Buckets filled with candy and fake blood dripping from costumes, excited trick-or-treaters knock on every neighborhood door. A holiday for people of all ages, Halloween has trademark traditions, such as pumpkin carving, haunted houses and, most famously, trick-or-treating. For many, memories of dusky fall nights spent collecting candy until fingers turn numb are central to the very idea of Halloween, yet, in recent years, many have noticed an absence of this classic festivity. 

At West High, students are feeling a similar sense of apathy towards traditional Halloween celebrations, seemingly moving toward mature observances of the holiday. In fact, a recent poll of 68 Parkway students, conducted by the Pathfinder Editorial Board, revealed that 50% of respondents have noticed fewer Halloween celebrations than in past years. This decline suggests that Halloween traditions are shifting from community-based to more individual experiences. As the nostalgic celebrations of the holiday are becoming less common, especially for West High Students, we’re simply witnessing a turning point in history 一 a change that we have the chance to embrace.

 English teacher Daniel Barnes has been an observer of Halloween and often celebrates with his children. Barnes, however, noticed that fewer houses were participating in holiday celebrations. 

“When I took my kids out last year, there were a lot of porch lights turned off,” Barnes said. 

This transformation of the holiday may be due to an up-and-coming tradition known as trunk or treat. West High held its own trunk or treat celebration on Oct. 30, inviting children of all ages to participate. 

Trunk or treat was first hosted in 1994, when a Birmingham church was looking for a safer way for concerned parents to celebrate Halloween. Their convenience and security made them popular among parents, who embraced them as a supplement or even replacement for trick-or-treating. 30 years later, a survey by Nextdoor found that 72% of parents planned to attend or host a trunk or treat. 

“I believe trunk or treats are taking over [the practice of] trick-or-treating. It’s easier to have your [children] go to one location, get the candy and then come home, as opposed to having to trek all around a neighborhood,” Barnes said.

Unlike door-to-door trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating is concentrated and supervised, so guardians can keep a watchful eye on their children. School Resource Officer Matthew Paubel suggests it’s not only rumors of razor blades in candy and Halloween thrillers that contribute to parents’ new inclination to avoid the neighborhood route, but it’s also a loss of trust in neighbors. According to the Pew Research Center, 52% of Americans in 2015 said they trusted most or all their neighbors; by 2025, that number fell to 44%. While the statistic may not seem staggering, it’s a concerning discrepancy for only a decade. For parents who do allow their children to trick-or-treat, trust plays a vital role in that decision.

“[Trunk-or-treating] makes people feel more safe, because [everyone is] in one area,” Paubel said. “People know everything’s going to be safe and controlled. With a neighborhood, you [could have] that weird house down the street.”

This loss of trust can be attributed to what individuals see on social media; isolated incidents may appear on individual social media feeds. The rise of easily accessible digital media, not soaring crime rates, has contributed to the shift in public perception. On social media, things can seem more dangerous than they truly are.

“I don’t know that [there are any more] incidents than 50 years ago. It’s just that people are more aware of them. Because of social media [and] cell phones, everyone can get information [about dangerous events] out a lot more quickly and even [falsely]. Perception has changed,” Paubel said.

In fact, Paubel explains that fears of trick-or-treating incidents have caused many to seek preemptive protection from law enforcement on Halloween night.

“Halloween for [law enforcement]  is [what] they call a blackout day: officers are not allowed to take that night off because we have so many requests [to attend] community events. People want to know that we’re around [since] it gives them a sense of security. [Halloween is] just one of those days where anything can happen. [We should] be prepared for the worst [and] hope for the best,” Paubel said.

To some parents, the way to best safeguard their children is to avoid the risks of trick-or-treating overall. However, even if trick-or-treating declines, we must also recognize how our perception evolves with age. As children, everything from our physical size to the way we visualize the world around us is distinct; unique colors, shapes and a near-overload of new interactions transform trick-or-treating into an exhilarating experience. By contrast, the teenage brain is more risk-reward driven, so the novelty of attending a party often replaces a familiar walk around the neighborhood. Thus, while safety concerns and school events play a role, the biggest change likely lies in an evolving sense of what we find exciting about Halloween, and thus, how we plan to celebrate.

More than 85% of students still plan to observe Halloween. 81% of respondents will do so by hosting or attending a party. As individuals grow older, the traditions they once loved might no longer be as prevalent in their lives. Complied with safety concerns and media perceptions, these changes may even begin early on in one’s life. However, as upsetting as it may seem, for society to be shifting away from old traditions, it may actually be a symbol of progress. 

In a way, this transformation of Halloween and the phenomenon of growing up reflects an ability to be more cautious, inclusive and creative. Especially for those seeking a sensory stimulus, trunk or treat events provide a versatile experience.  As teenagers, cultural change is often foreign and alarming, and can feel like a loss. But it’s not the end of tradition; it’s their morphing into new ones. The spirit of Halloween survives because it adapts, both culture and our age.