisingly jumpy neighborhood as well (by that I mean I think they greatly overestimated the potential dangers whether from older kids playing pranks or problems with the snacks). We didn't have trick or treating. The elementary school had a big party each year. By the time you moved on to junior high, trick or treating just didn't seem like something to do. Something changed a few years ago and my parents were totally caught off guard when a few kids came to the door. Now they stock up like they might need to live off the extras for a month or so.

[ScotteeM]

Barbara and I are of similar vintages. I only went visited houses where I knew the residents, but I knew everyone in our neighborhood, so that didn't limit my take. I loved home-made treats, and I remember my mother carefully filling treat bags with all kinds of unwrapped goodies.

[thistle]

No homemade candy for me, just prewrapped, commercial stuff-but this is the fastest I've ever been cleaned out (Actually, don't think I've ever run out before, just held some in reserve & turned off the lights at around 9). It started off slow (my own kids went off w/ friends at 6:15 & aren't back yet), then picked up-I had a lot of large (8-12) groups of teens/preteens.

I also made the mistake of having hardwood put in my entryhall right before Halloween, we made it through the first 3 days of not stepping on it, but tonight was too much for my dog-doggie footprints all through the polyurethane!

[jparrott]

I was fresh out at 7:30 and I bought double from last year.

[Meaghan]

I was fresh out at 7:30 and I bought double from last year.

Pretend you didn't have any.

[Hannah]

Our last lot came by about 20 minutes ago, and for once we bought the right amount of candy (right amount being enough for the rampaging hordes, plus a little left over for us).

ETA: Okay, that wasn't the last lot. But we still haven't had to dip into the emergency bag of Heath bars.

[Barbara]

Thanks, ScotteeM. It's nice to have a soul mate on this blog.

Maybe it's because I moved around so much, and was the youngest of my siblings, but I remember going from going out and collecting candy to staying at home and handing out the goodies. I much more appreciated the latter. I got to see the creativity of the costumes. Plus, I was able to feel like a GROWN UP at the age of 15 or 16. And, because I timed my birth correctly, the issue of "older" kids didn't play any part of the evening's activities.

The problem is, for me, that because I don't participate in Halloween to any extent, I am fascinated by what goes on. For example, I walked up Columbia Road this morning and found a kid dressed up as "Chuckie." And, because the weather was so ridiculously warm, all the day-care people had the little kids in those multi-kid push carts. The kids being dressed up in various "Costumes," of course.

Ah, nostalgia.

[jparrott]

Pretend you didn't have any.

I did. I blew out the candle in my three-faced jack-o-lantern and turned off the porch lights. That's all, folks!

[JPW]

Kind of light on trick-or-treaters this year. Too much candy left over.

Favorite costume this year -- seen at the neighborhood parade on Sunday -- 2 kids approx 12 y.o. -- one dressed as a bottle of Jif peanut butter, the other as a bottle of Smuckers grape jelly.

[Heather]

We got two knocks on the door last night. Anyone want 50 lbs. of miniature Almond Joys?

The kids didn't get anything homemade, but someone on our street gave out raisins. The hands-down favorite in their bags was the Chinese yo-yo.

[mktye]

I did. I blew out the candle in my three-faced jack-o-lantern and turned off the porch lights. That's all, folks!

We did the same at 8:15 when the flow of cute little kids turned into occasional roving bands of teenagers who greedily grabbed handfuls of candy. (Plus, the candy supply was running quite low and rwte needs a few little candy bars to take in his lunch.)

The best costume of the night: An ~8-year-old boy dressed in a business suit & tie, hair slicked back, wearing glasses and carrying one of those soft Land's End briefcases exactly like the one my husband takes to work. He came trudging up the walk, sighed "Trick or Treat" and held open the briefcase in the most resigned of manner. His resemblence to rwtye's nightly homecoming was uncanny.

Oddest costume: An ~10-year-old girl with her shirt stuffed so she looked like she was about 8-months pregnant and carrying a newborn baby doll.

rwtye likes to let the kids pick which pieces candy they want... it appears that most kids go for either the color red or the largest in size. Being small and blue, the Almond Joys were the loser of the evening at our house also.

[smokey]

Oddest costume: An ~10-year-old girl with her shirt stuffed so she looked like she was about 8-months pregnant and carrying a newborn baby doll.

Whoah; that's weird. Was there an adult with her?

[mame11]

Oddest costume: An ~10-year-old girl with her shirt stuffed so she looked like she was about 8-months pregnant and carrying a newborn baby doll.

Easy.. Britney Spears. Seriously.

[yeuxblu]

I saw an apple in a couple bags last night so some one in my neighborhood was trying to undo some of the tooth rot I was doling out. We had suprisingly few trick or treaters so I'm pawning candy to people here at work.

Since the weather was so nice, I decided to pretend it was still summer and opened my last bottle of rose.

We had a boy in a grey sweatsuit with painted traffic lines, bits of trash attached and an Interstate 66 sign attached. His father said they were going for the scariest costume.

[thistle]

I was not expecting a large crowd tonight, (actually I only went out today to get candy), but it's been pretty lively here. I got about 20 bags of candy, & we've used 12 so far...& I didn't even carve a pumpkin....

[weezy]

Holy shite! I bought one big bag of candy and we have only gone halfway through it. About 20-ish kids in all.

