Tonight my son is going Trick-Or-Treating.
Don’t even get me started on why towns schedule Trick-Or-Treat on October 28th rather than oh, let’s say Halloween.
Anyway, you would think I would have all sorts of awesome stories of my Trick-Or-Treating as a child. Doesn’t everyone?
Well, no. As a matter of fact, I don’t have very many memories of Trick-Or-Treating because I grew up in a small town in Ohio.
Back in the 1960’s some kids somewhere in this country had been given apples with razor blades and needles in them for Halloween and our small town in Ohio and a lot of other towns in the area stopped having Trick-Or-Treat.
Yes, they outlawed a long standing tradition because the world was a big bad scary place back then. Cue scary music.
No more full size candy bars. Yep, they didn’t even make snack size candy bars back then, you got the full sized ones when you went out on Halloween.
OK, you also got homemade popcorn balls and pennies, so it wasn’t all Halloween nirvana.
This whole thing happened when I was around 6 or 7, so I really only have a few years of Halloween fun that I can remember.
When I decided to do a post on this subject I started Googling it trying to find out when the razor blade and needle incidents occurred, what town it was in, did they find the culprits, etc. Thought it would be an interesting story.
Well, you know what I found?
The majority of these needle and razor blade stories in the 1960’s were hoaxes. They cancelled my Halloween memories because of a hoax!!!
Are you kidding me! I want my childhood back!
Who would steal Halloween from this sweet child?
Guess I can gain some comfort in the fact that my parents didn’t have to waste money on silly Halloween costumes, jack-o-lanterns or candy bars. Yeah, that was one benefit of the whole thing (insert sarcasm)!
BTW, I didn’t need Photoshop or PicMonkey to add sepia tone to my photo, it was already there. It was popular at the time. Along with the pixie haircut.
Kathy
I remember well, the razors in apples rumors at Halloween. This started our Family tradition of eating only the candy we got from people we knew while we were out, then dumping the rest out on the living room carpet to carefully sort and inspect it, when we came home. All the gum went it one pile, the chocolate in another, suckers in yet another pile, and that tough peanutbutter taffy went to my Dad. He loved it!
Betsy
Hi Pam,
I can REALLY relate to this post. Things have changed so very much since I was a trick-or-treater. What happened to the simplicity of it all?
I’ll be back to read your lovely blog;-)
Olive Cooper
You are too cute! I remember all of that also. We went through all of our candy very carefully back then but we still went and trick or treated. ♥O
HollyC
Hi Pam,
We had those same stories in Georgia during my trick-or-treat years! I was limited to close friends (who may live miles apart) and family! It wasn’t much fun. I always wanted to visit my BFF in town and trick or treat with her…nope! My best memories came from the school festival each year. With my kids, I still take them to friends and family only…but these days you really need to!
The photo of you is presh!
~Holly
La
WHAT?!?!? A HOAX?
I remember that vividly. In Marion, the schools held classroom parties and had costume parades.
I think before that I was a ghost (sheet with holes) every year.
We should dress up and go door-to-door Sunday.
Happy Halloween! La
MamaMonki
Those same stories were still making the rounds in the 80’s in Indiana. Luckily my parents and our town never canceled Halloween because of them.
Now I feel like hubby and I have to deal with a lot of censure from people we know b/c we plan on taking WeeMan out trick or treating – which according to some is horrible. I just wish people would leave things alone.
Brandi
Drives me crazy too when towns schedule Trick-or-Treating. I’ve been checking online and asking around to make sure it will be celebrated on Sunday here. Growing up I remember those stories too. For many years we weren’t allowed out for those reasons.
Cat Nap Inn Primitives
Pam I remember those tall tales too..oh and there was one in our neighborhood of stringing fish line across the street and someone on a motorcycle would get his head taken off..I can’t believe that was going around (for you) in the 60’s..ours was the 70’s..but amazing how stories get started…and too bad for the kids now..as they have to have supervision cause we do live in this scary world now..;)
Cat Nap Inn Primitives
oh by the way you look adorable in your photo.;)
Pam of Eastlake Victorian
Pam,
What a sad story! I think those stories have gone around for years, but it didn’t keep us kids from going Trick-or-Treating in the 60’s and 70’s. I always liked picking out my costume at Woolworth’s, and going out at night gathering as much candy as we possibly could. We only came home when houses started turning off their porch lights, or we got too tired to go on. I love all the vintage costume images you’ve gathered!
-Pam
* French Farmhouse 425 *
LOL..loved your post Pam!! And you were such a little cutie with your pixie too!!! Hugs~ Rachel
LV
Back in my trick or treat days it was safe. We did not have costumes like this either. Our mother made whatever we wore. I do not remember anything worth remembering.
Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions
Oh God, Pam, you must be in the same age range as me ~ that darn Pixie cut and sepia is in one of my pictures as a child as well! I think I was 4? I remember hearing those stories, but we had Halloween in Brooklyn and then on Long Island. I’m still looking for someone to sue over that Pixie haircut; I’ll find out if they will take on your Halloween case, too! ; )
[email protected]
Love your adorable little picture Pam, you were such a cutie! I didn’t trick or treat a lot as a kid, but I remember making my folks go back to a house for a popcorn ball. Funny enough, my husband is the guy that gives out full size candy bars every year:)
NanaDiana
Well, Pam–I can understand that. We lived way out in the country and there was no where to go for trick or treating. Mine wasn’t stolen…just never happened. You sure made up for it with a cute Halloween post! Hugs- Diana
Daphne Nicole & Lynda Cade
Hi Pam, so sorry that you missed out on the Halloween fun… but I also remember those stories, we lived in a small town and pretty much new every one, so we continued to go Trick or Treating! I wanted to thank you for stopping by and visiting and for your sweet comments… I love reading them. Blessings~~ Daphne
Daphne Nicole & Lynda Cade
Hi Pam, so sorry that you missed out on the Halloween fun… but I also remember those stories, we lived in a small town and pretty much new every one, so we continued to go Trick or Treating! I wanted to thank you for stopping by and visiting and for your sweet comments… I love reading them. Blessings~~ Daphne
Daphne Nicole & Lynda Cade
Hi Pam, so sorry that you missed out on the Halloween fun… but I also remember those stories, we lived in a small town and pretty much new every one, so we continued to go Trick or Treating! I wanted to thank you for stopping by and visiting and for your sweet comments… I love reading them. Blessings~~ Daphne
Vicki
Love the pixie! I totally remember those stories too. My parents inspected all our candy and nothing homemade! Can still smell those horrible plastic masks. lol Have a great weekend!
Vicki at Rusty Rooster Vintage
Sue
In the olden days, there were no set hours to trick or treat- you stayed out until house lights were turned off. And even then, you’d stand and yell out for a treat! (very few people even had doorbells back then in our little ol’ town) It was such fun. We ate people’s candied apples and hot dogs without worry. Full sized candy bars and boxes of Cracker Jacks were what everyone hoped to find in the bottom of the pillowcase. Back then, the actual prize inside the CJ box was worth hunting for! Aaahh- memories….