
If it’s not already a tradition in your neighborhood, then you’re in for a treat: “Booing” offers you a fun opportunity to sneak a few treats to your friends and neighbors leading up to Halloween.
What exactly is booing? While there’s no exact point of origin for the practice—the best estimate we could give you is that it started 20-30 years ago, most likely in the midwestern United States—in many neighborhoods, it’s a long-standing tradition. In some areas, it’s called “Booing,” and in others, it’s called “Ghosting.”
The idea is simple: You stuff some goodies to share with some of your neighbors in little paper bags or another container, attach a copy of this little booing poem, and leave it on their porch.
Then your friends and neighbors enjoy the treats, stick the “We’ve been BOO-ed!” sign in their window and, if they want, pay it forward. (We recommend including a few extra printouts to make it easier for your neighbors to participate if they wish.)
In our neighborhood, it’s a fun tradition to see the little BOO-ed! signs slowly multiply across the neighborhood as Halloween approaches—and with a little candy packing and printing, you can see it in your neighborhood, too.