# Why we haunt?



## HauntCast (Jul 25, 2008)

I read on someone's web site an awesome explanation of why they haunt. Why do you haunt?


----------



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Short version; Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, bar none. My memories of Halloween growing up are among the best, and while no one decorated to extremes like they do now, Halloween and trick or treat seemed more widely accepted back then. I think any of us who "haunt" or go to some length to celebrate above and beyond, are doing a great deal to preserve the tradition of a holiday that seems to become less and less popular as the years go by. I want to create lasting memories for people who come to my house on Halloween night. I want to be the guy the kids talk about the next day in school, and the one parents tell their friends about. Someday, long after I'm done doing Halloween, I want those little kids who are grown up to tell their own little kids about the Halloween house they remember. Hopefully our efforts can inspire the next generation to not only go the extra mile on Halloween but to keep the holiday viable and popular.
That, and I can ogle hot chicks from behind my mask!


----------



## bignick (Sep 25, 2008)

jdubbya said:


> Short version; Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, bar none. My memories of Halloween growing up are among the best, and while no one decorated to extremes like they do now, Halloween and trick or treat seemed more widely accepted back then. I think any of us who "haunt" or go to some length to celebrate above and beyond, are doing a great deal to preserve the tradition of a holiday that seems to become less and less popular as the years go by. I want to create lasting memories for people who come to my house on Halloween night. I want to be the guy the kids talk about the next day in school, and the one parents tell their friends about. Someday, long after I'm done doing Halloween, I want those little kids who are grown up to tell their own little kids about the Halloween house they remember. Hopefully our efforts can inspire the next generation to not only go the extra mile on Halloween but to keep the holiday viable and popular.
> That, and I can ogle hot chicks from behind my mask!


+1

I couldn't have said it any better.


----------



## BoysinBoo (Dec 10, 2007)

3 Things:

1) I beleive that the our kids today need to know what it was like to be a kid back when we were coming up. To go outside to play and not come home all day. To not have a GPS chip in their cell phone tracking their every movement. To talk to strangers. To want to get dirty or build a fort or climb a tree. Not a virtual tree. A real honest to God tree. Building my haunt and having them walk through it, is my way of giving that one night to the kids (and parents) in my neighborhood. My way of saying, "See. That world still exists." Even if it's pretend, and even if it's only for one night, I can give them that one little piece back.

2) I gotta admit that being "that guy" gives me a warm fuzzy. I take pride in the eye rolls that I get from co-workers. The chuckle of the cop down the street, when he sees the severed arm hanging out of my car door or the face in the window. The craning necks of the looky-loos taking evening walks past my open garage.

3) To keep that kid in me alive. When I was a kid, it was perfectly normal to grab a bottle of glue, cut up some construction paper, paint a picture, write a story, etc. How many adults do you know that indulge the creativity within them. I still like football, movies, reading books, and all that. But few of us truly CREATE anything anymore. I'm not willing to let that die inside me. I refuse to become a grown up.


----------



## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

My personality was shaped very early on. As a small child, I was thrilled when all the halloween shows would come on, and I liked the scariest stories I could find. I love the spooky feeling of Halloween. It has never changed. 

I started doing my haunt because I love Halloween. I love the darkness and the creepy factor. I love the creativity that goes into it. 

It all came down to last year. I was very proud of a new display I did last year. I did this zombie haunt that I just really loved. It stopped being about the kids at that point. Many of the kids looked at it, and then they wanted to go next door for more candy. However, the parents.... priceless. They would just hang out and stare at it, talk about it, and just get lost in it. Parents would come back with cameras and take pictures and everything. It was fabulous. 

The best moments were when a group of tourists from China came by. They brought cameras and were having a great time. We let them go up and pose with the figures, etc. It was like a horror wax museum. At the end of the night, a man with his little girl came back by. He stood there for an hour just looking it all over from beginning to end. His poor daughter was getting bored after 15 minutes. He just looked so lost in thought. He looked like he was remembering what it was like to be a child. At the end, he came up and shook my hand and told me how fantastic it was. It made me feel really good. 

A week later, when we were taking it down, people were still coming by and taking pictures. 

Sorry if I was rambling. I just get so caught up in it.


----------



## Moon00 (Oct 7, 2007)

I think alot of it has to do with the fact that I was a very creative child, I loved (and still do) anything that had to do with art and film. I was always drawing and painting or making my own little movies with props and things that I would make. Of course I also really loved Halloween so I think putting those two together is why I become interested in haunting. 
I was always fascinated by those few house that decorated for Halloween more so than most people. There were two houses that I always looked forward to seeing each year. One that did a graveyard scene in their front yard and another house that did a vampire theme with a coffin and spooky lighting. I loved the creativity of it because it reminded me of what I would do at home when I would make props and set up scenes for my movies that I would make. As I got older and became tired of Trick or Treating I became more and more interested in creating my own "haunt".

Now, with this being our fifth year doing a haunt, I still do it because I love the creativity involved but also because of how much the kids and their parents enjoy it. It feels great to know that I'm helping to create memories for the family's that come by and make their Halloween a little more magical and special. Just like how I fondly look back at the Halloween houses that fascinated me as a child I want those kids that come to my house to do the same as they get older. And maybe even inspire some to create haunts of their own to keep the Halloween spirit alive.


----------



## HauntCast (Jul 25, 2008)

When I was kid I remember one house down the street that decorated for Halloween. Thinking back on it all they did was hand store bought cardboard decorations in the windows (you know the ones). When October came we would drive by the house on our bikes to see what they put up. I loved it.
My neighbor Mary Ellen was the biggest influence on my creative spirit and she loved Halloween. She taught us how to make paper mache masks and how to make our own costumes. Every Halloween she put a speaker out the window and played Disney's Chilling Thrilling Sounds on the Haunted House album and answered the door dressed as a witch. One year we made a coffin out of a refrigerator box and I dressed as Dracula and laid inside popping up on little ones. I had so much fun that year and decided that I didn't want to TOT anymore I wanted to haunt my neighbors house with them. 
The next year I moved out of that apartment to a house a mere few blocks away. Now I had my own yard that I could haunt. With the exception of a few years here and there I have haunted my house in one way or another ever sense.
Every year when I haunt my yard and scare the kids I get that feeling in me just like when I was a kid, the feeling I can't describe, but I only feel once a year on Halloween night. I like many of you refuse to let Halloween and the child in me die.


----------



## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

It's all about the show.
Pretty simple really.

We love to entertain.


----------



## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

I think it started for me with the costume parades in grade school. I loved those, we got so into making our own costumes and I won the contest in 4th grade with a homemade scarecrow costume. I believe at that point I found my calling and creating great unique costumes every year was my thing. Once we got a house I quickly realized that I would finally be getting TOT's for the first time and I feel like it is almost my duty to provide them with a great experience. Plus Halloween is the one holiday that brings the neighborhood community together. During all the other holidays each family goes their own way and has their own traditions. I have met more of my neighbors during the month of Oct. when I'm out in the yard fiddling with stuff. Love it.


----------



## NecroBones (Feb 10, 2006)

jdubbya said:


> Short version; Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, bar none. My memories of Halloween growing up are among the best, and while no one decorated to extremes like they do now, Halloween and trick or treat seemed more widely accepted back then. I think any of us who "haunt" or go to some length to celebrate above and beyond, are doing a great deal to preserve the tradition of a holiday that seems to become less and less popular as the years go by. I want to create lasting memories for people who come to my house on Halloween night. I want to be the guy the kids talk about the next day in school, and the one parents tell their friends about. Someday, long after I'm done doing Halloween, I want those little kids who are grown up to tell their own little kids about the Halloween house they remember. Hopefully our efforts can inspire the next generation to not only go the extra mile on Halloween but to keep the holiday viable and popular.
> That, and I can ogle hot chicks from behind my mask!


I feel the same way. Including that last part.

But I think there's more to it as well, that's hard to explain. It's also a creative outlet. And there's nothing like embracing that which causes fear, to help us to overcome sources of fear in our lives. Embracing death, to help us to appreciate life. Hard to explain.

But in the end, it's all about fun and creativity... and candy!


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

I do it Because rodeo is just out of the question.


