Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for September 30, 2013

So does the Federal Gov. (today)

Use a Finnish Sauna, and swim an extra 6-8 miles per day. It really works.

It’s like every other holiday. Madison Avenue got hold of it, and BINGO! About the only holidays that don’t seem to involve getting drunk are Easter and Passover, and if you give them time, they’ll take care of that, too.

Well, if it’s any solace, in our neighborhood there’s still plenty of roaming groups of kids trick-or-treating, many in clever homemade costumes. And there are any number of us adult-types who love dressing up, getting the yard/house all spooky and getting in on the fun. (yes, we have a few kids who drive over from the not-so-safe neighborhoods to come door-to-door here, and I’m always glad to see them too.)

I guess it all depends on where you live.

Here in the Deep South, many conservative Christian denominations have demonized (pun intended) Halloween and substituted “Fall Festivals” held in their facilities and discouraged children from participating in the traditional neighborhood walks. Political correctness – It’s not just for liberals anymore!

It depends on the parents. I either follow my daughters in the car or leave the car and walk with them. They don’t wear the “cheap” costumes (I did buy a bee costume online that was skimpier than I thought so my daughter just wore a shirt and pants under it). @ Arlo, tell Janis how great she looks.

Just turn off your TV and go outside. You will see the same halloween. Don’t go to parties or clubs go to a neighborhood.

:-D

Sadly those days are gone because of the ‘sickies" out there. When I was a kid in the 50’s we would go house to house in one direction then unload and go house to house in the other direction. It was so sad trick-or-treating was banned by the time my son was old enough to go. They had parties at the different community centers but, it just wasn’t the same. As adults, we dress up in costumes ‘cause it’s fun and it’s the one time we can clown around as though we were still “kids”. IMHO.

In my neighborhood, there’s a hot dog supper in the church school (so everyone can see everyone’s costumes), followed by a parade around the block and then trick or treat. Kids go around with parents or friends. We ignore the village timing (trick or treat in daylight? really?). Works great.

I still don’t get what Janis is talking about.

No more weight loss from now ‘til after the holidays.

Also, it’s great to see everyone is staying on topic today.

I read that the only reason Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Easter are candy holidays is because of lobbying by the candy industry. Nowhere else but the United States and Canada do strangers give kids candy for Halloween. They tried to create a new holiday, Friendship Day, between Valentine’s and Easter, but it didn’t stick. They also lobbied the government to move Daylight Saving Time to before Halloween to increase sales somehow.

“Inherit The Mirth”.

I’m still trying to figure out when St. Patrick’s Day became a party-til-you-puke occasion.

A new physical year for Janis?

When I’m home in St. Petersburg, FL, the kids still come around. The neighborhood has changed so the kids have changed, but they still come around. In Sheboygan County, WI, where the grandkids live, there are Halloween activities galore. The Girl Scouts have a district-wide Monster Mash, our little church had a pumpkin-decorating affair last year, the Lions Club hall has a Halloween skate (I tied for first prize for my age group [12 and over] :-) in a contest there year before last), the cities and villages all get a designated trick-or-treat day. On Halloween we dress up and go trick or treating in Kohler, the ritziest place in the area. It was terrific when we first went twelve years ago and has toned down from the recession, but is still fun. Then we eat at Chili’s.

The kids in my neighborhood still dress up and go running around. The parents are usually following them (from the street). Same as when I was a kid. There are also parties and “Trick or Trunk” get togethers where kids go car to car in a parking lot. Doesn’t seem like much fun to me so we don’t go. We end up giving away most of our candy afterwards because we don’t eat it much. The fun is in the getting anyway.

I don’t think there are any more ‘sickos’ out there than there was 40 years ago when I would go trick-or-treating. The difference is 24 hour news channels and sensationalizing by the press has made parents afraid. It’s not just Halloween you don’t see kinds out running around and/or playing, they are locked up and hidden away year round. No wonder they are overweight.

I have personal reasons that I do not like Halloween and try to avoid it. It really has gotten crazy – ever been hit by an egg thrown from a moving car as you are getting in yours and you are hurt and you and car covered in egg, on your birthday? Ever go to a nice restaurant for your birthday and be served by something covered in blood?

In 35 years of marriage we had 2 children t or t when we lived in an apartment and for about 5 years had the children 2 houses over t or t and that was it. Last year after hurricane Sandy we saw people in a parking lot to a closed (permanently not from storm) store set up their cars in a circle and the kids went car to car to t or t.