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Why you do Halloween?

4134 Views 44 Replies 39 Participants Last post by  LurkerNDdark
I been seeing a few post that have some dishearting vibes about failed Halloweens. So I figured I would start this thread for a new angle.
Disclaimer: If you don't want to read the whole thing the last sentence sums it all up.

Why I Halloween. Well for me I have an Artistic side to me as well as a tinker side. Put them together and well Halloween just seems to Work out great for it. Prior to 2009 Halloween wasn't all that great for me. Sure I would hand out Candy and put up a decoration or two , take the kid ToTing, but it was never really any fun.

2009 I finally decorated some more and just descided to have fun with it. I mean why not? It's when i celebrate my Bday anyway. and well even with the little amount of props i had. neighbors came out they talked with us and had a good old time. If we had 20 ToT's that might have been a lot. Little did I know at the time one neighbor took it as "competion"

2010 We went big! Well for us anyway. I made Tombstones, dummies, and a spider web. With all the work involed it was FUN to do. the family was working together to make it fun and come alive. we still had about 20 ToTs.

2011 and 2012 we got bigger and more inventive. We had 150 ToTs in 2012 with people I reconized from the previous years Stalking my yard to see what I was going to do. We have teaser props up most of October then the 31 the dead comes alive. The Neighbors up and down the street started decorating.

2013 and 2014 We moved new location with More kids but not as much room to decorate. We built up what we could. the first year we underestimated the kids and ran out of candy. So we went around to check other haunts out. I went around the corner and found someone who something similiar to me. When I was talking to him he admitted to getting idea from my house! Awesome right? Became friends sharing ideas. 2014 I wasnt in to it then my kid Started decorating on her own. She asked me for help and I was drawn in again.

So the history lesson in this. Looking back at the friends I made doing Halloween, Hearing my kid refer to the smell of spraypaint as the smell of Halloween. Running around with the family. Creating and showing things. Learning new things every year. Making Slenderman scream built from scratch. The laughs we have when thinking about my little one scaring the crap out of a man five times her size, after he was smack talking. Or going to a haunted house dressed up and have the actors alittle mad because we are out doing them. Seeing that One kid who went and made his own costume Light up because he got the Huge candy bar.

I do Halloween for My family and the experiences we get out it. Sure ToT's are awesome to get and maybe sometimes it will bust. But the time with the family is what means the most.
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In addition to always having been strongly drawn to the autumn mood, (must be my Celtic DNA), I do it because some kids have crappy lives and if I can make them forget it for a little while and put them in a little fantasy world for just a few minutes when they come trick or treating to my house, then it was all worth it. I do it for others, mostly, to cause a little delight in the neighborhood. I know some kids will always remember that one house in town that always had the cool lights and skeletons and the lady who lived there always dressed up as a witch. I'm hoping to contribute to some fond memories, I guess.
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I Halloween as I'm generally drawn to the whole idea of dressing my house up like something the Addams family would move into :)
I love the holiday for all manner of reasons, a few personal, which will take up too much space on this post lol. But mostly as I get to unleash a little bit of my own 'Tim Burton' into the town & dress up as someone else for the evening! :)

I'm attempting my first large prop this year too, (nothing too impressive), but I'm hoping I can get it to go right, and keep it for next year's inspiration :)
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Because it's given me an excuse to keep a lifesize Creature From The Black Lagoon in our family room for 11 months a year. :)
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themyst - I love it! That is another good reason to do it. That one house evevy one remembers.

BeckyMurphy - Is that letting out true personality or just being someone else for a bit? Sorry i believe all first props are impressive. You over came the hardest parts: Starting and trying.... So post some pics :)
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themyst - I love it! That is another good reason to do it. That one house evevy one remembers.

BeckyMurphy - Is that letting out true personality or just being someone else for a bit? Sorry i believe all first props are impressive. You over came the hardest parts: Starting and trying.... So post some pics :)
More of letting out my true personality :)
I will :D I'll be sure to take before/during and afters for you to see :)