----------



## Tyler (Jul 17, 2008)

For me, I think its just because Halloween is so darn cool. You can be very creative with it, and do anything you want, unlike some other holidays. I really love when people come to see my haunt, and give me compliments on it. And I really do think that my haunt can bring people together, I see people walk and drive down to see it that I have never seen before, word spreads fast.


----------



## slimy (Jul 12, 2006)

Frighteners Entertainment said:


> It's all about the show.
> Pretty simple really.
> 
> We love to entertain.


You hit the nail on the head, Jeff.


----------



## lowdwnrob (Jul 2, 2008)

I love this thread. I feel that it is a little of everything said so far. Halloween is just plain fun. There is no pressure of getting the perfect gift or anything. Its just fun. I can remember waiting on it every year and nothing has changed. I LOVE OCTOBER 31!


----------



## HauntedHacienda (Sep 16, 2008)

We did ours out of wanting to have a little fun and cut loose at least once a year.
Our lives are far too serious the rest of the year.
Plus one side of the Family is...well, Bible Thumpers (Not that I begrudge them that), but the other side are Athiests. They are Boring to the point of extreme. Either way, I prefer to stay in the middle and give a piece of Fun and Joy to the Community where I reside, that I Love.
Halloween and Christmas are the Only times I Really, Truly get to be a Kid (even if in a much larger body now).
This is the time of year when Kids should be Kids, even if it be for just a few hours.
Smiles are Payment enough for what it is that we do.
All the Money is well spent on seeing the Littlest ones in their Costumes and having a good time.


----------



## kevin242 (Sep 30, 2005)

I'm better at haunting than golf and it costs about the same.


----------



## 2dragon (Aug 10, 2008)

In my family every kid was born 3 days before a holiday. My holiday was Halloween. To me Halloween is the most imaginative holiday, you can be or do anything you can dream up for the night. You can make magic or horror. The only limit is your creativity.


----------



## Spooklights (Jul 4, 2006)

Gee, everybody has such good reasons...but I've always loved Halloween. I think the earliest memory I have is of standing on the couch and looking out the window, seeing what the Trick-or-Treaters were wearing.  I was such an odd little kid; I was sick a lot of the time, so I got into the habit of just sitting and thinking about different things. I loved to think about Halloween because I could let my imagination take free reign. The only time I really got to go out was when my Mom bundled me up, and my Dad put me in the car and took me to look at the Halloween displays. We went all over to see them; I loved riding in the car, and an hour's ride was nothing if I got to see a good display. It was such a high point in my year, that just thinking about it still makes me happy. I always wanted to live in one of those Halloween houses, and now I do. It's great to be the house that all the kids want their parents to drive past at night! 
I guess you could say that the reason I haunt if that it just makes me happy.:jol:


----------



## halloweengoddessrn (Feb 14, 2007)

For me its an out reach to others and for kids to grow up and think Halloween is OK. I have met neighbors adn become friends with them that I probably would have never even said Boo too. We all tend to go in and out our automatic garages and hardly speak. Also, its the one day of the year that you can become whoever(whatever) you want and its ok. Scary, funny, serious, gory- it doesnt matter. My childhood memories are of fun, gettin dressed up and trick or treating. I still have the pumpkin light my mother put in here window every Halloween until she passed away. She always enjoyed seeing the kids all dressed up and giving out treats. I am a christian that believes that Halloween is OK- our church loads up the bus with the youth group and they come for our huge party every year...so being christain and loving Halloween is not taboo. The haunt is our open invitation to everyone to come and enjoy Halloween and make memories like we have.


----------



## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Spooklights said:


> . I always wanted to live in one of those Halloween houses, and now I do.
> 
> I guess you could say that the reason I haunt if that it just makes me happy.:jol:


I think that just might be the closest thing to a perfect answer that I've ever read! Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?:jol:


----------



## DrMondo (Dec 28, 2007)

*Why we haunt*

....because a good (albeit safe) scare is better than a trip to the candy store!:smoking:


----------



## dna1990 (Jul 18, 2008)

Creative outlet for sure. Designing, engineering, constructing, painting, electronics, you name it.

