How Do You Celebrate Halloween? Times Have Changed In Montana.

Spooky stats.

With Halloween this week, I started wondering what percentage of adults get dressed up in a costume to celebrate the big, spooky night. Google tells me that it's about 22% of Americans. And from all of the Facebook pictures that I've seen this year, most of those costumes are worn to places that sell alcohol.

It seems like most bars sponsor a costume contest, and it seems the best parties happen when the holiday falls on a Friday or Saturday.

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Fewer and fewer visitors.

My street doesn't get many trick-or-treaters anymore because most of the kids have all grown up and moved away. Combine that with how many places like churches and malls organize indoor trick or treating and there's not much demand for walking down some dark country street to get some candy at my place.

Times have changed.

I started thinking back to when I was 12 years old. My folks would turn me loose with a pillowcase and my best buddy, Loren, and we'd solicit candy until every house ran out. No store-bought costumes. No reflective tape for safety. No adult supervision. Ah, yes. The good ol' days.

Put some effort in.

These days, I like when groups of people dress up as something familiar. I've seen a couple of groups of 5 who all dress up like the gang on Scooby Doo, complete with a cutout of the "Mystery Machine". That's doing it right.

You couples who just wear matching football jerseys could put a little more effort into it. No candy for you.