Your post is great - its nice to see why others Halloween :)
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Simple answer is that I've always loved all things weird, creepy, spooky, ghostly or witchy! Nothing deep or altruistic, really.
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Honestly? I can't explain it. It's just "in" me to do it. It's part of who I am.
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I Halloween because it lets me reconnect with favourite childhood memories.At 6 yo my folks died and my younger sis and i were shipped off to live with strangers in a lil country village, the first month was terrifying (although the people were lovely) then October came...Halloween was almost part of the curriculum at school,we counted bats/spiders,wrote stories about witches,made apple pies and candy apples and paper decorations,at the end of every day the teacher would read spooky stories.As the day got closer a huge bonfire was built on the common green,turnips were carved and on doorsteps/porch roofs,piles of leaves everywhere.Even the church had Halloween parties,proper Halloween with costume competitions,apple bobbing,firework displays etc.It sounds quite silly now but at the time it was like saving grace and made me/us want to be part of this new life.But the best part was at 6 noone gender stereotyped and i was able to be a witch lol complete with homemade black bag costume.Today i Halloween because it's just so important to me,lets me shrug off being introverted for a night and hopefully make some memories for the kids that roll up to my door. :) bit of a ramble but there ya have it!
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Madame Leota and Shadowbat I really think it is like that for most haunters. Some embrace it all their lives and others bury it just for it to pop out when they least expect it. Sounds to me you have always embraced being yourselves.

Grotbags excellent share thank you for that. Sounds like the type of kids that keeps themyst going.
Hmm... well, I never really lived in a place where I got TOTers. As a kid, we went to my Grandmom's neighborhood. I lived in some newer neighborhoods, some townhouse areas & apartments as I was on my own, but it was never more than 5 or 6 kids max - just next door neighbors, mostly.

Then I met DH, and he lived in a development that got a decent number of TOTers, and Halloween 2008, we both had off work & decided we'd put up a few decorations and hang out at his house & maybe give out some candy. Well, that was the beginning! Our small cemetery went over very well, we enjoyed talking with other neighbors, and we've done it bigger each year. For both of us, it feeds the desire to be creative (mostly me), the desire to scare people & play with fog machines (mostly him!) :D, and we both really enjoy the sense of community it brings. Plus, now our two little kiddos just love it too! And you really just can't beat the looks on the kids faces as they see something they love - some of the kids like simple, some of the kids like cute, some of the kids like to be scared, etc. I love the idea that we're showing kids what they can do themselves someday!
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To make the kids happy. Sadly, not too many people decorate or hand out anything for the ToTers in my neighborhood, so I try to give them a happy memorable experience.
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I e loved it since I was little and have never changed. I like fog, mist, creepy quiet nights. I like Hallowwen music, movies, costumes, makeup, vampires, ghosts, decorations.

The fact it's at night is also a plus. I just like the atmosphere. Hard to explain.

I think you either get Halloween or you don't.
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I started in 2008 ish with cardboard tombstones...

Why? tho do I do it?

Because I live in suburbia, as much as Maine has suburbia...
I live in a neighborhood that people minivan thier kids to, in order to ToT.
I do it because this is where kids ToT in these parts.
the police come out in force, and often set up their own stand about 8 houses down, giving out coffee, hot chocolate, and glowsticks.
(one year, i counted 7 different TYPES of police vehicles, bike, segway, cruiser, suv, van, big van, hummer, and i forget if they had a motorcycle)


Last year I bought 300 packs of oreos, and had like 20 leftover, but I'm sure 20 kids forget to ask for candy they were too busy reading all the tombstones, Had like 165 tombstones last year. ( I haven't put any out yet, and I'm at 240ish, with about than half of them being unchanged from last year, so 100+ brand new stones, with 20ish touched up?, and 20 ish just painted blank and started over.)

One of my neighbors ( who used to have the best driveway for halloween (but she hasnt changed much in 8 years) continuously threatens to give me all her stuff as her kids are in college) but she's probably my inspiration to even get started.
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Remember that house every Halloween when you were a kid?
Yeah. THAT house.

So do I.
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Honestly .. For a large part it's a creative outlet for me. I enjoy planning and executing builds. I also enjoy children ( adults usually not so much ;) ) .. I really love the enjoyment they get out of what we set up. I was walking through the park the other day with my DH and our dog .. I had a little boy of about 3 years old run up to me and ask when I was going to start putting things up this year. I didn't know the child or his mom .. But they obviously recognized me and knew our house and drive by it every day in October. :D
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When those TOTs are telling their grandkids about Halloween and THAT house, I want to be in that memory.
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I scare people to begin with, so why would I not take advantage of that and go just a little creepier still while I can get away with it and not wind up being escorted to a nice new house by the men in white?:D
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I always loved Halloween as a kid, I don't remember any one house but I remember tons of kids in our neighborhood dressed up and trick or treating. It was the best night of the year! I love all things Halloween, there is no such thing as too many skeletons, but I don't decorate the house too scary for the kids. I do it for myself and to create a memory for the kids. Plus I love giving out candy.
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