[Ansteorra] What happened to Halloween (was Lead *Rant*)
Michael Silverhands
silverhands at sbcglobal.net
Sun Oct 29 08:42:04 PST 2006
On Oct 29, 2006, at 7:46 AM, Robin Craig wrote:
> You know, its not only warning labels, it affects our traditions
> too. To my knowledge, no one ever put razorblades in candy apples or
> poisoned popcorn balls on halloween. Yet, the tradition of trick or
> treating is now becoming a tradition of going to the mall instead
> because of this fear. Last week I saw a show on the news about the
> threat of child molesters and halloween and I thought to myself,
> don't parents go with and supervise their kids while trick or
> treating? Mine did. Even when I was older. I may not have liked it,
> but if I wanted the candy....
>
> -Robin Anderson of Ross
>
When I was a kid, none of those things were problems. Kids went trick-
or-treating, typically on their own block but sometimes ranging
further afield -- maybe walking to the next block over, or taking
your bike to the other side of the neighborhood. It was safe -- not
because there were lots of precautions, but because there was no need
of them -- and it was fun.
In 1974, Ronald Clark O'Bryan -- a whack job in Pasadena (a suburb of
Houston, where I grew up) -- murdered his son for the insurance
money. He chose to do so by putting cyanide-laced Pixie Stix into his
son's Halloweed candy bags. This killed his son, but it also
effectively killed Halloween trick-or-treating in Houston (if not the
whole state) for several years. Right about that same time, another
whack job decided to put razor blades into some candied apples --
again, it turned out, hoping to injure their own child(ren?).
When Halloween trick-or-treating re-emerged, it was closer to what it
is now (block parties, parents accompanying their kids, trick-or-
treating at the mall, carloads of kids and teenagers cruising other
neighborhoods than their own, etc.) than it had been before. But just
keep in mind: those aren't "ancient traditions". Things have only
been like this for about 30 years (give or take). If you're in your
30's now (or younger), then "it's always been that way". If you're in
your 40's (or older), then you remember when it changed.
Michael
More information about the Ansteorra
mailing list