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When I first heard about trunk-or-treat I thought it was one of the dumbest ideas on planet earth. It truly sounded like the Halloween equivalent of a participation trophy.
Where’s the fun in walking from car to car in a parking lot and automatically receiving free candy? Back in my day–the mid to late ’90s, so not that long ago!–you had to find it within yourself to walk up to a stranger’s front door, ring their doorbell, say “trick or trick”, and only then would you be granted a piece of candy.
For those unfamiliar with trunk-or-treating, let me offer a quick explanation. It’s what many believe is a “safer” alternative to trick-or-treating. Typically, a group of parents gather their vehicles in a parking lot, open their trunks which are often decorated in various themes, and hand out candy as children dressed in costume walk from car to car.
Although the first mention of trunk-or-treat was in 1994, the Halloween activity did not gain much traction until the late 1990s.
Today we see even more trunk-or-treat events, especially in the days leading up to Halloween.
I can admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about trunk-or-treat.
There are a ton of benefits compared to traditional trick-or-treating, and it’s not just that there’s often so many events that you can accumulate a decent candy haul before Halloween.
Since not everyone is privileged to trick-or-treat on a picturesque tree-lined street, trunk-or-treats provide kids the opportunity to participate in a Halloween tradition in a safe environment.
Not to mention, families with small children or those with disabilities aren’t tasked with walking long distances or over inaccessible sidewalks.
In the event that there is inclement weather, the trunk-or-treat can be moved inside or simply rescheduled. No harm, no foul. Try doing that with trick-or-treating! It’s just not the same trick-or-treating in November.
What do you think about trunk-or-treat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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