Trunk-or-Treat
Knock-knock, trick-or-treat!
The knocking part of that sentence may soon become a thing of the past.
Parents around the nation – and at Utah State University – are taking more precautions when it comes to their children’s Halloween activities, especially trick-or-treating.
According to an article on www.smartpages.com, because the streets are not as safe as they were years ago, many of these parents are looking for fun alternatives to this national pastime.
One alternative in many communities is trunk-or-treating.
Children still dress up and fill their stomachs with candy, but in a way their parents can more closely supervise them. People from a community gather together in a large open space, like a parking lot and give out candy from the trunks of their cars. Participants in the event usually will decorate their trunks with Halloween décor, like they would their front porch.
Many communities and organizations are coming together and having trunk-or-treating in their neighborhoods. Even though this activity is gaining more and more recognition it is not the only alternative for parents.
“I think activities like this are a good activity from trick-or-treating,” said Kurtis Reed, a senior in biology and a parent who attended the Married and Single Area family Halloween (MASA) party.
The Web site states activities such as Halloween parties for children are also becoming increasingly more popular. Many churches, organizations, and cities are starting to hold parties for kids on Halloween.
“I think activities like this are great alternatives to trick-or-treating, especially in my area,” said January Webb, the area coordinator in married student housing. “We allow a warm alternative, that’s well-lit, with wrapped candy.”
Webb and her staff organized the MASA Halloween party, she said.
The MASA Halloween party had many activities children could participate in. There was a piñata, games, cakewalk, and many other activities.
“I think that it’s more fun than trick-or-treating,” said Jolene Reed, Kurtis’ wife, who attended the party.
Organizing events for Halloween can be tedious, but to some parents and organizations it is worth it to ensure safety to children.
“I have 17 residential assistants on my staff, and it was really easy for us to organize it because we could divide up the responsibilities,” Webb said. “It just takes planning and making sure that everyone does their part.”
Events like Halloween parties and trunk-or-treating are gaining more and more attendance every year.
“I would guess that close to 200 people attended if not more,” Webb said. “We had double, if not three times more people than last year.”
Even though many new traditions are gaining popularity, some people are still sticking to trick-or-treating.
“I think that we’ll do both,” Kurtis said. “Usually, the [church] wards do trunk-or-treating, but I’m sure that we’ll do trick-or-treating also.”
No matter what the Halloween tradition may be, candy this year will be handed out to the goblins, witches and Spidermen – even if it’s out of the trunk of a car.
-rbarlow@cc.usu.edu