Why trick-or-treating may be fading away in New Jersey

Over the past several years, this annual tradition seems to be slowly fading away into history. It hasn't yet, and it probably won't ever fully go away. But trick-or-treating certainly hasn't been as active as it once was.

But why is that? How come our kids and teens don't want to go out as much as they used to? And for those who do go out, how come trick-or-treating doesn't go well after sunset like it used to?

Some of the below answers aren't based on studies, polls, or anything like that. Rather, it's based on observations over the changes that have been happening over the past several years.

How many of these do you agree with? Let's take a look.

Overly paranoid

Nobody can deny we're not more nervous to be out and about then we used to be two decades ago. More and more we don't feel like we can trust as much as we once did.

And that's with all the added security we now have. Crazy to think that the safer we technically are, the more nervous we get to send our kids door to door.

Trunk-or-treat

This one right here is probably one of the biggest reasons we don't trick-or-treat the traditional way anymore. Our kids are probably over it after collecting all their candy going truck to trunk.

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Trunk-or-treat had it's run, but it's time to now end it. No more decorated trunks, please. Save the candy hunting for Halloween night.

Clock change

This one's more overlooked, but think about it for a minute. Our clocks used to fall back before Halloween, which made it darker during the time we trick-or-treated.

Now that it's light later, perhaps that's why it seems like we're no longer going out after it gets dark. Either way, this one still doesn't change the fact that we don't go out as often as we used to.

Although, it would be nicer if it got darker sooner for the trick-or treaters.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.