My sappy story is from last year. I was out 'tweaking' the display when the typical drive by lookyloos rolled to a stop. They looked for a while and as I walked over closer, I got the 'ol "looks cool man" compliment. I don't know why but I went over to say hay or thanks and it was a car load of college kids. The driver says "yes, we have been driving around this neighborhood for 20 mins trying to find your house".

We get _lots_ of friends, family, coworkers, etc that come drive by, tell two friends, etc. So I asked, "oh, how did you hear about us?".

He says, "well, when I was a kid about 10 years ago we lived a block away from you in your old subdivision. I came every year to your house. When I was home from college with my friends, someone at my parent's house said you had moved to this new subdivision. So off we came on the search to find ya".

Hmm, wow. A kid from the old neighborhood that thought enough of Halloween and the types of gatherings that occur at our display...to not only remember, but then to seek us out with his car load of buddies - some 8 years after we had moved. Pretty cool I thought.

So with this, I get them out of the car and give them the personal tour, turn on some of the effects that were not all setup yet, etc. They get the bracelets, candy, etc. And then play around beta-testing an alien laser tag system I was working on at the time. One kid wants to get his degree in electronics, and asked a _million _questions on how I made it, how to get started, we opened up the circuit boards, traced wiring, all the behind-the-scenes stuff, etc.

I did my best to answer _every _question he posed.

Creativity and inventiveness will be what saves this country again someday.


----------



## Toktorill (Sep 15, 2007)

There are so many reasons in the last few pages that I'm sure reverberate with all of us... for myself its mostly about the creative outlet, and all the fun there is to be had.

I built my first props in the 80's when I was still young enough to TOT myself to scare all the kids who came to get candy from my mother (an elementary teacher). I had SO much fun doing so, I organized haunts in the school when I was a member of the student council. In 2000 I began volunteering for the local boys 'n' girls club, joined along the way by several of my friends, and the years of creativity and fun we have had keeps us coming back for more like addicts.


----------



## Bloodhound (Oct 16, 2007)

BoysinBoo said:


> 3 Things:
> 
> 1) I beleive that the our kids today need to know what it was like to be a kid back when we were coming up. To go outside to play and not come home all day. To not have a GPS chip in their cell phone tracking their every movement. To talk to strangers. To want to get dirty or build a fort or climb a tree. Not a virtual tree. A real honest to God tree. Building my haunt and having them walk through it, is my way of giving that one night to the kids (and parents) in my neighborhood. My way of saying, "See. That world still exists." Even if it's pretend, and even if it's only for one night, I can give them that one little piece back.
> 
> ...


I couldn't of said this any better. 
My wife told me just tonight that: Two little girls and thier Mother were walking down the street this evening. One of the little girls said to her Mother, Look theres the Halloween House! Thats the Halloween house isn't Mom? The Mother nodded and said yes.
The cool thing about this is. I haven't even put one thing out that is Halloween or Fall related.
Touching others hearts and making those memories is certainly "Why I Haunt".


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

*I haunt cuz I love dinosaurs. No, wait!!*

I have always loved monsters. Dinosaurs (monsters to me when i was tiny) were so cool! And then Alien, The Thing, and Evil Dead made me love monsters. That why I make props. I like to make monsters.

Why do I haunt? My neighbor as a kid was some sleazy guy, who my parents didn't like, he had his lawn spray painted green once a month. He had bad hair, and alot of girlfriends I hear. But he put on one awesome Halloween. He had a green lightbulb by the door and kept his garage door 1/3 open, with a strobe light on. When you would walk by he would scrape shovel on the concrete and scare you to death. It made sparks man!!!

When I say it out loud it sounds dumb, but what a thrill it was. I loved dressing up, making my own costumes, getting free candy, trying to scare the people when they opened the door and now making my own haunted house so to speak.

I also love Disney's Haunted Mansion too much. I just want to live there.

I do it because I am trying to make what I always wanted to see as a child. We started this year in july, and neighborhood kids were already asking if we are going to "go nuts" this year in june. You betcha!


----------



## qtpenny (Oct 4, 2008)

nice one


----------



## SQWIB (Oct 14, 2008)

I guess for me it started with a few static props and a 1 year old.

The first time I really decorated for Halloween my daughter was just about 10 months old, she is now 14.
The look on her face with the decorations, props, costumes etc… was priceless.

