I’ve done both, but I’ve noticed that its becoming more difficult to do both.

For me, Halloween I often prefer to be very dark and creepy, sometimes too dark and Gothic. I prefer decorating like a haunted house or horror movie, and acting seriously disturbed. I like and seek out the most extreme of the adult ‘Haunted House’ activities and events—asylum themes, dark psychological terror

But there’s also the lighter side of the Harvest season, which includes pumpkins and traditional games like bobbing for apples, popcorn balls, candy apples, hayrides, country harvest themes, scarecrows, etc etc. Many Christian groups eschew Halloween and instead decorate in themes of “Give Thanks” and Harvest, and have petting zoos, hayrides and bonfires.

Somewhere in the middle I suppose there is the scary but family friendly Halloween of carnival haunted houses and an atmosphere more like The Haunted Mansion of Disney fame, or a Scooby Doo set. A creepy but child-friendly atmosphere of mild fears such as haunted trails and haunted hayrides and outdoor parties and games.

Please answer any way you want, but I am hoping for discussion of your tastes, preferences, memories, experiences—and what YOU prefer the Harvest season to be.

Which do you prefer for the Halloween/Autumnal/Harvest season?

Topics: Halloween, memories, darkness, autumn, harvest, Your preferences