Halloween Countdown and Gathering—2018

Edge612

Santa's Mentor
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Disappointing first store I checked looked like they barely had stuff left. Wonder if they shipped their stuff off. 50% off...not bad but not good enough for me yet.
 

noodlenoggin

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Does anybody ever get post Halloween blues? I sure do. I guess the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. But every year I'm always in full Halloween mode for at least a week after. I think the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because even though Halloween is basically on par with Christmas nowadays for me, there isn't that sense of finality to it when it's over like there is January.

This year was kind of odd too. We had a pretty strong heat wave here in Southern California that lasted the entire month of October. So that was kind of a bummer. For as much as I wanted to get into it at times, sometimes it's just hard to when it's so dang hot outside. Don't get me wrong, it was a great October and I did plenty of Halloween related things, but I still would have preferred much cooler weather. The first signs of any Fall type weather have barely begun to show this week.

Which is why I think the post-Halloween blues are hitting me a little bit right now. Now that the weather I wanted all of October has finally rolled in, I guess I want to still make like it's Halloween time, even if it's only for a few more days. Like this weekend for example, I spent the afternoon going to all the Halloween stores still open in my area, now it's Saturday night and I'm about to watch a scary movie, and I have all my spooky decorations still out. I plan to do the same all day tomorrow too. You wouldn't even know that Halloween was a few days ago.

Anyways, I know we all get the post Christmas blues, so I have to think there is a similar effect for all the Halloween loving MMCers as well. Does anybody else carry on their Halloween spirit once the day has actually passed, even for just a day or two? How long do you keep your Halloween decorations up (in terms of consciously wanting to do so versus just putting off taking them down)?
 

noodlenoggin

Merry Forums Elf, 3rd Class
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Disappointing first store I checked looked like they barely had stuff left. Wonder if they shipped their stuff off. 50% off...not bad but not good enough for me yet.

Same here. Lots of masks and costumes still at the stores. None of the decorations were really anything I absolutely had to have either. It's always great going to the stores after Halloween anyway though.
 

Edge612

Santa's Mentor
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Does anybody ever get post Halloween blues? I sure do. I guess the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. But every year I'm always in full Halloween mode for at least a week after. I think the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because even though Halloween is basically on par with Christmas nowadays for me, there isn't that sense of finality to it when it's over like there is January.

This year was kind of odd too. We had a pretty strong heat wave here in Southern California that lasted the entire month of October. So that was kind of a bummer. For as much as I wanted to get into it at times, sometimes it's just hard to when it's so dang hot outside. Don't get me wrong, it was a great October and I did plenty of Halloween related things, but I still would have preferred much cooler weather. The first signs of any Fall type weather have barely begun to show this week.

Which is why I think the post-Halloween blues are hitting me a little bit right now. Now that the weather I wanted all of October has finally rolled in, I guess I want to still make like it's Halloween time, even if it's only for a few more days. Like this weekend for example, I spent the afternoon going to all the Halloween stores still open in my area, now it's Saturday night and I'm about to watch a scary movie, and I have all my spooky decorations still out. I plan to do the same all day tomorrow too. You wouldn't even know that Halloween was a few days ago.

Anyways, I know we all get the post Christmas blues, so I have to think there is a similar effect for all the Halloween loving MMCers as well. Does anybody else carry on their Halloween spirit once the day has actually passed, even for just a day or two? How long do you keep your Halloween decorations up (in terms of consciously wanting to do so versus just putting off taking them down)?
If you are a fan of a holiday (like those in this thread are of Halloween) I think it's natural to have the blues a bit. I always get it a little. I always feel like Halloween sneaks up on us a bit. Although I've tried to not let that happen anymore by using September 1 as my personal start to the Halloween Season. Gives me 2 months but the weather can affect it. It's hard to feel in that mode when it's hot and you're running a/c half the time. But I think between apple picking and the Haunted Trail I did along with a bunch of Halloween shows, some Halloween candy that I had an 8 out of 10 Halloween Season. I never fully let go of Halloween until Thanksgiving Week comes. And even then it's still in the back of my mind. I've said it before and I'll say it again but before I ever loved November/December and the Christmas Season I loved September/October for many reasons (one of the main ones being Halloween).
 

noodlenoggin

Merry Forums Elf, 3rd Class
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If you are a fan of a holiday (like those in this thread are of Halloween) I think it's natural to have the blues a bit. I always get it a little. I always feel like Halloween sneaks up on us a bit. Although I've tried to not let that happen anymore by using September 1 as my personal start to the Halloween Season. Gives me 2 months but the weather can affect it. It's hard to feel in that mode when it's hot and you're running a/c half the time. But I think between apple picking and the Haunted Trail I did along with a bunch of Halloween shows, some Halloween candy that I had an 8 out of 10 Halloween Season. I never fully let go of Halloween until Thanksgiving Week comes. And even then it's still in the back of my mind. I've said it before and I'll say it again but before I ever loved November/December and the Christmas Season I loved September/October for many reasons (one of the main ones being Halloween).

I would rate mine a 7 out of 10, with the weather being the primary reason it wasn't a 10 out of 10. Ideally I'd like to usually usher in the Fall season right on Sept 1 and be in full Halloween mode by the middle of Sept. But this year, without having any break whatsoever from the Summer weather, it never really felt like Fall arrived, until this past week that is.

Already 5 days since Halloween...

Yep. For me that means one more day to fully revel in the Halloween season. Doesn't mean I drop it altogether, after today I'll definitely still think about it and reflect on it having just passed. It just means I simply begin the process of moving away from it and getting into Thanksgiving and Christmas.
 

Edge612

Santa's Mentor
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Checked out some more sales. One place had 70% off...but I've noticed less Halloween stuff on sale. Wondering if some stores just got rid of it. But I haven't tried the 1-2 stores that usually has the most leftover Halloween stuff yet.
 

Festive Spirit

Christmas Royalty
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Sep 11, 2012
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Disappointing first store I checked looked like they barely had stuff left. Wonder if they shipped their stuff off. 50% off...not bad but not good enough for me yet.
sales were disappointing here too. The shops here don't stock a lot so by Halloween its mostly gone and when they do reduce the day after, you have to be quick if there is anything left ! However , I managed to bag a couple deals on Saturday. Two small Halloween trees, set of red lights, green bug lights, Halloween Pumpkin wall canvas and an animated spell book. Only store that had anything left.
 

Festive Spirit

Christmas Royalty
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Sep 11, 2012
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Checked out some more sales. One place had 70% off...but I've noticed less Halloween stuff on sale. Wondering if some stores just got rid of it. But I haven't tried the 1-2 stores that usually has the most leftover Halloween stuff yet.
I wonder if some put away till next year. One local shop does that here.
 

Festive Spirit

Christmas Royalty
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Sep 11, 2012
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Does anybody ever get post Halloween blues? I sure do. I guess the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. But every year I'm always in full Halloween mode for at least a week after. I think the only thing that makes it easier is that it leads right into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because even though Halloween is basically on par with Christmas nowadays for me, there isn't that sense of finality to it when it's over like there is January.

This year was kind of odd too. We had a pretty strong heat wave here in Southern California that lasted the entire month of October. So that was kind of a bummer. For as much as I wanted to get into it at times, sometimes it's just hard to when it's so dang hot outside. Don't get me wrong, it was a great October and I did plenty of Halloween related things, but I still would have preferred much cooler weather. The first signs of any Fall type weather have barely begun to show this week.

Which is why I think the post-Halloween blues are hitting me a little bit right now. Now that the weather I wanted all of October has finally rolled in, I guess I want to still make like it's Halloween time, even if it's only for a few more days. Like this weekend for example, I spent the afternoon going to all the Halloween stores still open in my area, now it's Saturday night and I'm about to watch a scary movie, and I have all my spooky decorations still out. I plan to do the same all day tomorrow too. You wouldn't even know that Halloween was a few days ago.

Anyways, I know we all get the post Christmas blues, so I have to think there is a similar effect for all the Halloween loving MMCers as well. Does anybody else carry on their Halloween spirit once the day has actually passed, even for just a day or two? How long do you keep your Halloween decorations up (in terms of consciously wanting to do so versus just putting off taking them down)?
I always wake up the day after a little deflated. This year various things kept me busier than usual and the season went fast. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted or usually do but it was still a memorable Halloween and I plan to make up for it next year. Gathering on the countdown always helps as well as visiting the shops and picking stuff in sales for next year.

Like you say, with the festive season beginning it does help. I always need a few days to transition though. We continued with some Halloween shows and decorations for a few days after . We celebrated Bonfire night here so the Halloween atmosphere always lingers till the 05th November. Then it feels like it's time for me to close the season.

I can really understand the the change in weather bringing on those feelings. It makes sense as you associate the cooler temps with that time of year.

After Christmas when we we enter deep winter, I like to resume watching Spooky shows and the winter setting just fits well with the barren trees, darkness and cold. I've come to think of it as my little Hallloween off season ... Winterween :D This actually helps my post Christmas blues!!
 

Edge612

Santa's Mentor
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Oct 7, 2011
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I always wake up the day after a little deflated. This year various things kept me busier than usual and the season went fast. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted or usually do but it was still a memorable Halloween and I plan to make up for it next year. Gathering on the countdown always helps as well as visiting the shops and picking stuff in sales for next year.

Like you say, with the festive season beginning it does help. I always need a few days to transition though. We continued with some Halloween shows and decorations for a few days after . We celebrated Bonfire night here so the Halloween atmosphere always lingers till the 05th November. Then it feels like it's time for me to close the season.

I can really understand the the change in weather bringing on those feelings. It makes sense as you associate the cooler temps with that time of year.

After Christmas when we we enter deep winter, I like to resume watching Spooky shows and the winter setting just fits well with the barren trees, darkness and cold. I've come to think of it as my little Hallloween off season ... Winterween :D This actually helps my post Christmas blues!!
That's the truth. We move right into the Christmas Season to really distract us from any PHB's? But by the time we come out of that it's January and we can kind of do what you said. I really need to watch Halloween shows in the Off-Season more. I will...
 

noodlenoggin

Merry Forums Elf, 3rd Class
MMC Member
Jan 14, 2015
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I always wake up the day after a little deflated. This year various things kept me busier than usual and the season went fast. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted or usually do but it was still a memorable Halloween and I plan to make up for it next year. Gathering on the countdown always helps as well as visiting the shops and picking stuff in sales for next year.

Like you say, with the festive season beginning it does help. I always need a few days to transition though. We continued with some Halloween shows and decorations for a few days after . We celebrated Bonfire night here so the Halloween atmosphere always lingers till the 05th November. Then it feels like it's time for me to close the season.

I can really understand the the change in weather bringing on those feelings. It makes sense as you associate the cooler temps with that time of year.

After Christmas when we we enter deep winter, I like to resume watching Spooky shows and the winter setting just fits well with the barren trees, darkness and cold. I've come to think of it as my little Hallloween off season ... Winterween :D This actually helps my post Christmas blues!!

I pretty much treat the day after Halloween like it's still Halloween Day. I have this tradition now where I stay up all night on Halloween until dawn to watch every last bit of Halloween TV programming I can, which usually goes until 5 or 6 am depending on what it is. Then I watch the first bit of sunshine hit the sky, inevitably crash for a few hours, wake up, and keep it going. Especially since there's now a lot of recorded content on my DVR to catch up on that came on during Halloween Day but I wasn't able to watch or watch fully. So it always just feels like it's still the same day (and I'm usually able to maneuver my work schedule to allow for this). I call it my Halloween Watchathon. I really enjoy how it parallels a lot of Halloween movies and TV episodes that often actually end the morning after. Like Hocus Pocus for example, the entire final act of that movie takes place on the morning of Nov 1. Same with It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, where Lucy goes to get Linus who fell asleep in the pumpkin patch, you can see on the clock it says 4 am, which would obviously be Nov 1. Same with John Carpenter's Halloween and Halloween II, if you look at it as one movie, which it basically is, that too ends on the morning of Nov 1. That right there is basically the trifecta of essential Halloween viewing and they all end at sun up the morning after. There's a number of others as well, you know all those curses that end at midnight or something needs to happen by midnight or whatever, and then the movie continues after that and shows the characters the next morning. And for me the tradition started a few years ago when I just randomly happened to stay up all night watching AMC Fear Fest, by the next morning I was still awake, all the same parallels of the things I've been watching running through my head, and I knew instantly right then and there that this was a tradition I'm going to continue to do for as long as I can do it.

Then for about a week into November I'll keep the Halloween spirit going by keeping my decorations up and continuing to watch things on my DVR that I recorded in October. Sometimes I'll do it longer even, like if Halloween is late in the week on a Thurs, Fri, or Sat, I'll pretty much keep myself all the way through the following weekend in this kind of middle mood where I'm feeling the post-Halloween blues but I'm also still kind of carrying on Halloween so why should I be feeling the blues but it's definitely not Halloween anymore so yea I'm kind of feeling the blues but not really because I'm still in it. I'm pretty neurotic like that when it comes to this. But by that point it's already so close to Thanksgiving you can just start focusing on that. It also sort of depends on what my September was like, because if I get the weather I want and my Halloween season begins much earlier than October, then I might not feel as strongly to have to continue it so far into November and can move on to the next holiday a little easier. Every year is different.

What also helps is that you can easily transition some of your Halloween decorations into Thanksgiving ones, like pumpkins or whatever other Fall looking things you had out for Halloween. I also like to watch Hocus Pocus one last time right around Thanksgiving. Believe it or not it's actually a very fitting movie to watch in late November to kind of close out the Fall season while maintaining that connection to Halloween right before Christmas and Winter just completely take over.

Winterween is a really great idea by the way. And that feeling would fit quite appropriately once all the cheery jolly Christmas stuff comes down and everything is empty again. It's almost like a reset until the next holiday season, and by the time it arrives, you've already been in it. I'm going to always keep that in mind now once the post-Christmas blues hit. Thanks for that!
 

noodlenoggin

Merry Forums Elf, 3rd Class
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That's the truth. We move right into the Christmas Season to really distract us from any PHB's? But by the time we come out of that it's January and we can kind of do what you said. I really need to watch Halloween shows in the Off-Season more. I will...

I mean, really, about the only thing that keeps the post Halloween blues from not being as bad as the post Christmas blues is the fact that Halloween leads right into the Christmas season. Were it not for that, and we spent nearly 2 months every year celebrating Halloween with nothing to follow, then I'm sure the Halloween blues would hit much harder, assuming you love Halloween obviously.
 

noodlenoggin

Merry Forums Elf, 3rd Class
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Jan 14, 2015
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Well on my drive today I definitely saw enough homes with their Halloween stuff still up to justify leaving my own up. And as I've said before with this kind of thing, I really hope that for most people it's a conscious decision to leave it up, versus them just not getting around to taking it down.
 

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