<p>Ok so it has been years since the kids dressed up as the cutest skunks on earth. But even during high school, we carved jack o lanterns, went out to eat, scary movie, etc. ( we live in a rural area so no trick or treaters). Last year we walked around the neighborhood of our kids’ youth, but that seemed a bit maudlin. Any ideas on keeping for “howl” in halloween now that we are on our own?</p>
<p>Our community has a wonderful Haunted Forest that is planned and staffed by volunteers, who also carve pumpkins, act in tableaux etc. Proceeds go to a local charity.</p>
<p>Halloween used to be the biggest holiday on our calendar. We lived in a city neighborhood with fantastic trick-or-treating, and also threw great parties with our kids. The year we turned the whole house into a haunted house with D1’s scout troop was the best! Then we moved to a more rural neighborhood, and as the kids got older we have really toned down the celebration. Now it is all about buying candy WE like because we have a lot of leftovers. And setting aside an evening for reading in the living room so it is easy to answer the door (which I almost never do, so that is not all bad!).</p>
<p>We also have a shelter near us for homeless families. I’ll bet they could use some Halloween fun there.</p>
<p>We get hundreds of trick or treaters. Empty nesterhood won’t change that. We enjoy it, though. I really like it when it is chilly (it’s not always). We have something cold weather appropriate to eat for dinner, a nice cabernet, a good scary movie, and just enjoy the whole evening. The kids are so cute, and most are very polite. One of my favorite days. :)</p>
<p>How about a grown up Halloween party a la Heidi Klum?</p>
<p>I’m declaring a moritorium on Halloween until such time as I have a grandchild to carve a pumpkin with.</p>
<p>It’s looking like Halloween may be a wash on the East coast! : /</p>
<p>How about curling up with a bunch of scary movies?</p>
<p>Too bad about the lack of trick-or-treaters. How about helping out at a community center/day care/mall trickortreat etc?</p>
<p>Grandkids would be nice…</p>
<p>Halloween used to be S’s favorite holiday. He would start planning next year’s costume on November 1. He was thrilled that it basically consisted of wearing a costume and asking for/receiving candy. Not contingent on good behavior for Santa or suffering through long church services (H is clergy). </p>
<p>S is our youngest and is a college freshman. H is serving in a relatively new interim position and the church is doing trunk or treat for the first time. Church is in a low-income urban area with lots of families/young children. I’ve been purchasing candy for several weeks now!</p>
<p>I never liked the concept of kids going to people’s house to ask for candy. We always got more candy than we would allow our kids to eat and we ended up throwing it out. We enjoyed carving pumpkin with our kids when they were little. </p>
<p>We live in NYC now and we have option of receiving trick or treaters or not in our apartment building. I told H not to put us on the list. I am getting a massage that night after work.</p>
<p>My sister would suggest you watch Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I’d throw in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. And we live where we don’t trick-or-treaters too, so I always hit up the sale candy starting November 1st. If the anticipation of getting all those goodies doesn’t make your day, nothing will.</p>
<p>I love Halloween as a 3 year old does - the fun, happy, fall-ish, can’t-wait-for-it-to-be-6pm-when-trick-or-treat starts way. Not the spooky, scary Halloween way. Filling up the basket with all kinds of candy and treats (I often buy something other than candy for the really young ones - like the mini Playdoh cans (go ahead, shoot me!) or mini bags of popcorn/goldfish. Putting on not only the front porch light, but ALL the front of the house room lights so the house just glows! (we live on a corner with a big yard and a long sidewalk walking up to the house), If it’s cold, I often buy apple cider, put it in a crock pot and offer it to the parents that come by that I know. Dressing the dog up in his costume. Lighting a yummy candle so that when I open the door the smell lingers out the door. Listening for the rustling of the leaves as the kids scurry through the neighborhood. And of course, greeting the door and encouraging the kids to pick “the one you like” instead of picking for them. </p>
<p>I sure do miss my own kids going out. My youngest is 15 and I think last year was the first year she didn’t go. But as long as we live where there are kids, I will be doing all those things above - Halloween to me, beats the heck out of Christmas!!!</p>
<p>We’re not full blown empty nesters but I sure feel wistful this time of year for all the fun we used to have. We’d go to Sleepy Hollow where they re-enact the ride of the Headless Horseman. There’d be witches stirring a big cauldron, a ■■■■■ who blocked your passage on a rickety wooden footbridge, jugglers tossing lighted sticks in the air. All very scary :)</p>
<p>This year, D is at college; S’14 was invited to a Hallowe’en party at a friends. Our townhouse complex has officially opened up the annual Hallowe’en party to all us homeowners (after it just being a few people standing outside with drinks and chips). But if Sandy shows up, all bets are off.</p>