[saf]

We usually get mobbed.

Barely anyone here in southern Petworth tonight.

[lperry]

Come to Alexandria. I went through ten pounds last year, so I got the same this year and we have maybe five Heath bars left. I don't consider that circumstance tragic in the least.

[Rieux]

At least 300. Went through 23 lbs of candy in Mount Pleasant.

[Ericandblueboy]

I took Siena out for trick or treating in our neighborhood. Saw at least 3 houses (out of 20) with candies sitting outside with a sign that says help yourself. Most houses didn't even have lights on. We tricked or treated at 5 or 6 places, with one that didn't answer the door. When we went home to greet the trick or treaters, we have kids that don't even say trick or treat, grabbed a handful of candy without asking if that's okay and I actually told them to drop some.

[DC Deb]

I was with friends in West Springfield--old neighborhood of single family houses. Maybe 20 kids the whole night. Weird considering it is an area with many young families.

[DonRocks]

This is about the 5th straight year I've saved 50% on candy by waiting until Halloween afternoon to buy it (at Rite-Aid).

Man, what garbage this stuff is, but I saved over $50 buying it (I've been told to expect 200-300 kids).

I'm also curious what kind of luck people have leaving baskets out with a note asking people to only take 1 piece so everyone can get some - I've had mixed results with this over the years - sometimes I come home, and there's some left; other times, it's all gone and who knows when it was taken. It's the early teens out in mobs that do it.

[The Hersch]

It's so nice to live in an apartment in the city.

[dracisk]

It's so nice to live in an apartment in the city.

I used to feel the same way for the 13 years I lived in Dupont Circle.

In my neighborhood in Silver Spring near the Forest Glen metro we had a huge turnout for the Halloween parade, but at our house we've had maybe 10-15 visitors. A couple of groups were made up of five or so middle schoolers. So maybe 20-25 kids total? We don't live in the heart of the neighborhood -- I bet a lot of people just never make it to our street. Fine with me although we don't need all this leftover candy!!

I can't imagine handing candy out to 200-300 kids!

[ALB]

My building slides fliers under our door that say "treat or treat" on one side and "Sorry no candy here" on the other. You hang it on your door, so children know where to knock. There are quite a few children in the building, so I think it works out well. I probably had 20 trick or treaters this year (first one I've been home since I moved in so I over bought) but they all got a lot of candy! It was worth it to hear- "there is a happy pumpkin here, come on!"

[jandres374]

I'm also curious what kind of luck people have leaving baskets out with a note asking people to only take 1 piece so everyone can get some - I've had mixed results with this over the years - sometimes I come home, and there's some left; other times, it's all gone and who knows when it was taken. It's the early teens out in mobs that do it.

My 12 year old actually came home with someone's bowl in his bag.  I asked why and he said sign said help yourself so he took it. Still shaking my head.

[Rieux]

We give out over 600 pieces in Mt. Pleasant and always run out before the end. It's Halloween central here.

[PollyG]

We have a ton of kids in our neighborhood, but very few made it to my door.  The HOA's halloween party (candy-free since it was just before trick or treating hours, but heavy on the beer/booze for adults) had 35+ kids; fewer than half of them made it to my block.  The houses at the end of the street don't give out candy and with few lights/pumpkins visible from the top of the hill, I think the kids go for the better pickings on the cross-street.  2 bags of candy would have been plenty. 

[JPW]

We typically get about 100-150 kids every year. This year was no exception.

[Pool Boy]

We had 11 kids this year. That is not our lowest turnout in the past 15 years - we have ranged from 5 to 24 over that time, mostly right around 10.

[MsDiPesto]

Like Don, I bought 2 bags of Kit-Kat bars (I always try to get something I'll like) at CVS Halloween afternoon. I was house/cat sitting that evening, and I used to live in the same neighborhood, so I knew there would not be tons of kids but wanted to be prepared. There's also a very good haunted house done every year a couple blocks over, and I think every kid went there this year. I got one group of about seven kids from outside the neighborhood who had to be taught that I am the distributor of treats and you won't be sticking your hands in the bowl. The youngest demanded another bar. I asked her to move out of the way while I gave one to the shy young girl dressed as a rabbit in the back of the horde. 

[Al the Pal]

We had 23 kids which is an all time record for us. Last year I think we had 2. I almost ran out of candy. Gave out Dove chocolate eye balls and Hershey miniatures.

[Pool Boy]

We had 23 kids which is an all time record for us. Last year I think we had 2. I almost ran out of candy. Gave out Dove chocolate eye balls and Hershey miniatures.

 I only give out full size candy, too. Fun size and small size or whatever they are calling it is too small. I discovered that they also make 'king size' and that is what I plan on giving out next year.

[MarkS]

Had no kids at my house in Annapolis.  There are only 16 homes on the block and about 1/3 mile of dark wooded road until the bigger street.  Brought my candy to the neighbors who have the only kids on the block.

[pras]

I live in the Lakelands.  Gave out about $100 worth of candy in an hour.  First year there.  I think next year I am going to buy some full size candy bars to give to people that are friends of my daughter and/or that we know from the neighborhood.  Also had some bushes trampled.  The Lakelands was quite a scene.  100 times crazier than my parents neighborhood. (until this year we lived in a condo and had maybe 1 trick or treater in 12 years!)