To think that trick or treating should be confined to your own street or friends/family

This, with bells on.

It's not 'the American trick or treating', as I hope many people here have amply proved. Hallowe'en is not an American invention.

I grew up in Ireland and we always went knocking on doors near and far, though back in the 70s we got apples and nuts for our trouble. We wore home made masks and costumes - i recall designing and making papier mache masks in art in school every year. Late in the evening, neighbours from all over town gathered for a massive bonfire, which local lads had built over the preceeding fortnight, using old lumber, garden clippings, fallen tree branches, etc. Usually someone would have managed to get their hands on some sparklers, which was very exciting for kids who had only seen fireworks on a black and white tv.

House decorated = taking part
No decorations = dont knock.
No geographic limits

I don’t mind teenagers trick or treating. But then, I’ve never had rude ones at my door, nor am I rude to them. I do try to make sure no one takes more than 1 item each. The teenagers are fine with this, I find it’s the smaller kids (understandably- they’re super excited!) who snatch because the adults with them aren’t reminding them to use their manners. I’m all for going out in groups of friends, but the amount of parents we saw who casually strode across roads deep in conversation way ahead of their kids and didn’t check they were following at all was alarming last night.

I was trick or treating in the 80s so definitely not a new or American thing (and actually all evidence suggests it started in the UK and we exported it to the US where it took off).

I actually really love that people get involved. We have a great street that mostly takes part and most of the occupants dress up. Friday was brilliant seeing groups of kids and parents in costumes saying "boo" to each other and complimenting the costumes on the street.

I find it brightens to a dull time of year.

My sister takes her children out to all the best streets and by that she means the decorated houses that have gone all out kind of thing....its not all about sweets.

The idea of driving somewhere to trick or treating is so bizarre to me, unless you're going to a friend's house to do it with them I guess. We go around the streets in our housing estate, all walking distance, usually in a big loop. We don't know all the houses we visit but tbf we do know a fair few as we have a dog so know quite a lot of people on the housing estate as a result. It's a bit weird actually having known someone first 5 years via your dog and then you suddenly see inside their home briefly in a totally different context 😂

I was born in the 50s so never heard of trick or treat as a child. It seems to be an American thing that we’ve adopted. I’m not a fan to be honest although I quite enjoy a good Halloween party:

I hated Halloween as a child and I hate it now as a 48 year old adult.

I never had any desire to go trick or treating as a kid. Which is just as well because my own mom saw it as begging and I didn’t disagree with her.

Those kids that did go trick or treating when I was young, tended to stick to the houses in the cul-de-sac. And their parents certainly weren’t trying to find out the best roads locally to go to.

I had lots of teens yesterday, I don't really care as long as they are local.

I have no idea how old they are, if they are with a little one hiding behind the bush or anything. I know some of them are teens because they're in class with my own kids 😆

One of the residential homes near us posted on our local FB page saying trick or treaters were welcome and the residents would like to see them dressed up.

What they actually meant was younger children (lower primary age) coming trick or treating dressed up.

From what was posted later online (asking for people to stop going) it sounds like it got a bit out of hand. The post asking for trick or treaters was shared amongst numerous local boards and it seems the home was swamped with trick or treaters. They also seemed to have a lot of teens and large groups.

A big group of scary looking teen boys told my little spider man last night that he looked cool! He is only 2 so was terrified of them, so they took their masks off and said 'look, we are just people!'
Sweet.

I really, really like trick or treating. I was never allowed to do anything for Halloween as a child as we went to church instead 😐 I took my little girl out for the first time just after COVID lockdown. People were so kind, so friendly, so nice to the kids. It is something we don't see lots of nowadays- that human connection of talking to strangers. I think it's nice.

Sent it to America, got it back in spades.☹️

... some people ...

... some people ...

Yep I never used to mind teens. They were often politer and I’m not sure the toddlers and tweens own Halloween.

Many of those things cost money. Many of the teens in our area don't have the cash, or the ability to put a costume together, get themselves to scream parks etc. They have no help from their parents to achieve these things. We live in a really deprived area.

I'm happy for the teens turning up with their crumpled carrier bags, and hoodies they were all polite and respectful.

It’s the sense of entitlement, excess tat and greed I can’t stand now. The travelling out of neighbourhoods, expectation etc. On our local FB group somebody has even posted moaning that there weren’t enough houses giving out sweets past 6.30 and people are miserable, people asking for the best place in town for sweets to do it etc.

15 years ago when my kids were little in the same area one of us would stay in for trick or treaters and the other parent took them out quite early for an hour down our road to neighbours.They got what they got. I’d get a few sweets in and they’d eat up what we had left and we’d have treats for tea and sometimes went to a friends house for Halloween tea. The door was shut by 7. They were grateful for a handful of sweets and liked being out in the dark more than anything.

Now we have a dog so don’t open the door at all she’d go nuts with the bell going continuously. Why does it have to be so full on like everything for kids now. Why is expectation so high and why do they need so much?

Yes, because the only alternative is to surf porn.

Same they can join other teenagers who are already doing "teenage things" and go to parties, cinema for 15 or 18 movies, or Halloween scream parks or fear events 😂

No, it was absolutely my DC who wanted to get more goodies. They led, I followed. Usually until the youngest's legs were tired, then we'd somehow make it home for dinner.

Yeah teenagers, they're horrible them. They should be indoors surfing porn, not trying to cling on to childhood and wondering if they can do trick or treating for one last year.

Small children is one thing, bloody teenagers is something else altogether.

I think trick or treating should be somewhat local. You should be able to walk to the areas 30-40 mins walking. The only people who should be driving are those that live very rural. I find it hard to believe that within a 30 minute walk of your house there is not a single house participating. It's fine to go to friends and go with friends in their area but purposely driving to other areas after doing your own area is distasteful and plain greedy.

Sadly we are surrounded by elderly people and only a few families on our road so we don't get any trick or treaters but I did put a pumpkin out and post on the class Whatsapp that people were welcome to call on us if they were passing. A friend lives on a street that is "the street" for Halloween, lots of people decorate and go all out. There are lots of children on the street (a lot of DDs school friends live on the street). Someone recommended their street on a FB post asking for good areas a few years ago and sadly they have been swamped with the "driving to a good area" crowd. Whilst not quite mini busses, a substantial number of cars full of children park up and do the street. Last year people were running out of sweets before the children who live on the street were getting chance to trick or treat. Also people were getting blocked on their drives and the road was blocked due to double parking. This year most of the street decided to trick or treat early so the local kids got a look in. My friend and I know several other school mums on the street also swapped out the treats, so early trick or treaters got better sweets (gummy sweets in bags, mini chocolates) and after 5pm it was cheap lollies, chews.

I've never heard of this, we went to the street where all the Americans lived because they always had sweets in. Except one year one man only had mince pies because he forgot.

It doesn’t bother me at all where the kids are coming from. I always think this is such a miserable attitude to have. When the sweets I have are gone, they’re gone. 🤷‍♀️