From there it got bigger and better and manifested into an annual Halloween party. With the thought of Halloween not being what it used to be is why we started having the Halloween party.
The kids really love it especially when we all sit outside on the hay bails and tell some stories, especially “Poor Old Joe”. We would really go all out for the party but leave it all setup for the TOT’s to enjoy Halloween night.

From there it snowballed there were people being dropped off in front of the house in droves. People were coming from different blocks, others would come later at night because their spouse told them about it and they were home giving out candy. I actually had 1 guy wanted to walk his dog through.
Half of the TOT’s would walk out forgetting their candy. When my neighbor noticed how much fun I was having he joined in as a live prop.

1 year I mentioned that I was not going to do it that season, well word got out and people were coming up and sadly asking why, but the kicker was when this 5 yr old boy Michael came up and said my house was his favorite and was very sad I wasn’t going to do the Haunt.

As the years passed I was worried with the kids getting older that they wouldn’t be interested anymore, but quite the opposite.
I actually recorded it several years ago and there was a young guy in his early thirties that was so frightened by the air blaster that he screamed like a little girl, so now when I get overwhelmed with setups and costs of the haunt, I play back the video and laugh like hell.

It has actually become the hangout for some neighbors so my wife will usually throw something in the crock and we get to socialize with the neighbors, Double Bonus.

And I too also enjoy the remarks such as "oh you're the guy that does the Haunted House". Can I legally change my name to, "oh you're the guy that does the Haunted House". Plus the cars drive up the street slower this time of year LOL

Looks like I’m in it for the long haul


----------



## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

I remember several key houses from tot-ing as a kid. 1 had a plywood fascia on the front of his garage that looked like a castle and a mad scientist lab inside... 1 had giant ghosts painted on their side of the house.. (2 story ghosts) - he had it up there for years... another was "the pumpkin guy" who lived a couple of houses down and would carve 100+ pumpkins for halloween... and there was one other house where they had a witch (actress, not prop) stirring a large cauldron over a real fire out front and several folks hiding behind caskets / tombstones ready to pop out and scare you... We always looked forward to those houses and HAD to go to them every year... it makes up a big chunk of my halloween memory. the details are vague now, but I still remember how impressed I was and how much fun it was. We decorated our house a good bit as I got older, using some fruit-tree netting that glowed pretty well under a black light, we were typically the "best dressed" house in the area (my early childhood favorites had all moved away) but we lived several miles up a dirt road in the woods along with about 20 other houses and seems like we were all about the same age, so as we all grew up, so did most of the tot's. I think we got less than 5 kids he last year I was up there. 

Now, as an "adult" (ha!) I wanted to be that guy / that house that all the kids remember and look forward to going to and now I live in a subdivision and we get hundreds of kids... it's awesome. 

plus, it gives me something to do.


----------



## SoCal Scare (Aug 3, 2007)

I would have to say I haunt because I like to build the props and see the reactions of the people who see it. I don't think I realy have any memorable things per say that stand out that make me want to do it. I enjoy being 
"That guy with all the decorations" It was so cool to meet some new neighbors the other day that had just moved in and hadn't realy talked to a whole lot of people but when I told them wich house was mine (no decorations yet) they said "oh we heard that you do alot for the holidays we are looking forward to seeing it" The funny thing was the neighbor didn't know my name but he definately knew my house. I was stopped by a family the other day in front of my house and they asked when I would have the whole thing set up? Their daughter heard from some kids at school that there is this house on Wedgewood that is realy cool to see at halloween and Christmas you gatta go by and see it. so they have been driving by each week to see what is new. I guess I just enjoy being the center of attention even if it is for only a short time.


----------



## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I like to see my house "come alive" on Halloween. By this, I mean, the props that move, the decorations and the the glow of the pumpkins that I carved. Also, I have open house to all friends, family, neighbors and strangers. Of course, the creativity and the feeling you get when you make/build a prop. You know, as much as I love to see the TOTers come to my house, I really do all this for my own pleasure. It's the one holiday that I get to buy or make what I want for myself. I know that probably sounds selfish but I give and do alot for everyone else for the other holidays, Halloween is me time.


----------

