Anyone else take Halloween seriously?

[esd]

By seriously, I mean "make an effort". We do, the kids are a great excuse. Previously we've built basic animatronic zombies, ghosts, etc. I even made a Mage's Staff that you double-tap to change the colour of it's magical orb. This year isn't as spectacular, but I've been slowly restoring an old lantern I found in an alley. First it was cleaned up with a dremel and then primed and painted copper. I put together some neopixels and a *new* toilet brush holder, and it now looks like this!

We've got a smoke machine and lights galore. I'll be wearing a vulture's head and a long, black, cloak.

Or do you just turn the front lights out, draw the curtains and ignore the door for the night?

[Tycow]

We put pumpkins out and dress up for the kids. That's about it at the moment, although I can see that changing as our two year old gets older!

[pjknibbs]

Don't have kids, and since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few weeks ago I don't want sweets in the house either, so I guess that's whatever the equivalent is of "bah humbug" for Hallowe'en!

[RegisterMe]

We put pumpkins out and dress up for the kids. That's about it at the moment, although I can see that changing as our two year old gets older!

We put pumpkins out and the kids dress up for us .

(Well, to be accurate, I visit my god children every year, all the streets round where they live put pumpkins in the window if they are "open for business", and parents etc shepherd hordes of sugar hyped children in fancy dress around whilst nipping at a hip flask. It's a lot of fun ).

[Bishop149]

We put pumpkins out and dress up for the kids. That's about it at the moment, although I can see that changing as our two year old gets older!

Same.

The year we moved house into an area that was a bit more "neighbourly" than most of London is and with a fair few kids around I decided to make more of an effort and actually bought a load of sweets to give to any kids that knocked. . . . I discovered a flaw in my plan however. I do not get home from work until 7pm at the earliest, often later. . . 8 or 9pm, so of course no children knocked at this time because they all do it between 4 and 6 and are in bed before I even get home. Haven't bothered since.

I've often said that the American take on "Halloween" should just be renamed "National Cosplay and Candy Day". . . . which, don't get me wrong, is an awesome idea, but they need to stop pretending it has anything at all to do with scary things / Samhain.

[Vertigo 7]

I would love to but muh poor dog goes nuts when someone comes to the door. For her sake, I turn off the door bell and just put a bowl out.

[Alan Phipps]

We went around with a party of several young kids (of which our 3 yr old granddaughter was one) this year. I noticed many households who had entered into it with pumpkins and decorations etc just put a bowl of sweets out this year along with a notice asking callers not to knock but just to take one or two sweets each.

I noticed that the youngsters (say 3-6 yrs) were very good in just taking the recommended amount whereas we noticed older children say (7-12 yrs) taking whole handfuls. All with parents/guardians watching of course. <shrugs>

[Tycow]

We went around with a party of several young kids (of which our 3 yr old granddaughter was one) this year. I noticed many households who had entered into it with pumpkins and decorations etc just put a bowl of sweets out this year along with a notice asking callers not to knock but just to take one or two sweets each.

I noticed that the youngsters (say 3-6 yrs) were very good in just taking the recommended amount whereas we noticed older children say (7-12 yrs) taking whole handfuls. All with parents/guardians watching of course. <shrugs>

The callers we had were generally good, taking 1 or 2 sweets each. Had two teenage lads try their luck... no costume, no masks, no facepaint. Just opened to door to "trick or treat".

I enjoyed giving them a dressing down.

[Alan Phipps]

I enjoy giving the teenage try-it-ons just a toddler-theme lollipop. Watching their expressions is just priceless.

[Chips]

I carved a penis and a mouth into the pumpkin and put it outside. Not a SINGLE trick or treater. Most disappointed.

[notaterran]

I like how some women dress on Halloween.

[Observe]

I didn't even know it was Halloween until I drove to the nearby gas station and saw a young woman with a bruised and swollen face. At first I thought she was a victim of domestic abuse, until I realized it was makeup and that it was Halloween. Still, I guess my initial reaction might have been correct. Who would know?