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HOME & GARDEN
Getting in the Spirit-s
While being "ghosted" by a sweetheart is a bad thing, and those playing a spectator sport or performing on a stage have always disliked being "boo'ed, " this Halloween tradition is actually a simple demonstration of friendship and neighborly good will.
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Cut out the left flyer on the Facing page and include it in a bucket or box with a delicious treat.
Leave it, surreptitiously, on a neighbor's door step and run away so they can enjoy the surprise.
If you have been Boo'ed, cut out the right side image and hang it on or near your door so you will not be Boo'ed again.
Or... don't, so you can enjoy and share the tradition again!
BOO!
Booing is a Halloween tradition of surprising neighbors with treats during the month leading up to the holiday. It usually begins in late September and ends Halloween night and it has been proliferating since the early 1980s in the United States. The game goes by many names, depending on location, including "Ghosting", "Spooking", and "Hobgobling."
Technology has made it much more simple to Boo someone, and social media sharing has helped to bring much more attention to the craze. The ease of printing signs and easy online sharing has helped the game become more popular and widespread in recent years.
It has even grown to the point that stores like Target and Etsy sell ready-to-go and personalized "You've Been Boo'ed" gift boxes to make it even easier to play the game.
PLAYING THE GAME
Families sneak special treats onto neighbors' or friends' porches after dark with a note attached saying "You've Been Booed". That family is asked to "boo" another family or two, spreading the fun. After being booed, the family is supposed to hang a ghost in their window to signify that they have already been "booed."
Boo-ing is also another means of allowing children and families to celebrate Halloween together. Concerns about safety, too much sugar, and unfamiliarity in new neighborhoods has led many communities to favor chaperoned parties or Griswold-style haunted houses, and Trunk-or-Treat events over the traditional October 31 door knocking.
EDITOR NOTE: Still, for some, if Boo-ing feels like another task to add to your already-busy list, we suggest putting up the right side flyer right away.
