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Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 56
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 9:29 pm: | 
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So, this being our first October here, we're wondering what the deal is on Halloween in Maplewood???
In Brooklyn the Police closed off streets and provided a safe escorted route through the neighborhood and any houses that wanted to participate would leave their porch light on so you knew that you could go to that house.
Do the kids go around to the houses Trick or Treating or do they go into town or is there anything else that goes on ?
Thanks,
Mike |
Liz
Citizen
Username: Mschiquita
Post Number: 32
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 9:54 pm: |
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check out a thread called Holloween..it gives the full scoop - if you can't find it, post again and I will send you the link. |
aquaman
Citizen
Username: Aquaman
Post Number: 134
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 10:14 pm: |
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Trick or treating is great here - the kids dress up and sprint door-to-door with their parents. They crow "trick-or-treat!", candy is plunked in bag, they say "thank you" and progress to the next house. Repeat until bag is full or Princess/Spiderman/Fluffy Kitty is shivering because s/he won't wear a sweater.
Good God it's Oct 31st it's freezing out, I can see your breath, put on a coat , everyone knows princesses wear wool coats
FYI: Avoid the house that hands out the dreaded bags of scrambled eggs! |
crazyguggenheim
Citizen
Username: Crazyguggenheim
Post Number: 445
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 10:26 pm: |
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Kids don't like bags of scrambled eggs?
Call me crazy
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SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 68
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 10:44 pm: |
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Maplewood and South Orange host fun Halloween activities - see Matters Magazine. We've gotten fewer local trick or treaters as the town activities grew over the years, but we still get a some kids. |
Jackie Day
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 134
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - 10:48 pm: |
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Halloween is practically the biggest day in town around my circle of preschool parents. Dads take the day off and everything. There's a big parade in the village around 3 or 4, which gets packed. Maplewood Ave. is shut down all through the village, there's an MC, scary music, merchants giving out treats, etc. Then, around 5, kids usually go home and start trick-or-treating in their own neighborhoods. It usually tapers off by 8 pm (I actually put my kids to bed by 8 and stop answering the door at that point so my dog doesn't go crazy barking and wake them up). Anyway, a Maplewood Halloween is not to be missed! |
Maplewoody
Citizen
Username: Maplewoody
Post Number: 315
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 5:12 am: |
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We always get a lot of Trick or Treaters on Elmwood Ave. I think the kids pick the LONGEST streets and go from one end to the other. They must rake in candy galore. I'm getting ready and will have tombstones, Goblins, pet rats, and bats out in full force on Halloween night!
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FCF
Citizen
Username: Fcf
Post Number: 2
Registered: N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 1:24 pm: |
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But what about the kids who trick or treat and do not wear costumes? I found that bizarre last year. I reluctantly gave out candy to them. My neighbours did the same. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 70
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 5:33 pm: |
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Teenagers, right? I usually tease them and ask who they're supposed to be. I also get kids who just stand there silently with open bags when I answer the door... "Yes, can I help you?" Then I wait. If ya want the treat ya gotta play the game! |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 302
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 7:20 pm: |
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The kids of all ages, and their parents, are a treat. Even the teenagers who don't wear costumes are a lot of fun and polite. Happy Halloween! |
Maplewoody
Citizen
Username: Maplewoody
Post Number: 316
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 7:44 pm: |
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We had about 200+ trick or treaters last year. Not a lot came w/o a costume. There were some ingenious kids out there with cool outfits! |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 57
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 8:14 pm: |
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Wow, this is great. I'm glad to see that Halloween is a bit of an event out here. I guess I should start stocking up on candy. 200 Trick or Treaters?!?!? Holy Cats!!! I better start working on my costume :-)
Where do I find a copy of Matters Magazine??? |
amandacat
Citizen
Username: Amandacat
Post Number: 271
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 8:36 pm: |
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To my utter disappointment, my doorbell has never rung more than a handful of times on the two Halloweens I've spent in Maplewood so far. Then again, up until a few months ago our house was hidden from the street by a monstrous hedge, and I've always wondered if maybe that was why the kids were steering clear. Too spooky and all. Well, the hedge is gone now, thank goodness, and I have my fingers crossed for a record number of trick or treaters this year. Bring it on! |
peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 264
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 9:12 pm: |
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ran out of candy last year...
had to turn off all the lights at 8:15 -- just hope i got all the neighbor kids!
Pete |
vermontgolfer
Citizen
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 97
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 11:02 pm: |
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amandacat,
when we run out of candy, we'll send them to over to you. ran out the last two years, had to dig into the closet to find whatever remnants we had from whenever to keep filling the bags.
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1737
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 3, 2003 - 9:38 am: |
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We turn off the lights at 7:30 or 8:00, anyway. That's when the younger, local set tends to go home. If older ones show up without a costume, we make them perform.
