As a kid growing up in the Bronx, Halloween was always a special time to me. Visions of overflowing bags of candy, costumes, and the thrill of the unknown made concentrating in school nearly impossible. Yet Halloween in the Bronx also meant large groups of kids actively roaming about in search of mayhem. Candy merely represented an added bonus to the evening. Neighborhoods were transformed into the wild west as evidenced by the sticky aftermath of epic eggs and shaving cream battles. For one crisp Autumn night each year, we were unapologetically wild things. Then seemingly overnight, times changed.
News stories of poisoned candy, harmful objects found in fruit, and gang related violence crept into the American psyche. The message was crystal clear: Halloween had become too dangerous for children. Parents replaced Trick or Treating with chaperoned kids parties. The exhilaration of Halloween night faded into the past like a flame flickering out into darkness.
It made me wonder what the future will hold for Halloween in the United States. Does the tradition of Trick or Treating have a place anymore with modern parents. Take our poll below and feel free to comment about your Halloween memories.
Here’s a fun 1980s Hershey’s Commercial about Halloween:
