Monday, November 1, 2010

Treats


Location: Breithaupt Park, Kitchener-Waterloo border

Description: Grass in the foreground, a splash pad with three palm trees in the midground followed by a path and playground equipment in the background.

Story: Only 35 children came for candy last night.Granted the temperature was around the freezing point of water (I know I wouldn't have lasted long in just a tutu and leotard), but there's another factor. I've noticed that the numbers have dwindled from over one hundred five years ago down to about 40-50 last year. But why is this?

I think there's quite a few reasons, the main one being that since fewer children are going out, fewer houses are offering treats, causing children to have less incentive to go, which feeds back on itself. Further, having to go three or four houses for your next treat discourages children, so they don't go as far as before, resulting in fewer children attending any given house. Perhaps parents have a role in this decline as well, but whatever the cause it seems like a shame.

Many years ago, I remember planning a route with my friends and carrying pillow cases, which we would then loop back to one of our houses to drop off. We could go for hours with that strategy, covering a lot of ground and ending up with multiple loads of candy. It isn't hard to design a route like this either; at most you need to walk around your neighbourhood a little beforehand, or know how to read a map, so I'm surprised that kids today aren't doing it as much.

Maybe candy isn't as important as it used to be. Maybe that one night of freedom, where you could talk to strangers for hours, be out with your friends, and see really great costumes isn't as alluring as it once was. The recent form of trick or treating probably didn't start until 1930 or so, and 80 years later it may be on the decline.

Where have all the children gone? I can't completely say. But if you have an idea, let me know; it's been bugging me all day.

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