To riff on the title of Vic's hilarious post about the young urban party scene on Hallowe'en, I have been thinking today about the sociology of trick-o'-treating and the cultural norms that surround it. Here in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, Hallowe'en is the Sunday closest to the 31st of October, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. If you would like to close off your block, please contact the Village. This superstructure for trick-o'-treating struck us as artificial at first, but we have grown to like having the festivities on a day and hour when both parents can be involved.
But the topic that is really haunting me today is the immigrant trick-o'-treater. TOT'ing is essentially a neighborhood pastime, yet in most of the neighborhoods that I have lived in as an adult, much TOT'ing seems to be done by groups of people in cars who have come from a different neighborhood. Am I a bad person to notice this? Am I a bad person to mention it? I am generally a pro-immigration person (although I recognize that my social welfare tendencies make my position economically untenable), so I would be a hypocrite to care about Hallowe'en immigration, even if it requires me to buy two or three times more candy than I otherwise would need to buy.
Mostly I understand that I would be heartless to complain because the Hallowe'en visa holders seem to be coming from neighborhoods where safe evening walks and fun treats don't seem to flow as freely as they do on Kent Avenue. Any additional burden on me seems to be tiny. A few years back, I was witness to a female neighbor complaining about the influx of TOT'ers ("And they don't even have costumes on, and they just have plastic grocery bags for candy!"). I turned the full force of my sharp, sarcastic wit on her, so I think it's safe to say that she had a "perspective epiphany."
So, next year -- my house. We'll leave the light on for you.
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1. Posted by Kate Litvak on November 1, 2005 @ 7:20 | Permalink
Suppose the people on your block decided to have an annual neighborhood cookout. So, one Sunday afternoon, everyone rolled out their barbeques and coolers and dessert tables. Everyone contributed something. Kids run around; teens toss the ball; old people are gossiping; the music is playing. But then, a group of people from a different neighborhood found out about your tradition, showed up, and demanded that they are given free hamburgers, chips, and cookies. For no reason.
Why shouldn’t you feel resentful? It’s your party! They are crashing it, year after year. They contribute nothing in return. They could have talked to one of your local organizers and offered to put up a lemonade stand or hand out funny hats or play live music. But they don’t. Instead, they prey on your unwillingness to make a scene. The question is, why you feel guilty admitting your resentment.
2. Posted by Susie Morse on November 1, 2005 @ 9:04 | Permalink
I hear you on the block party, but isn't Halloween different? We live in a suburban neighborhood in Northern California on the border between good and uncertain school districts and the minivan, skateboard, bike, scooter, stroller and rollerblade traffic on Halloween night is terrific. We see at least 100 TOTers and I recognize almost none of them. And occasionally it occurs to me (with a slightly spooky frisson) that if we run out of treats . . . there might be tricks. Isn't that what Halloween is all about?
3. Posted by Robert Schwartz on November 1, 2005 @ 9:35 | Permalink
We had ToT last night here. There were about 200 kids (we went through 2 5 lbs bags of candy) of whom no more than 10, were from anywhere near us. I have had enough. It was not fun. I am not charmed. Next year, all of our children will have moved away (being 19, 21 and 23) and we will put up crime scene tape, turn out the lights and go to the movies.
4. Posted by Christine on November 1, 2005 @ 10:21 | Permalink
I understand exactly what you're saying, Kate. However, I'm going to continue to practice "promiscuous hospitality" and hope that someone returns the favor down the road!
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