Halloween bigger deal back in the day?

Big_Guh · Post by **Big_Guh** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:24 am

In my time here, I've seen numerous people post that Halloween was a much bigger deal a few decades ago than it is today. Having only lived for a little over half the 80's I feel I don't have the "experience" to determine whether or not that's an accurate statement or not.

In my opinion, marketing campaigns included the holiday a lot more in the late 80's/early 90's i.e. the commericals tantraman linked from youtube. Other than that, I haven't really noticed any downfall in the holiday in my lifetime. I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts and opinions from those of us with more years under their belts.

Dr Strange · Post by **Dr Strange** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:27 am

As I've said elsewhere I believe it is a case of looking back with rose colored glasses. The holiday grows and grows with each year as it makes more money nationwide. People support, and participate, in Halloween more now than ever before, IMO.

tomanderson · Post by **tomanderson** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:52 am

I can't say for sure that it is a "bigger" or "smaller" holiday now...populations have increased, so in numbers, the holiday has more supporters now.

And with computerization, we became an "instant gratification" society...MTV, Star Wars and video games increased the number of images we see in rapid succession on our video screens and in the movie theatre. We see the same themes but they are presented differently.

One of the changes I have seen is that Halloween products and decorations have more "quick" to them. They set up simply and more quickly. This is more true, I think, of Halloween makeup, which reached a high level of complexity in the mid-1970's with the Pressman monster makeup kits (designed by Dick Smith!). These featured molds that you poured a gelatin mixture into to get flexible appliances to glue onto your skin.

Nowadays you buy the appliances and glue them on. Back then you bought a kit to MAKE the appliances, made them, and then glued them on.

uncletor · Post by **uncletor** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:31 am

I think it's bigger.
A lot of it has to do with stuff that Tom brought up about it just being EASIER with the high tech gear you can buy now...and don't forget sites that tell you how to do it for free, from building a coffin, to making a pumpkin pie, to making that web gun we had on...lawn displays were not that big in the sixties..and if you had them they were homemade...now they can be animated, electronic, just name it. Costumes are notched up a lot...they are funnier, gorier, sexier then stuff from the 60's...In the 60's you were at the mercy of whatever was on the t.v. that night...and if local groups put enough pressure on the station, they would pretend the holiday didn't EXIST..even so, you would have to depend on a Halloween special or a halloween theme for a normal show..or MAYBE a scary movie. MAD MONSTER PARTY was an exception, a LOT of markets didn't even GET it until video came to town...
Trick or treating wasn't even firmly in place until the 50's..plastic decorations on a mass scale not until the 60's, Trick or treat size candy wasn't around until the 70's in a lot of markets. Boom boxes for playing sound effects with any kind of quality, not until the 80's.
Last time I checked, it was the sixth biggest holiday in tems of spending in America, and second only in terms of Christmas for spending of candy and outdoor decorations. ROUGHLY 90 per cent of people polled said they would give out candy or get the kids dressed up this year.

midnight kitty · Post by **midnight kitty** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 5:33 pm

can't speak for the 60s and 70s (coz i was born towards the end of the 70s), but i don't remember halloween being that big in the 80s (at least where i used to live) all there was to see was a jack-o-lantern and some cardboard window decorations. don't get me wrong ToTing rocked, got more candy then than now, but visually it wasn't much.
maybe it's a regional thing. when i moved from new jersey to pennsylvania, that's when i started noticing. the loccal tv stations would play horror movies. there were lawn displays, pumpkin patches, haunted houses.

tomanderson · Post by **tomanderson** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:24 pm

Now, I wish I could go back to the mid-90's because that's when I saw the most small haunted house attractions--in 1995 I went to several of these little ones and they were awesome, quite awesome. One was put on by a CHURCH and put on inside the church itself. Another used empty store space inside a strip mall. Another was put on at a local community center. There were lots more that I didn't see....

Cadaverino · Post by **Cadaverino** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:20 am

Without a doubt, Halloween has only grown and grown in size over the last few decades. More decorations, more costumes, more haunted attractions, longer "season" commercially, more television programming, and more adults celebrating.

