Witches on brooms, white-sheet ghosts, skulls, skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns, and more start appearing on porches as early as October, all waiting for candy-seeking kids on Halloween night. But each year, fewer trick-or-treaters show up — and fewer porch lights turn on. 

According to the History Channel, Halloween began more than 2,000 years ago. But what Americans now consider a childhood tradition — trick-or-treating — didn’t fully take shape until the 1800s, when children went door-to-door asking for food or money. That custom faded for a while but was revived between 1920 and 1950, evolving into the trick-or-treat ritual we know today — except with candy, of course. 

Yet the tradition might be losing steam (again!). A November 2023 survey from Lifeway Research found that 70 percent of United States adults said they didn’t take their children door-to-door for Halloween; and only 26 percent said they did. The question is — what are families doing instead? 

The answer can be found in some of the most unexpected places — parking lots, skating rinks, carousels, and more … 

Halloween has evolved countless times since its inception, and its current trend leans toward community events like the Halloween parade pictured here and trunk-or-treat gatherings. What will the future hold?

A new kind of Halloween night 

Instead of flooding dark streets and knocking on strangers’ doors, families are creating their own get-togethers or heading to festivals and trunk-or-treat events — community-led Halloween festivities that align with their values and emphasize safety. 

Sophia Carp, a Bristol resident, said she no longer celebrates Halloween in the traditional way, mostly due to her closer relationship with God. “This year we’re heading to United Skates of America in Rumford, Rhode Island, with a group of friends for a Christian ‘un-Halloween’ party,” she said, marking her first year not celebrating Halloween traditionally with her kids. 

Vicky Santos of Warren also no longer participates in traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating. “With trunk-or-treating being so popular nowadays, we’ve started doing that instead,” she said. “Then on Halloween night, we just go to our families’ houses because they like to see the kids.”

Interestingly, trunk-or-treats often don’t even happen on Halloween night. 

Community events are also on the rise, such as the New England Witches Guild 2025 Halloween Parade & Festival, now in its second year — and these, too, rarely occur on Halloween night. 

Halloween has always evolved, and today the tradition of door-to-door trick-or-treating is definitely fading according to the dwindling numbers. But the fun hasn’t disappeared — it’s simply moved to parking lots, community events, and family gatherings, often ironically not on Halloween itself. Instead, on Halloween night, porch lights that once signaled “stop here for candy” now stay dark — Halloween seems to have been ghosted. 

Will any kids be knocking on your door this Halloween?

Check out this full list of trunk-or-treats happening in the East Bay this year -- none of wihich occur on Halloween.