Halloween When I Was A Child
By Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99367)
Atlanta, Georgia
May 15, 2022 1:30pm CST
Halloween is completely different than when I was a child. We lived in the country where houses were scattered down the valley and there was absolutely nothing to fear from our neighbors. We dressed up in our mama's dresses or any old large apparel we could find. If we could find an old hat, we put that on.
We didn't trick or treat. We only tricked. Our valley was poor and nobody had the money or would have considered buying candy for kids. We dressed up so nobody would recognize us and get us in trouble.
When it was good dark we started down the road looking for anything we could move or do to upset the household. Usually there were buckets or tubs on the back porch. We would sneak up quietly and move them out in the field.
If there were small plants we would pull them up. If we could sneak up quietly and take the rockers off the front porch that was the greatest thrill. If anyone in the house heard us they would shout and we would run on down the road
We didn't do any real damage, but it was fun to see what we could get away with. Although we didn't come home with bags of candy, we had a great time.
20 people like this
17 responses
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
15 May 22
As a kid in the Bronx, New York, we outdid each other with 'tricks' but oh my the treats we would get!!! Dentisits LOVED Halloween!
2 people like this
Different indeed! That's some good kid fun . . . it wasn't about the greediness of getting as much candy as you can.
.
@Deepizzaguy (122293)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
15 May 22
Halloween in your era when you were younger was nice compared to today's era of celebrating Halloween.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122293)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
16 May 22
@RubyHawk You are right that kids today want their candy.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 May 22
@Deepizzaguy And most kids bring a bag full in on Halloween.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169564)
• United States
16 May 22
We did not do any tricks, but it was somewhat safer then and people would even put on carnivals in their homes and garages. My younger brother got beat up once, though and got his candy stolen, long after I left home.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209130)
• United States
16 May 22
We were the opposite, we only treated and never tricked.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40058)
• Toccoa, Georgia
16 May 22
When I was really young we lived in a neighborhood with kids. Parents would walk with their children, as my Mom would, to the different houses. It was plain fun. It is a good memory.
@JudyEv (382412)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 May 22
It would have been such fun to be a bit mischievous and see what you could get away with. 
@porwest (112924)
• United States
30 Oct 23
Regular hoodlums you were, hey? lol. When I was a kid we had a lot of fun trick or treating, and I know my buddy and I did it up to even 16. It was definitely a different time back then. Perhaps the world seemed like a safer place even if it was probably just our imagination and lack of a 24-hour news cycle. But it was always loads of fun. AND, we did of course carry on with a few antics of our own. But nothing too off the wall.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
31 Oct 23
Most kids love their trick or treating. When my boys were kids the naughty things kids did was wrap toilet paper around bushes and trees, We lived in town then in a close neighborhood. They were always safe and collected their bags full of candy. Of course I was left at home handing out candy to all the neighbors kids.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
16 May 22
Back those we had fun childhood in a limited resources and limited choices. It all sounds good fun.
@LindaOHio (222726)
• United States
16 May 22
I'm glad you didn't do any real damage. I've never tricked anyone on Halloween.
