Blanchblue
I'm over 40 and Scottish. Halloween was a big thing when I was wee. Hell it was a big thing when my Grandmother was wee.
Parties, dressing up, guising, decorating the house with turnips (bless my poor Mum).
The only things that I can see different now is:
Pumpkins not turnips - which a seriously good idea. Have you ever tried carving out a turnip?
More shop bought costumes - but that's a progress thing not a Halloween thing, I certainly didn't have a dressing up box that looked anything like my kids. Those kind of things just weren't available.
Better decorations- again not a Halloween thing, Christmas decorations are fancier these days too no doubt due to production techniques and imports.
The basic elements haven't changed very much.
Guising isn't begging - the kids have to do a turn for their goodies. As we did in my day. Every kid (even the tinies) tells a joke or sings a song.
It's not our fault if you guys are doing it wrong!
Round my bit there are hundreds of lovely, funny, polite kids (including the teenagers who are usually in fantastic handmade costumes) going round the doors.
It's wonderful.
It's deeply boring to have to point out the same things to MN every Halloween you know.