Trick or Treat - AIBU

No idea this was the unwritten rule! I’m glad I decided to put pumpkins out last minute and will remember this for when my DS is older. I’m guessing people near you don’t know this either

I do wonder if people realise that in some areas feral kids roam the streets and throw eggs and flour at homes and cars if they do not give them something. If you look on various Police websites you can see that shops put up special signs saying 'flour and eggs are sold at shopkeepers discretion'.

Fortunately many of us don't live in areas like that, but it could happen when parents don't supervise their children.

However, many people do and Halloween is something they fear.

Just teach our children to keep away from those homes not involving themselves in Halloween. Supervise our kids trick or treating. Let stop the nonsense that knocking on doors at night is all 'just fun' and 'bothers no one'.
Lets remember the people with reasons not to want random door knocking: people with Alzheimers, disabilities, babies, nighshift workers asleep, people knackered after a hard days work, people just watching a film or reading a book to relax or just plain don't want to deal with strangers kids - and why should they.

If Halloween is so important to you - have a party at your own house and invite the neighbourhood kids round. Win Win for all.

Also why are both parents trawling the streets? Who is at home so that they can hand out sweets?

Nobody should have to sit in darkness to avoid unwanted sods from knocking.
It’s just not on.
My estate was packed with literally swarms of children/teenagers accompanied by both parents. A lot of them do not live here, they turn up in cars and abandon them anywhere then start knocking on everyone’s door.
FFS stop knocking on strangers doors begging for sweets. You xan clearly see which houses are not decorated.
You are a pain in the arse.
Would these people appreciate randomers knocking on their door when they were trying to cook and eat dinner?

I didn't claim anything at all that you've said so that post is very odd.

Americans DO have a very unique energy, as a nation, with how much time and effort they put into all their holiday celebrations and you have to live under a rock not to see that.

I haven't participated in trick or treat for years. Not since my children were small and they are now all in their twenties so have long ago outgrown it.

I don't do decorations or carve out a pumpkin. Generally we don't get any knocks, thankfully. Any that do happen are ignored.

This evening though I did have to take delivery of a new household appliance at the same time as the street was full of trick to be or treaters. One group seemed to think that that meant I was participating - errr, no! Unless you think a knackered old tumble dryer being exchanged for a new one equals Halloween decorations.

I'm glad of the rule of only knocking at houses with pumpkins/decorations out. It's generally observed round here, I'm glad to say.

I really can't be arsed with Halloween (never could really). It wasn't a thing when I was growing up. I prefer to be left in peace.

Rule in the US is that if the porch light’s on, it’s fair to ring the doorbell. My kids and I just went to three different houses that had lights on, no decorations, and big bowls of candy.

@Demonhunter No, americans don't have a monopoly on energy and celebrations. Hallowe'en is only a thing in the U.S. because immigrants from the UK took it over there. Hallowe'en was a huge thing during my childhood in Scotland. Several Hallowe'en parties in the week leading up to the main event, and then on the night of 31st, streets thronged with guisers and houses had constant streams of children. The whole thing lasted hours from when darkness fell until around 9pm. People were generous, both with their time and money and gave over much of their evening to it. They stocked up on nuts, apples, tangerines, all kinds of confectionery, and 10p coins for when they ran out. Some baked cakes or made toffee apples or tablet. And Hallowe'en has its roots in ancient times, long before the U.S. existed.

In our village the unwritten rule is you only knock if there are lit pumpkins. When our sweets run out I take the lights out of the pumpkins and nobody knocks then.

Just teach your kids not to knock on doors with no decorations. Easy - they can concentrate on the houses giving out treats and others are not disturbed. It's really that simple. Ridiculous to expect people to sit in the dark in their own homes - geezo.

So what, was the OP talking about Ireland? If so your point stands, if not your point is moot.

Maybe read the thread and realise there are more countries than England.

Maybe read the thread and see you're in the minority then.

No. The majority of people where you live may play by your rule. They most definitely don't where I live. I have also never come across anyone who has been distressed by kids knocking on their door at Halloween and I know a lot of people locally.

Your little rule is to knock on everyone's door no matter who you might be distressing. This is why the majority of people play by the no lights, no decorations, no knock rule.

@OchonAgusOchonOh You're right. When I was a child many elderly people welcomed guisers and threw themselves into the spirit (sorry, unintentional) of things. Trick or treating seems such a poor imitation of the Hallowe'en I remember. Excitement started early October and had built to a fever pitch by 31st. Good to hear it's still happening in Ireland. Don't know about my native Scotland. Been living in England for so long.

I think when it's only for a few hours early evening, one night a year, for many it won't be a big deal. Really by 7.30/8pm, it should be over with. Failing that, leave it on and resort to what I did today and tie your front gate up.

And there we disagree...

I don't think it's reasonable to expect people to know about random, unwritten rules. You do 🤷‍♀️.

It's still a better and more efficient rule than just knocking on any and all doors regardless of decorations or front door light which is what you're advocating because in YOUR area that's what you do, so you don't think it's strange for other areas to do the same.

This might sound flippant- it isn’t meant to - but if you have an always-on porch light for security purposes, are you likely to happily switch it off on the night when the streets are busy and a burglar or other ne'er-do-well - in a mask, too - would be able to prowl around without standing out?

And it's not a rule where I live in Ireland 🤷‍♀️

So what you mean is, it's a rule most people in your location know and it's a rule in some other places too. That doesn't necessarily add up to "most people".

It's a rule that most people know, if you light up your front door on Halloween its an indication to knock. If you have decorations out, its an indication to knock, especially in my area and it seems by another poster, also in places in the US.

it did get a bit confusing because it’s Diwali aswell and the kids were so excited they saw the lights and knocked the door
the people didn’t mind though and gave them special Diwali sweets

Apologies. I just realised you responded to a response I had made to a different poster and I thought you were the poster I had responded to.

And no, there is no reason why a hall light is any different to any other light on. It's certainly not where I live. You are basically making up a rule that you are expecting other people to also know.

YANBU.