Anyone here not answering door today

I don’t agree with trick or treating as I think it’s weird to teach children not to talk to strangers or take anything from them only to encourage them to knock on doors and ask for sweets for one night!
But I don’t begrudge anyone else doing it. We will have the lights off and no decorations out tonight so hopefully won’t get any knocking, instead I throw a Halloween party each year which seems to go down well (already had it this year a bit earlier than usual!).

Wow how miserable.

One of the joys of living in a flat. No trick or treaters #miseryguts

Sorry, I’m Irish and I know what’s behind Oíche Shamhna aka Halloween, so I would be more than happy if it died out.

When I was young - many years ago- we carved a turnip lantern and that was the extent of our acknowledgement that it was Halloween.

I moved to Scotland in my twenties and came across Trick or Treat for the first time. I quite liked it because the children had to perform a wee song or tell a joke before they got given any treats. But I get the impression that side of the tradition has died and now children just expect to be handed a load of sweets just because they've knocked on the door. And so it's morphed into just into a form of begging.

I'll be turning the lights off this evening and going to bed and hope I get through it without any problems.

kids and chavs 😂 blimey, sounds exciting!

We don’t get kids or chavs (or anyone else) sadly so although I would open the door I doubt anyone will come!

Pumpkin and decorations rule here too. Our village goes in for it in a big way though. Will be taking my two out guising for a little while, 2yo has even managed to learn a joke (although keeps forgetting the punchline ). And then DD1 loves opening the door to the kids and giving them sweets.

I will.
I won't need to answer to t&t because we aren't decorating and round here the parents only take their children to houses that are decorated, but if someone knocks I will answer.

I was brought up to view it as begging, we did ducking apples and games at home instead, sometimes with friends. This was before the UK had adopted so much from America though and more people went to church where celebrating Halloween was discouraged:

www.christianity.org.uk/article/halloween

Anyway, it's not a practice we've ever taken part in so there are no decorations outside and we won't answer the door.

Nobody on MN ever answers the door do they, unless it's a close family member (not an in-law) who made an appointment 10-14 business days in advance? What's different about today? 🤷🏻‍♀️

(FWIW we live in a flat so rarely get anyone knocking but we have some sweets in just in case!)

I've no kids and I still kit it out and buy sweets in for the kids.

Lets be honest it's a couple of hours or so, once a year. You can do what you want of course, but you're asking AIBU, so aye I think you are, and a bit of a tightarse.

If everyone done this, the tradition would die out.

We’ve never had trick or treaters at the door, we live too far out. We do leave free sweets and little bags we make up in our honestly box at the end of the drive with a sign. We get a lot of tourists in campervans and they often stop for a treat for their children. I’ve already filled it today and will restock it this afternoon.

I’m not participating!
can’t stand Halloween.

Luckily in my area children abide by the "pumpkin rule". I used to decorate and had a steady stream of children but didn't last year and had none. It works really well here.

I use my bicycle lock to stop them even getting through the front gate. Last year I hung sweets on it but as others said, the first bunch of people just emptied it and left nothing for others. If I don't lock the gate, no amount of shut curtains and lack of decor stops the incessant ringing and knocking.

Generally most people only knock on doors with pumpkins now. I live in a flat, so no-one will be knocking. I do know 2 children in the block so i’m going to get some coins incase they come and say daddy will take them to the shop as I have nothing in for kids

I don’t mind answering the door to kids who have gone to some effort to dress up, but our dogs go crazy every time someone knocks and it gets annoying, going to try leaving sweets on the doorstep in the hope that the kids have enough consideration not to take them all in one go

if your home is not decorated/pumpkin outside there should not be anyone knocking, is that not the rule?

@Autumn38 i am 100% with you, love to see the children all dressed up, I like to think I will be doing for the children when I’m old as well 🎃

happy Halloween everyone, hope your kids have a fun evening 🎃💀👻

The kids are amazing around he and only knock on those that have put a pumpkin out x
When I've had enough an want to settle down for the evening i just bring the pumpkin in and peace is restored 😂

How is it glorified begging if the one’s your asking are in on it too?

I did love it previously, living on a small estate it had a great feeling about it. Now though kids are driven in and parents walk their kids to the houses to get more sweets than they know what to do with.....

It's lost it's appeal and just feels grabby and greedy as kids vie to collect the most and we don't see either the kids or the adults ever again!

I will put out a pumpkin and hand out candy. We do it every year because we love seeing the children dressed up and being reminded to say thank you. My niece is going as Pebbles from the Flintstones. 🥰

Round here only decorated houses get knocked at.

We've a full graveyard in the front garden and will have spooky music playing out the front (from 5pm-7pm)

Can't imagine we'll have any sweets left by then but lights etc will be off before 8pm so we're not disturbing anyone's sleep.

This is the first year that I won’t be doing it.
Im not a fan of T or T anymore. Encouraging kids to knock on strangers doors and ask for sweets doesn’t sit well with me any more.

Round here people only come if you’ve got a pumpkin or other decorations up. But most houses do join in, there’s a great community feel and it’s so lovely to see so many joining in and having fun. I’ll be taking my Dc tonight and will also be leaving sweets out for others. I love my village it’s so friendly.