Shhhhh, you werent supposed to mention that

Mums the word.

The other thing you have to remember if you live in Manitoba, Sask or Alberta is that while it might be gorgeous and warm enough for t-shirts at Thanksgiving - it can be 30 below on Halloween and all those fairy costumes don't look so great under a snow suit! Also, beware of plastic! My friend's son had a plastic devil costume years ago and it just cracked and fell to pieces in the cold!

One year I made my granddaughter a bear costume out of that fake fur. It was really easy because it doesn't fray and so you don't have to hem it. It had mitts and "spats" to cover the boots. Only trouble was that that year it was raining and the bear was a bit soggy by the time she got home!

I don't think we have ever had treats tampered with in Regina, but I wouldn't be giving mandarin oranges or anything like that because people will just throw them away - unless they know you well and then they would let their kids eat them.

It's a big deal here for sure. And it comes with none of the mindless vandalism that Halloween seems to have become an excuse for back home in good ol' Blighty.

For anyone in Downtown Toronto I heartily suggest checking out Langley Avenue (one street North of Gerrard and just West of Carlaw). There is a house there that puts on the most amazing show I have ever seen every year.

Really amazing.

Halloween was the busiest night of the year for the last two years running for my local police force. It had nothing on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve or any other events !!! Mindless vandalism and the nuisance factor taken to new levels - nothing fun in it for the majority of residents, unfortunately.

Bored kids + sugar= trouble apparently.

this was your local force in the UK before you moved, right? I'd be v surprised to learn that the local youth go on the rampage in Cochrane (but then I don't know Cochrane... )

The past couple of years we haven't handed out candy. One year we handed out super balls (rubber balls that bounce high) and another year we had halloween rings (bats, skulls, spiders, jack-o-lanterns).

Apparently, we were the hit of the neighbourhood!


Oggy

Yep - UK !

If you live in the suburbs, yes! If you live downtown or in an apartment complex, then no. But I would argue that Halloween is a HUGE event in Canada, just like the USA. It's Thanksgiving where it's more casual in Canada, but huge in the USA.

beware the nobgoblins

I believe it's about the same as in the States. Where I live we get about 150 - 200 kids, depending on the weather. I just love seeing the little ones all dressed up, and they come earlier. We have a couple of flying bats with red eyes in our porch, and they are always fascinated by them. The older kids come later, and funnily enough they are not too keen on the bats!! It's all over by about 8:30, then the fireworks start.

The next day, the idiot up the road has all his Christmas lights on his house, and fake tree all decorated in the window.