Trick-or-treat? That is the question. There has been a trending decline of trick-or-treaters that have led neighbourhood candy providers asking “Why?” Is the Halloween tradition faltering?
A 2023 poll reported that 54 per cent of Canadians believe there are fewer kids trick-or-treating in their neighbourhood. These numbers correlate with beliefs of neighbourhood safety, as 35 per cent of respondents believe their community is less safe than it was a decade ago.
My initial thought was that maybe this is a reaction to COVID-19. We don’t want to go up to strangers’ houses anymore, right? But that may not be the case. The Mirror wrote an article in 2019 about how Halloween is a dying tradition, meaning this phenomenon is not a result of germ safe kids, but rather something more.
There have been numerous concerns around Halloween safety through various lenses, the first being the candy crisis. Though there has been “no apparent evidence” of tampered Halloween candy, the scare tactic remains present. There is no harm in checking treats before eating: check for holes in wrappers or make a judgement call if it was a homemade treat. Coquitlam RCMP say, “when in doubt, throw it out.”
Road safety is another concern that may cause parents to avoid taking their kids out trick-or-treating. The RCMP suggest using masks that do not block visuals, as well as making sure costumes are visible in the dark by “adding reflective tape or arm bands to increase visibility.”
Another proposed cause is the lack of neighbourhood socialization. This comes in many forms — diminished social bonds cause a lot of questions to be posed. We all are familiar with stranger danger, but how many neighbours do we really know? Further, the social aspect is reflected with “welcoming” efforts of Halloween within the neighbourhood. If there aren’t any decorations set, lights are off, and you don’t know your neighbours, all of a sudden your options are shot.
The Sarnia Journal goes even further when acknowledging the correlation with urban planning. “Do the houses have prominent front doors and/or porches encouraging interaction? Do you trust that there are eyes on the street helping to keep your neighbourhood safe and welcoming?”
The Dalhousie Gazette poses a dilemma of the child’s mind. The article suggests the ever-apparent position of technology and disinterest in the world around us. Within our rapidly developing society, this is certainly becoming its own socialization problem that could definitely impact Halloween festivities.
I have to acknowledge that there is no direct proof of one reason or another being the ultimate cause for the decline in trick-or-treating; it is mere observation and speculation.
It could be one thing or the other; it could be two or three reasons listed here, or none of them. Maybe it’s everything all at once.
But I think that a child’s wonder, imagination, spirit, and love for sugar will always lead them to want to trick-or-treat. Maybe the reason for a trick-or-treat decline is just those pesky adults, but perhaps they have good reason. Our world changes rapidly, and that change can be scary — this causes a lot of anxiety around children’s safety. This weariness around tainted candy, traffic incidents, not to mention the reality of price increases, manifests in a protective instinct that has constricted children to a Halloween with less freedom than many of us grew up with.
All of this considered, I truly hope Halloween never falters and that the magic of childhood takes over all the worry— maybe in a perfect world.
