[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