Is “Trunk-or-Treating” Replacing “Trick-or-Treating” in New Jersey?

Spooky season is officially upon us and something feels off about the 2023 Halloween season already! Within the past few years, there haven’t been as many Trick-or-Treaters roaming the streets on Halloween night, even if the weather is good to us.

It raises the question, is Trick-or-Treating becoming a thing of the past in New Jersey and across the U.S.? Nowadays, so many townships, cities, and schools have started the new “Trunk-or-Treat” event and it’s for sure stopping a lot of kids from “Trick-or-Treating”.

Is Halloween not as beloved as it used to be, or are the “Trunk-or-Treat” festivities starting to replace the good, old-fashioned “Trick-or-Treating”?

Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. I love sitting outside with people in the neighborhood, handing out candy and just spreading some Halloween spirit. However, over the last few years, I’ve noticed the amount of “Trick-or-Treaters’” has gone down drastically!

Now is this the same for all areas? I’m not sure.

How likely are Americans to celebrate Halloween in 2023?

A poll taken by statista.com surveyed a little under 10,000 Americans and asked if they planned on celebrating or participating in Halloween activities this year, like Trick-or-Treating or Trunk-or-Treating.

Back in 2020 just as the pandemic hit, only about half of the people surveyed answered that they would be getting into the Halloween spirit that year. As the ears have gone on, the number has been climbing. As of September 2023, 73% of the surveyed group responded that they WILL be participating in Halloween this year.

When does "Trick-or-Treating" start in New Jersey?

Countryliving.com has listed the Trick-or-Treating start times for each major U.S. city. For both Philadelphia and New York City, 6 pm is the expected time kids will start knocking on your doors begging for a Kit-Kat! So, no matter which part of Jersey you live in, it's safe to say 6 is a good time to get going.

The question still stands: Has "trunk-or-treating" become the new way of doing Halloween?

The pandemic is for sure responsible for Trick-or-Treating’s downfall. With social distancing protocols and mask mandates in place, it was much easier to have a socially distanced and touch-free event when hosting these sorts of “Halloween tailgates”.

It’s hard to say if this new trend will officially replace the old-fashioned “Trick-or-Treating” tradition, but I’m sure this year's Halloween will be a telling year, considering this is the first Halloween post-pandemic. No matter how you celebrate Halloween, make it a good one and get in the spooky season spirit!