By Kevin Tran
If you grew up as a kid in the 2000s or early 2010s, you probably remember how big Halloween used to feel. The streets on Halloween night were packed with kids in costumes, and almost every house had at least one pumpkin on the porch, and neighborhoods were handing out full-sized candy bars to everyone. Halloween night meant racing with your friends from house to house with buckets overfilled with candy by the end of it.
However, those times have long passed; Halloween no longer feels quite the same. It’s far less exciting than it once was. The streets that were once crowded with kids are now almost empty. Sure, you might see a few trick-or-treaters in the early evening, but the chaos and excitement are gone. As I walk around my neighborhood, fewer houses are decorated and fewer people even bother to turn on their porch lights.
One part of why it might be this way is that we’ve all gotten older; trick or treating feels like a thing of the past once you’ve hit middle school. Back when you were younger, Halloween felt more magical seeing people wear costumes, give out candy and he excitement of staying out late. But as you grow up, that excitement fades. You see Halloween as another night on the calendar.
Even though there are plenty of younger kids around, you don’t see them running through the streets like we used to; most of them go to those small events or stop trick-or-treating early.
Another reason is that Halloween itself has changed. Instead of going door to door, more people spend the night scrolling through social media, hanging out at parties or attending a “trunk-or-treat” event, where candy is handed out from decorated car trucks.
Now, although trunk-or-treating is safer and more organized, I believe that this new way of giving out candy defeats the whole purpose of Halloween.
Trunk-or-treating is more convenient due to its ease and safety, but that’s exactly why it can be boring. Halloween is meant to be unpredictable, hence the name trick-or-treating; you never knew which house had the best candy, or which one had a jump scare waiting at the door. There was a mystery to it.
With trick-or-treating, going to every house felt like a small adventure. Some would hand out handfuls of candy, others would surprise you with a jumpscare at the front door or have a cool fog machine in their front yard
Trunk-or-treating takes away that sense of suspense. All the cars are lined up in one parking lot with candy ready in plain sight. There’s no wondering what’s next or where to go; everything is already laid out, losing that feeling of discovery, the little bit of fear and curiosity that made Halloween feel special.
Additionally, Halloween competes with social media for attention. Rather than exploring the neighborhood, people post pictures of their costumes online and call it a night. The excitement of running from house to house has been replaced by the convenience of phone screens. We’ve turned a once-adventurous holiday into something that happens from behind a screen.
Maybe Halloween hasn’t truly disappeared; it’s just changed. However, I still believe the best part of the holiday isn’t about safety or convenience, it’s about the adventure and the mystery you get with each door you knock.
