When we were kids, Halloween was simple: Pop on a cute Care Bears or Power Rangers costume, grab the plastic pumpkin bucket (bonus points if it was from McDonald's), and traipse around the neighborhood for a few hours. Our biggest worry was getting to chow down on as much candy as possible before our moms pretended to check our candy for razor blades before stealing their favorite candy bars. We're moms now, so we can support the "mom tax" of Halloween candy and are mostly here for just the joy of seeing kids go a little candy crazy.
But these days, Halloween is a bit more complicated. There's etiquette about what kind of treats to give and how much, who is too old to participate, and apparently even who is allowed to set foot in certain neighborhoods. Yes, really. A rude sign admonishing trick-or-treaters for candy-grabbing outside their own 'hoods is going viral and it's started a comment war of epic proportions.
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The sign, which was shared on the FB page Adventures of a Couponista, declares Halloween canceled due to an invasion of unknown trick-or-treaters.
"Due to the fact that people from other neighborhoods truck their children into this neighborhood by the dozens, this house will no longer be handing out candy," the sign reads. "Thank you for ruining Halloween for us and the children who actually live here. Thank you for understanding, now GO AWAY!"
Wow, how welcoming and kind (not)!
Um, OK.
The origins of the photo are unknown, but it's safe to say this sign wasn't written by a tantrum-throwing 3-year-old, even though it has some real spoiled child energy. It also isn't clear how this homeowner can identify which kids are the "outsiders," but the possible answers to that question are pretty gross.
Needless to say, the sign has sparked some heated discussion on Facebook.
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As many pointed out, some people simply don't live in a good neighborhood for trick-or-treating, for several reasons. Why should they be left out?
As others pointed out, some neighborhoods even pride themselves on being the go-to Halloween destination.
As one commenter noted "When I lived in Michigan there was a neighborhood in our small town that everyone went too. They even blocked off some roads for crowd control. People who lived there loved doing it."
We love the neighborhoods that are trying to make the joy of Halloween open to everyone. Childhood is so short, why not try to make sure as many kids as possible are getting to have a good time?
But some still ranted about 'undesirables' showing up on their doorstep and posing serious safety hazards to their neighborhood.
Although some commentators are inclusive and argue that "Any child that shows up to my door and says trick or treat gets some candy, until the candy runs out. I'm not going to ask what street they came from. It's for fun, not a contest," there are others who see some kids as "undesirables" who are ruining the fun for little kids who live in the neighborhood.
We don't advocate for this but we can sort of see why someone called the sign maker a "Halloween Scrooge" and joked that "If I were in her neighborhood, I’d TP her house for being such a bitter cow."
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Personally, when it comes to Halloween, Iet's be like Oprah: You get a Reese's pumpkin, and you get a Reese's pumpkin — everybody gets a Reese's pumpkin!
We don't care about age limits or making sure the trick-or-treaters who show up at my house live in the same zip code. We should hand out candy for as long as it is fun and turn off the porch light when we run out. It's not a big deal.
Yes, safety is important, and sure, very few of us have the money to buy endless amounts of candy. But for the most part, Halloween for kids is about the excitement of dressing up and being out after dark, the warm and neighborly glow you feel from everyone around you, and just being happy to participate. As grown-ups, we should do our best to preserve that magic, no matter who shows up on our doorsteps.
