Let's Not Go to the Poulsens' House

'Tis a silly place.

Trick-or-Treating on its last, candy-seeking legs

Last night, Thomas got his first real dose of trick-or-treating. We took him two years ago, when we lived in Ithaca, around the woodsy neighborhood of six-plexes we lived in, but he was only 2 1/2 at the time and the idea was a little fuzzy to him. Last year, we were dealing with a preemie newborn and also, fond as I was of our NYC neighborhood, I'd as comfortably taken him out around there after dark on Halloween night as I would to hand him off to an overly friendly stranger on the subway, saying "Thanks for offering to babysit!"

We figured, though, our new digs in Princeton were more than safe enough for him to do a round of houses with us in tow. You can imagine his excitement. Here is one night out of the year where any random adult answering the door will give you candy, no strings attached. You don't have to earn the candy by doing chores and you don't owe them anything after you leave. They're just giving you candy! For showing up at their house! It's craziness! It's the greatest kids' night of the year!

Here's a video of Thomas's first door-knocking experience (warning, video is pretty dark on account of it being night-time and whatnot):



We weren't the only trick-or-treaters on the block, but we did notice a certain dearth of kids. So, in fact, did the candy-dispensers who gave whole handfuls to Thomas, presumably to get rid of their stashes. At one house, the woman answering offered him the candy bowl and Thomas, being polite I can only suppose, actually took just one. She said, "Oh you should have more than that!" and proceeded to put several fistfuls of Spongebob gummy hamburgers into his bag. At home, we noticed the bowl of candy we had set out on the front porch had lost a certain amount of sugar poundage, but it wasn't empty and once we were home, no one else knocked on the door the rest of the night (it was barely seven o'clock when we walked in the door).

What's going on? From friends and family all around the country, I'm hearing the same news: the death knell of trick-or-treating has been sounded. Most people are speculating that it's a safety issue, which made sense to me in New York, but out here in quiet suburbia, I'm genuinely puzzled at the idea. Is the greatest kid's night of the year actually doomed? When I was a kid (warning, nostalgia alert), I used to roam around my hometown from dusk until...well if not dawn, at least a lot later than 7 pm, usually with a few friends. We'd hit all the big candy givers and avoid spoilsports (like the town dentist) who gave out apples and pencils. Even after we stumbled home exhausted, we'd sit up the remainder of the night scarfing and cataloging our booty.

I'm devastated that this tradition might be disappearing. What do people think? Is the picture the same everywhere? Is there any chance of a revival?

My current, and possibly future, ninja turtles hope so.