NFR Am I the only grump who doesn't care about Halloween?

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

I guess I look at hoalloween different than most because todays my birthday. As kids there were always Halloween birthday parties, then as a teen and beyond always drunken craziness. When our kids were young we did it up big. The kids live in a newer neighbor with lots of young families and so many do neat stuff, so we go over there and trick or treat, it's about the fun the kids have. SixO today by belly button years.

Hey! Happy Birthday!!

 

[Divad]

I guess I look at hoalloween different than most because todays my birthday. As kids there were always Halloween birthday parties, then as a teen and beyond always drunken craziness. When our kids were young we did it up big. The kids live in a newer neighbor with lots of young families and so many do neat stuff, so we go over there and trick or treat, it's about the fun the kids have. SixO today by belly button years.

Happy Birthday Tom!

 

[up2nogood]

There is so much wasted money spent on buying toys for my six nieces and nephews. (There is so much money wasted on Christmas period!) I love Christmas, but absolutely hate shopping for anything at any time.

So i started a new tradition with presents for them. At first I started giving $100 for birthdays but then decided $50 is good enough for Christmas and for birthdays now on. I went on YouTube and learned how to make origami hearts out of some the dollar bills.

Along with the money i wrote out a list of what they can buy with it after looking up stuff on Google. Jokey things, like how many pounds of broccoli, how many McDonald’s orders of fries to give them some perspective of how much it is since they are all elementary age kids in the 4th grade and younger.

It’s so much easier and they love it!
View attachment 39194View attachment 39198

Yup , $50 dollar bill for Christmas ,and birthdays ,and call it good . Have done that for years now .

 

[Mossback]

The issue that I have with holidays is the rampant commercialization. Setting aside a day where you get together with friends or family or whoever to share food, drink and time together has a long tradition in human civilization. At one time sharing your calories (food) with others was just about the best thing you could do for another human, especially in a primative society.
That has morphed into sales numbers for Black Friday, and what seems to be a complete bastardization of the meaning behind any holiday, now it's all measured in sales figures, and unreasonable ( in my view) expectations for everything surrounding them.
I like holidays, and the time with those I care about, and the fishing I do before heading over to do the whole holiday thing...
I can do without 3 months of hype, breathless coverage of sales numbers, and commercials for 70k SUV's with bows on them.
Don't need a holiday to celebrate, but glad we have days set aside to do so.
YMMV

 

[Jim F.]

I guess I look at hoalloween different than most because todays my birthday.

Happy Birthday!

 

[Evan B]

When I was a kid we would all gather at my grandparents. My family with 4 kids, then my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Would be about 20 people depending on who could/couldn't make it that year. We'd meet for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. There were some interesting moments and awkward conversations - but my grandparents were the glue the kept us all together and everyone respected them and tried to be on their best behavior. Once they moved in retirement homes, we'd meet at one of the relatives places. Then once they died, the events just went away as well. All the families just went their separate ways.

As a young married couple, this wasn't a huge deal for us at the time. We liked figuring out our own family traditions as we started having kids. But the older I got, the more I appreciated what we had as kids growing up. My wife grew up in a single mother home with no extended family (or what ever family she had was severely dysfunctional on many levels). So, for the few years she got to spend with my grandparents and get a taste of those deep family traditions - they really resonated with her.

So now, years later, we are taking on the role of my grandparents. No grandkids yet, but we got the ball rolling with traditions. Not stuffy old traditions full of facades and motions and expectations - just family time. We don't fuss about perfect place settings. No Martha Stewart pressure. Just happy to spend time together and be real with each other. We host our "family dinner night" each Sunday. All of our kids (8 total) have an open invitation and can of course bring their spouse/family as they grow theirs. My dad and step-mom come each week. My MIL. And we have a few friends who come on the regular who are like family. Then that same group has open invites to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter - but a few more invites to out of state relatives. I imagine in 10 years it will be quite a bit like my childhood as we get some grandkids in the mix.

As for Halloween, I could do without it. But the kids have had some fun with it. I view it like the fair or Disney land - just feeds the instant gratification on sweets (figuratively and litterally) and cheap (and not so cheap) thrills and gimmicks. And while I do love a good candy bar from time to time, I think sugar is a poison and someday we'll wonder what we were thinking pumping that into our bodies and our kid's bodies. Bah humbug!! As for tonight, my 15 year old twin daughters and I have some deer to chase. That's my kind of Halloween

That's an awesome outlook on it! It definitely seems to mean more (at least to me) when we're allowed to kind of do our own thing, whatever that ends up being. We've tried hosting a few holidays for family, but they got upset because our food menu differed from what they expect, wanted less emphasis on material gifts, etc etc. So we're back to square 1 on figuring out how to go about it.

And yeah, sugar = poison and I hate that I give in so easily. This time of year is really hard for me for that reason. I'm good about never buying, supplying my own... but when you work at an office where people like to bring in treats, or have friends, family, and neighbors who supply them... it gets rough.

And good on you for getting the family gatherings up and running on your terms. Wish I could pull that off.

 

[Old406Kid]

So I bought Reese peanut butter cups this time.

Same here!

 

[RCF]

When there is commercialization of a holiday it ruins it IMHO. Halloween is the second biggest in holiday sales for retailers just behind Labor Day. I have been lucky. In 40 years of being married, we have not had tricker/treater to our place.

