Adult TikTokers have been horrified to learn of the spread of trunk-or-treating as a replacement for trick-or-treating on Halloween. It has reached the point that one man’s little cousin called the classic form of October candy acquisition “lame” and claimed that no one goes door-to-door for treats anymore.

Plenty of other TikTokers said they still spot trick-or-treaters every year, but there’s definitely a shift happening overall.

What is trunk-or-treating?

Trunk-or-treating eliminates any opportunity for tricks by offering candy out of the trunks of cars rather than at neighbors’ front doors. This practice began in the 1990s with conservative churches in the U.S. and Canada as an alternative to the traditional Halloween candy hunt.

Those who didn’t grow up in such churches might not have heard of trunk-or-treating, including William Rath (@william.rath) of TikTok, until recently.

“So, apparently trick-or treating doesn’t exist anymore?” he said in his video last week.

@william.rath I’m so sad #halloween #trickortreat #trunkortreat #october #fall ♬ Halloween Theme – John Carpenter & Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies

He had just asked his young cousin if he was excited for trick-or-treating and got an unexpected reaction.

“He’s like, ‘William, no one goes trick-or-treating anymore.'”

“Apparently, it’s lame to trick-or-treat now, and it’s cool to trunk-or-treat.”

This cousin may have heard this from his church more than his fellow kids, because trunk-or-treating definitely doesn’t sound like the cool option.

Sometimes billed as a “fall festival” instead of a more devilish holiday, these events often take place in church parking lots—almost like a sugary tailgate party. Adults park their decorated cars and greet costumed kids with treats out of their trunks. Other games and activities are typically included, since trunk-or-treating doesn’t take nearly as long as the classic.

The practice caught on with some more secular communities as sensationalized news stories warned of the dangers of sending your kids to strangers’ houses. Trunk-or-treating is also supposed to reduce the risk of car-related injuries.

@brandytillett Had to 😂 I actually think it ended up turning out okay! #trunkortreat #halloween2021 #halloweenfunny #starwars #fyp ♬ original sound – Matthew Rincon

“Everything changed after COVID”

Few TikTok commenters expressed the shock that Rath did, though many denied the idea that trick-or-treating is dead. The Halloween tradition has been on the decline for many years now, replaced with “safer” alternatives. The Atlantic ran a story about this trend in 2018, reporting that many folks were seeing fewer kids at their doors every year.

On Rath’s video, however, a lot of people said that they see both practices in their communities.

“We do both in MA,” said @youneedahobby. “Trunk or treat is for school events. Trick or treat is for Halloween night.”

“Trunk or treat tells you which demographic your cousin lives in—affluent communities still trick or treat just fine,” said @tiktokker7654321. “I just bought 200 full-size candy bars for our Halloween and will likely run out.”

Regardless, some bemoaned the decline of the classic fun of trick-or-treating.

“I always hated trunk or treat when I was younger and they are ALWAYS in some random church parking lot,” reported @sky2swag.

“Everything changed after covid,” said @miriamcelisss.

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