The main thing that I think was better in the "old days" Ã¢â‚¬â€ and I've mentioned this before Ã¢â‚¬â€ was that we used to trick-or-treat at night under the moon and stars and streetlights, unaccompanied by adults. Trotting around a shopping mall or the zoo during the daytime with mom or dad in tow is just no thrill.

tomanderson · Post by **tomanderson** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:40 am

And oh, what grand nights they were! Yeah, we ran all over the neighborhood, and often into other neighborhoods. Trick or treating was really full of adventure and mystery. It's still done at night in a lot of areas, but usually with some supervision.

My neighborhood is lame because the trick or treating is done during the day, and the treats are gathered at local coffeeshops and places like that. I've seen it like that for a couple of years, and it looks damn boring!

One Eye'd Jack · Post by **One Eye'd Jack** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 2:49 am

I have to agree with Dr. Strange in saying that I, too, think the holiday has, in many ways, grown in leaps and bounds. I believe I'm one of the oldest members here and I've seen many Halloweens.
Of course for me, the Halloweens of the mid- and late 60's were really special... but again.... "rose colored glasses". The costumes were cheap dime-store grade. They came in a box with a little cellophane panel on top to reveal whatever character you were going to be. The box contained two things: a plastic mask with a stapled rubberband to hold it on your head and a nylon (usually very flammable) one-piece jump suit type thing with comically ostentatious printing on it, assuring whoever you were haunting, your identity. And, as if that wasn't enough, the name of whoever you were that year, was usually emboldened across your chest.... you know, for the morons who didn't watch Saturday morning cartoons! Here are some perfect examples....

This was probably '69 or '70.

NO! I'M NOT THE STINKIN RAGGEDY ANN!!!

All of that, however, was all so fantastic! It was Halloween and as a kid in the 60's there was nothing else like it.

I think, through these last 40 years, Halloween and everything about it has become more....... well.... just MORE!!!!! It's the gaming difference between 'Pong' and 'Call of Duty'.

Big_Guh, and anyone else who hasn't seen it, really need to see the History Channel's 'Haunted History of Halloween'.
http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-History-H ... 584&sr=8-1

tomanderson · Post by **tomanderson** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:22 am

Wonderful pictures! I had a couple of costumes like that--the only one I remember was Batman, it came in the box with the plastic jumpsuit thing. Somewhere on youtube is that Woolworths Halloween commercial from the early 70's showing rows of these "box lunch" costumes.

You really recommend that documentary? I have not seen it but I've read a lot of unfavorable reviews and they steered me away from the DVD. Curious to hear your take on its fine points.

It always drove me crazy that Halloween was just one day out of the year, it was always tons of fun and after it was over I went right into spending another year looking forward to the next one.

(I just turned 40--about twenty minutes ago! And I'm still silly about this <deleted>!)

One Eye'd Jack · Post by **One Eye'd Jack** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:16 am

Hey Tom, don't take my word for it.... just read the reviews on amazon.com. and do your OWN research! CHECK IT OUT for yourself, THEN make up your own mind!

uncletor · Post by **uncletor** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 9:55 am

Man, those pics were priceless...I'm imopressed with the QUALITY of them as well..they could have been taken yesterday..
I had FORGOTTEN those outfits until you mentioned them..
I guess I'm lucky in the sense that we still have wide open, after supper trick or treating here...

Dutchess of Darkness · Post by **Dutchess of Darkness** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:30 pm

Hey OEJ, Love the pictures! And those boxed costumes, I too remember wearing them, holy talk about a walk down memory lane

Thanks for sharing those with us all

Haunted Horseman · Post by **Haunted Horseman** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 9:03 pm

I must say that I believe Halloween has grown tremendously since I was a kid in the late 1970's and early 80's. Today there is so much more in terms of decorations such as yard haunts and the like. In the 70's we thought the cardboard decorations were the coolest thing ever. We never dreamed of all the fantastic things that are out there now.

Hey OEJ, those custome pics really bring back memories. I still remember having a King Kong custome that was just like that. If I can find a pic, I will certainly post it and give everyone a laugh.

One Eye'd Jack · Post by **One Eye'd Jack** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 9:37 pm

Hey, Uncletor - I'm glad you're "imopressed with the QUALITY"

but, I have to admit, I took the pics into Photoshop, to clean 'em up a bit.

I LOVE all that old Halloween stuff. That, in part, along with all the NEW stuff, is what continues to make Halloween as great as it is!

I WISH they'd bring back those 'box-lunch' costumes along with all the truly great things they have out now. I thought they were pretty cool. But then again, BACK then that WAS all there was and of COURSE we thought they were cool!!!!!