Third is Thanksgiving. Black Friday, forcing people to work on Thursday so that they can not enjoy time with friends and family, just sucks! I do enjoy Thanksgiving dinner a lot. It is the only time of year to eat some of the side dishes and desserts ---> Yumm...

 

[Old Man]

Me and all holiday's, and birthdays just don't do. Since I've been here in Montana, I can count on one hand how many kids show up at our place. I've been here going 15 plus years. We have dogs and it's posted all around the fence. They will bite strangers. There was some kids in our area that teased our dogs. They don't show up at our place unless they call first. And then it's still iffy.

The other 5 that live here. Go all out. I just sit in the dark with all the lights off. And watch TV.. Yeah and I'm an old grouchy fucker. Pushing 88 harder every day. Hope I make it to damn near 100 years. To be a century old is something.

Got me a new 32" TV this morning. 108 bucks at Wally World . My female son in law broke my other one. I kind of missed all the games this weekend. Quite a bummer.

 

[Mossback]

California Man Dressed As Fireball Whisky Bottle Collared For Drunken Conduct

A Halloween reveler dressed as a bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky was arrested early today for drunken disorderly conduct, domestic battery, and several other charges, according to California jail

www.thesmokinggun.com

 

[Evan B]

Got me a new 32" TV this morning. 108 bucks at Wally World . My female son in law broke my other one. I kind of missed all the games this weekend. Quite a bummer.

This is all a lot to unpack and process. But ultimately, I'm happy you got yourself a new tv! Sounds like you missed the Hawks game yesterday which was a very good one.

 

[Bruce Baker]

Halloween is fun for me. There's a lot to like:
Eating your kids candy
Scaring your kids
Running around the neighborhood saying hi to all your neighbors
Staying up a little bit late with your kids
Telling scary stories
Seeing your kids stoke when they get that full size candy bar from the 'cool' neighbor

I don't know, I like it. Fun day in my house.

Speaking of full size bars, I normally give out full size Kit Kats. One year was not able to get any, so I went with Snickers. I could not get two cases of regular sized bars, so one case regular and one case king size. Traffic really slowed down after the regular sized Snickers were doled out. This one kid came to my door and after giving him a king sized bar, he goes running down the street yelling "this house is giving out king sized Snickers!" That put a big smile on my face.

One year a little one wanted to give me candy and on another year a little tried coming into my house. The little ones are fun.

Another great memory was my first Halloween in my house in Oly. Three moms came by with their kids and when they saw me give them a regular sized Kit Kat, they asked if they could have one.

It's 7:48 and no kids yet. Very disappointing. Two cases of Kit Kats. I am glad I love Kit Kats. Some co-workers will get some.

 

[Evan B]

I was prepared tonight

 

[Eastside]

Going to have to turn the lights and the pumpkin off soon if they keep coming….

 

[nwbobber]

I've lived here 24 years, in all that time I've had trick or treaters show up twice. We used to get the big bars so if they did show up it would be nice reward. Then we end up eating them, and that's no good. Living in the country, it's different, the families out here pack up their kids and drive into town to maximize the sugar intake of their kids I guess.

 

[Bruce Baker]

Because I need a break from family this year we are doing Thanksgiving at our house with a couple whose husband plays guitar in the band with my husband since they are in the middle of a kitchen remodel and don’t have parents who are alive or siblings they get together with. (Their daughter who is a nurse is also coming. So just the five of us.) I realize how much I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving (which i usually hate cause it’s too close to Christmas and we are often driving over the pass to my husband’s side of the family). We are BBQing a turkey. So let the holidays begin! It’s starts today!

Since I went to college out of state, did not really live close to my parents after college, and hate traveling on Thanksgiving, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I had Thanksgiving with my immediate family. The last one was 4 years ago in Florida and unfortunately it was a sad day as my dad passed away in the early morning hours. Because he was in hospice and we were not sure how long he was going to live, we did not do any Thanksgiving preparations, food-wise. So after we re-grouped we joined the masses and managed to pick up a couple of rotisserie chickens and some fixings. It turned out all right despite the cirumstances.

Some years I spend it with friends and some years I stay home. With the latter, I don't mind, which some people don't understand. I can watch all the football I want or not want to, and eat whatever I want. I have cooked the traditional turkey and I have had swordfish.

With retirement looming, maybe will try and spend some holidays with my sister and her husband as I am on no schedule and an avoid the big crowds at the airport or take my time on the highways and do some site seeing along the way.

 

[Bruce Baker]

Happy birthday @Tom Butler !!

 

[clarkman]

I guess I look at hoalloween different than most because todays my birthday. As kids there were always Halloween birthday parties, then as a teen and beyond always drunken craziness. When our kids were young we did it up big. The kids live in a newer neighbor with lots of young families and so many do neat stuff, so we go over there and trick or treat, it's about the fun the kids have. SixO today by belly button years.

Happy birthday Tom!

 

[Brian Miller]

I guess I look at hoalloween different than most because todays my birthday... SixO today by belly button years.

Happy Birthday Tom!!

 

[brownheron]

I wish I would have taken the time to snap a few photos in Forks this evening. People everywhere on the sidewalk in the main pat of the town on 101 all in costumes, full families even. Petty sure I saw my neighbor and her husband dressed as robots on the street giving out candy. I was headed into town to grab a new saw blade from Thriftway and wasn't expecting half of Forks to be turned out for Halloween. Kind of surreal, almost like vampire days but all the monsters, anime characters and everything in between.