With Halloween just past us, I can't help but wonder what happened to "trick" in "trick-or-treating." It used to be, back in the old days, that when kids yelled out "trick-or-treat" they were actually asking a question. It was a threatening question. There was a real chance of vandalism if an adult or their treat was not appreciated.
In the classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, Halloween in the early 20th century is depicted. The kids in town, all without supervision, seemed far less interested in treats and far more interested in the dastardly deeds they were going to participate in. Some of those deeds were dastardly ingenious.
This made me realize that Halloween used to be a genuinely scary evening where actual crimes by children were not only committed, but expected and tolerated. It's true that the majority of the 'tricks' were minor infractions-- kids just letting off steam--but still criminal acts nonetheless. In fact, many adults chuckled over their own Halloween transgressions.
Now we have the sanitized, safe, and commercial version of Halloween. Parents now buy pre-made costumes. Gone is the creativity, the possibility, the wonder of that evening. Gone is the magic. Also, long gone is the opportunity to be a bad little boy or girl for a night.
It's not that adults have become overly protective as much as the world is a much more evil place. What used to be harmless fun equates to real risks in the modern world. Halloween is not really a fun, safe night anymore for either adults or children.
We now have to inspect our kids' candy to make sure that no one has inserted razor blades to hurt them. We have to keep an eye on them for fear of abduction. Gone forever are the days where you could allow them to accept homemade treats.
When I wish for a night of mayhem, I'm really longing for a time when childhood was a safe, good, and fun time of life. Until that happens, we can never allow our kids to be 'bad' when real evil exists. - 15359
In the classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, Halloween in the early 20th century is depicted. The kids in town, all without supervision, seemed far less interested in treats and far more interested in the dastardly deeds they were going to participate in. Some of those deeds were dastardly ingenious.
This made me realize that Halloween used to be a genuinely scary evening where actual crimes by children were not only committed, but expected and tolerated. It's true that the majority of the 'tricks' were minor infractions-- kids just letting off steam--but still criminal acts nonetheless. In fact, many adults chuckled over their own Halloween transgressions.
Now we have the sanitized, safe, and commercial version of Halloween. Parents now buy pre-made costumes. Gone is the creativity, the possibility, the wonder of that evening. Gone is the magic. Also, long gone is the opportunity to be a bad little boy or girl for a night.
It's not that adults have become overly protective as much as the world is a much more evil place. What used to be harmless fun equates to real risks in the modern world. Halloween is not really a fun, safe night anymore for either adults or children.
We now have to inspect our kids' candy to make sure that no one has inserted razor blades to hurt them. We have to keep an eye on them for fear of abduction. Gone forever are the days where you could allow them to accept homemade treats.
When I wish for a night of mayhem, I'm really longing for a time when childhood was a safe, good, and fun time of life. Until that happens, we can never allow our kids to be 'bad' when real evil exists. - 15359
About the Author:
About the author: Kasey Morton blogs extensively on many subjects related to small businesses, marketing, movies, and insurance matters. He has a particular interest in nursing jobs and travel nursing jobs.
