On the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 25, I was driving into Newton from campus to pick up something from a store for my Halloween costume. On my way, I noticed something: there were some children dressed in costumes, partaking in what I assumed was trick-or-treating.
Keep in mind, this was on the Saturday before Halloween.
On the day of Halloween, I thought more about what I saw the previous week, and compared it to Halloween nights of my childhood. For context, I grew up in New York City, so most of my trick-or-treating nights were spent at a friend’s apartment building. Many of those nights, especially the ones towards the latter end of my trick-or-treating era, would consist of half trick-or-treating, half video games in my friend’s room. Meanwhile, I had another friend who had a second house in a suburban neighborhood, and each year, he would come to school the next day and tell me how amazing his trick-or-treating experiences were; they sounded miles better than mine.
Urbanization is one of the killers behind trick-or-treating. Halloween has almost always been portrayed in popular media as a suburban activity, where children go from house to house asking for candy, as seen in many children’s classics, such as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” With the rise of urbanization, especially within the United States, viewers find it more difficult to relate to these characters, leading to fewer parents showing their trick-or-treating-aged children said media. Even for the urban families who chose to let their children trick-or-treat in a city apartment building, Halloween 2020 was a ghost town for trick-or-treaters. The close contact nature of going door-to-door for candy, plus wearing a mask on top of an already hot costume, seemed to be a great concern for most parents. Even after the decline of COVID-19 rates, the trend of alternative Halloween events found its place in society, such as in-apartment parties and other gatherings.
However, urbanization is not the sole perpetrator of trick-or-treating’s decline. Concerns over safety have led many parents to pull their children out of the activity. At a glance, letting your child go up to unknown people’s houses and ask strangers for candy seems like a dangerous idea, going directly against the “stranger danger” principles most children were taught at a young age. In addition, reduced visibility due to costumes and darkness leads to more trips, falls and even car-pedestrian accidents than any other day of the year. And while Halloween movies may not be as relatable, messages on the news are, unfortunately, becoming more and more apparent. Think about it; you’ve probably seen more warnings for contaminated or laced candy, choking hazards for young children and allergens in common candies.
Yet this shift has had unintended consequences: many families are unaware of the new, alternative times, leaving far fewer participants on the streets. Others see daytime trick-or-treating as less magical, breaking from the eerie nighttime atmosphere that once defined the tradition. As a result, even well-intentioned safety measures have contributed to the overall decline in participation.
Is trick-or-treating declining?
Yes.
What about the spirit of Halloween as a whole?
That’s ultimately up to your definition of the spirit of Halloween.
If you believe that Halloween is all about costumes, spooky decorations outside homes and going door to door asking for candy, then yes, the spirit of Halloween is dying. However, if you can enjoy Halloween via parties and other costume and spooky-themed gatherings, then perhaps you see it alive and well, just like any other holiday you choose to celebrate. After all, the way we celebrate holidays has never been static; it changes with each generation. What once centered around doorsteps and neighborhoods has moved to community centers, schools and online spaces.
When I saw those kids trick-or-treating the weekend before Halloween, it reminded me that the heart of the holiday isn’t just about candy or timing, it’s about the joy of pretending, of belonging to something whimsical for a night. Whether that happens in a cul-de-sac, an apartment building or a fraternity basement, that same excitement still flickers. Perhaps Halloween isn’t disappearing at all; it’s simply evolving, finding new forms that fit the world we live in today.
