Thread: The Great Pumpkin...and other unique traditions

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Every Oct. 1st, the Great Pumpkin visits our house and leaves for the kiddos a Halloween Basket. This is much like the easter bunny/ easter basket, but the candy is limited to one or two larger novelty items because I know with all the baking, candy apples, and popcorn balls they will get their fill and more of sweets this month. It usually contains a few books. (this year my son will be getting some R.L. Stine "reader beware, you choose the scare" books, and my daughter is getting some new pbs kids and nick jr character books that are halloween themed. then I throw in a plush and a couple of masks and costume accessories bought at discount after halloween sales last year for 90% off, and some novelty toys from the same sales. It is a tradition I started with them to help solidify the memory of the fall season and family traditions.

So...I was wondering what some of your traditions are. Do you have a special day you decorate together? Do you make a special snack or dessert, or dinner on the day of? Do you watch certain movies or read certain books every year? etc...

We have a very similar tradition. Every Halloween, the Great Pumpkin delivers a plastic jack-o-lantern to my nieces with Halloween stuff inside as well (little toys, glow bracelets, Halloween flashlights for trick or treating, stickers, etc...). The Great Pumpkin leaves his gift on Halloween morning so the little ones can use some of the stuff that night. It's a lot of fun. Maybe a Halloween cartoon DVD or two in there as well. Not really any candy though - they get enough trick or treating!

I love this <3

Originally Posted by JohnnyD97

We have a very similar tradition. Every Halloween, the Great Pumpkin delivers a plastic jack-o-lantern to my nieces with Halloween stuff inside as well (little toys, glow bracelets, Halloween flashlights for trick or treating, stickers, etc...). The Great Pumpkin leaves his gift on Halloween morning so the little ones can use some of the stuff that night. It's a lot of fun. Maybe a Halloween cartoon DVD or two in there as well. Not really any candy though - they get enough trick or treating!

Thats really cool that we do nearly the same thing...I'm not even sure where we got the idea from. I hope our kids keep it going with their kids though. Its such a nice tradition. I love the glow bracelet and flashlight ideas. We will have to add that in this year. Thanks for the idea!!

The only tradition I have is that we sit down eveyr year as a family and watch The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Even last year when they were 18 and 15 they still sat. This year will be harder with one in college but I will try. If not I may have to send him the DVD

We used to do the Great Pumpkin thing too, but my oldest son thought it was kind of silly, and my younger son doesn't really care about much, period. I don't remember when we quit doing it, but I'm guessing it was during a year when we were pretty strapped for cash, and my oldest just said he didn't mind if we stopped. I still buy them cool Halloween themed stuff that I know they'll like, it just doesn't go in the pumpkin buckets anymore. It was a lot of fun for me, I wish they'd have enjoyed it more.

We do still watch movies together, that's a lot of fun. I usually make special popcorn for those movies; marshmallow topped, or caramel apple corn.

Does anyone Boo people (leave things on the front porch)? I've heard of this. A coworker of mine does an adult version with her friends & leaves alcohol & making for a Halloween themed cocktail on her friends' doorsteps.

I made Halloween stockings for my kids last year. They loved the little gifts that came in them.

Originally Posted by JohnnyD97

We have a very similar tradition. Every Halloween, the Great Pumpkin delivers a plastic jack-o-lantern to my nieces with Halloween stuff inside as well (little toys, glow bracelets, Halloween flashlights for trick or treating, stickers, etc...). The Great Pumpkin leaves his gift on Halloween morning so the little ones can use some of the stuff that night. It's a lot of fun. Maybe a Halloween cartoon DVD or two in there as well. Not really any candy though - they get enough trick or treating!

BOOOOO! Is there such a thing as too much candy???

Originally Posted by Halloween Princess

Does anyone Boo people (leave things on the front porch)? I've heard of this. A coworker of mine does an adult version with her friends & leaves alcohol & making for a Halloween themed cocktail on her friends' doorsteps.

We "BOO" people. Of course my daughter likes to make sure her little friends are done, but we also target a couple of houses of strangers on our street or a street or so over. I think it's always fun when you honestly don't know who left goodies for you.