The ones I don't like are the adults who come to the door & ask for candy for the baby who is asleep in the car. It's not worth making it a thing, so I just give them a piece of candy.
I'm doing Atkins right now & don't look forward to the temptation of having candy in the house. Do you think it's a problem if I give out meatballs?  |
deborahg
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 689
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 3, 2003 - 5:57 pm: |
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When teens show up at my door without a costume, I usually ask, "And who are YOU supposed to be?" They have the grace to look embarrassed, at least. Although last year, one girl came right back at me with, "I'm a disaffected youth." Lots of candy for her. |
kss
Citizen
Username: Kss
Post Number: 56
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 11:19 am: |
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We were thinking about taking our 17 mo. old out in the neigborhood for a little but collecting candy for her seems silly since she doesn't really eat sweets yet. Has anyone done anything different with a little, little kid like maybe collect for a charity? This way the kid could have the fun of going out in a costume but not get a lot of stuff she won't eat since she's a bit too young. |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 66
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 11:25 am: |
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When my daughter was that age, her day nursery gave out UNICEF boxes. Don't know if that goes on around here, but it would kinda fit what you're talking about... |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 1976
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 11:44 am: |
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If the child is old enough to eat solid food and interact with their environment, s/he is old enough to celebrate Halloween.
For a child that young though, I would keep it very simple. Getting into a simple costume and either (1) attending the halloween parade in the village (see details above), or (2) having a halloween party with a few of the child's friends, or (3) going trick or treating to a few friend's houses will probably be enough for a child that age. The child might also enjoy helping to hand out treats to children who come to his/her house in costume.
Many people will be aware of the special needs of very young children and have age-appropriate treats such as small boxes of raisins or lollipops on hand. If not, you can always switch the inappropriate treats for treats you buy yourself which the child will enjoy and give out the inappropriate candy your child has collected to kids who come to your house.
Enjoy the holiday! |
deborahg
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 695
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 1:56 pm: |
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I myself help my children dodge the bullet by eating all those candy bars myself and giving them raisins 
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silkcity
Citizen
Username: Silkcity
Post Number: 151
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 6:45 pm: |
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With very small ones as well as larger, two other mothers and I usually have a post-school no-frills "party" with our 8 kids. It features a craft and SOLID food (to counterbalance the candy of school and later). We take a lot of pictures and generally wear them out with dancing. Then we hit 8 - 10 houses slowly. The kids are tired, the big ones feel they've been somewhere, and the toddlers are pleased that they were out with the big ones. You might want to do something similar with your little one. |
Phil
Citizen
Username: Barleyrooty
Post Number: 704
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2003 - 9:09 pm: |
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The first year here, I had to do an emergency run to A&P for more candy at about 7:30. Now I know better. There are usually two waves. The little kids between 5 and 6:30 and the older ones after 7:00. We go through 6-8 large candy bags. Most of the kids are polite and creatively dressed. My favorite was the doorbell, scampering feet, and sign outside declaring the presence of the invisible man.
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SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 72
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 6, 2003 - 8:35 am: |
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My all-time favorite was a little girl dressed as a fairy-tale princess holding a golden rope attached to a very large unicorn (her dad). Adorable! |
OK, it's Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 684
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 10:47 am: |
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Maybe I'll stock up on cheap masks to hand out to the teenagers without costumes.
There's a scene in American Splendor where the main character, as a kid, showed up with no costume on Halloween. Priceless.
It bugs me when kids don't thank me. How do you handle that?
A cow-orker told me he let his son eat all the candy he wanted on Halloween night. The kid threw up and didn't like candy after that. So I tried it when my daughters were five and two. They ate a ton of candy, didn't get sick, and then asked for dinner. Oh well.
Tom Reingold
There is nothing
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1751
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 1:37 pm: |
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Tom- your story reminded me of another cute one, but it's major thread drift:
Several years ago, a friend was away on business for a week, so her kids stayed with us. Valentine's Day was at the end of the week & the 4 y/o boy had a tradition, whereby he & his mom would eat all the candy & treats from school parties on Valentine's night. He spent the whole week reminding us that we would have to do this & I was dreading it. A sick, sugared 4 year old. Ugh! Fortunately, when the Big Night came, he changed his mind. His mom was coming home the next day & he decided to wait & share all his treats with her. Whew! |
OK, it's Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 690
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 2:18 pm: |
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In the apartment development I just moved from, the stream of trick or treaters varied a lot from year to year. Some years I would have many. Some years, I had few or none at all. Last year, I figured I should do something different, so instead of candy, I put "grape tomatoes" into baggies for the kids. None came. My wife (then my fiancee) saw the bags and told me, "That's goofy!" I wonder how the kids would have received them. Probably a little better than bags of scrambled eggs. Bags of scrambled eggs?! What the?
Tom Reingold
There is nothing
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