Ding-Dong-Ditching: A favorite family tradition

One of our kids’ favorite parts about Halloween is our tradition of ding-dong ditching.

I know what you all must be thinking: What kind of terrible parents teach their kids to ding-dong ditch?

I guess I should include in there that we leave treats on our friend’s doorsteps; we don’t ring the bell and leave them with an empty porch.

I don’t know who started this tradition, but a lot of people from our church join in on the fun. I remember being ding-dong ditched as a kid at holidays, always with a plate of goodies left on the doorstep. It was always an exciting challenge to run out and try to catch the person who left the treats behind. One time, I answered the doors in my pajamas, not venturing much beyond the front porch to see if I could find the perpetrator. I saw someone alright, but in the dark shadows of the night, I couldn’t figure out who it was. As I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of familiarity, a bright flash went off, capturing the dumbfounded image of me, standing in my pj’s. The picture was mailed to me a week later with no return address label. We all got a good laugh out of that one!

Jeff has fond memories of doing this while growing up as well. We decided to carry on the tradition with our own kids and it is something they look forward to every holiday season. They work together, formulating a plan at each house of how they will deliver the treats and run away without getting caught. They never want to go to the doorstep on their own, so brothers and sisters run alongside each other, scheming and giggling. It may seem silly or insignificant, but this is one small way that they are able to bond and make sweet memories together. Sometimes it is the small and simple moments that we remember the most. Years will go by, and they will still reminisce about “that one time” when they were cornered in the bushes of so-n-so’s house.

Let’s not forget the other fun part of this: decorating the cookies! Sometimes I get creative and make mummy brownies or eyeball cookies. Last year we made melting ghosts out of marshmellows and icing (“melting” onto brownies). Kids are simple though, and they enjoy icing sugar cookies the most. I’m fine with simple!

Let’s not forget about sampling our creations! We have to make sure they taste good before we send them out!

We always attach a fun poem on top of our box/plate of treats, encouraging others to pass along the holiday fun! I realize that by posting all of this, we are implicating ourselves! Ha ha. If you happened to receive a box of treats this week that look just like the ones in the picture…it’s just coincidence, I’m sure!

If you’re looking for some fun family time this holiday season, pass on a plate of treats to some friends! I promise, your kids will love to do this!