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

We love it too! We dress our window for the kids which is “code” in the village that Trick or Treaters are welcome, and we put about 6 items from Celebrations, mini Fudge, etc, in Halloween bags, because we are big kids ourselves so want to give what we would like to get if we were out there! 😆

Personally I think people should have family/friends gatherings. That's what we did when we were young. I am 67 now. But the American trick or treating has come in, in force. So when mine were young we would agree who wanted to be involved. And the children would go to the agreed homes. At an agreed time. Then we usually went to to the local church that would do a White evening. There would be games for the children, squash & biscuits. Tea & Coffee for the adults. The only stipulation was no Witches, Devils or Ghosts etc. The children could dress up in Happy outfits. Or not dress up at all. Everyone has fun. But what I do now is put a container of sweets out, but a notice up saying to please not to please not knock the door, as I have a seriously disabled child who also has epilepsy & goes into a fit at sudden noises. So I think it is the younger ones that probably get treats, which is fair. The sweets always go. And luckily that seems to be it all that happens. But people usually older kids going round other neighbourhoods no I do not think that is OK. If in a small street, do something for your kids at home or the street together.

Omg there’s some miserable people on here !! Personally grew up in age where “ penny for the guy” was more a thing. Yes trick or treat is American , but my daughter had so much fun with it ( when I was reluctantly persuaded to take her along with others from pre school) that I was converted ! We were fortunate to live in a lovely area with plenty of generous households who decorated/ gave out sweets. Now she’s grown and not so many youngsters libe around where I now live , but I continue the tradition and know many children come from further afield ( some I know from local school and they don’t get offerings where they live ). It’s ONE night and a few bags of sweets don’t cost much versus the pleasure they bring to little kids. I cannot imagine asking for ID / where they hail from to ration their sweets!! If you don’t want to participate, don’t. Otherwise why begrudge particular children ? And yes, if teens arrive I assume they may have additional needs / still enjoy sweets - it doesn’t harm me and not one has ever taken more than the “ take one or two” I suggest. It’s a sad day presuming of course you can afford it when someone begrudges children a bit of fun.

We go all out every year. House decorated, we have a fog machine and tiki lights and we have a jump out spider. We love having a great laugh and welcoming trick or treaters. Our entire street and neighbourhood get involved. This year was quieter than recent years due to the weather. Last year we had cars arriving with kids, we didn’t mind and even once we had ran out of treats, they came to see our decorations.

What a miserable idea. In our town the general idea is that if people put a pumpkin outside or Halloween themed decorations, then trick or treaters are welcome to knock on those doors. No pumpkin/ decorations, then the children dont knock on the doors. It works. The children on our estate had a great time and a lot of houses took part and made a lot of effort to decorate their homes and bring a bit of joy. What a miserable world we are becoming.

Well our kids would have a miserable time as being on a farm means we are the only property on our lane (street)! I drove youngest son (12) into the nearest village (5 miles away) to go trick or treating with a small group of his friends), and I drove eldest son (almost 14) into the nearest town (8 miles away) to meet up with some school friends to go trick or treating and then stay over at the friends house who lives in that town. Both of my boys and their friends are polite and know to only go to houses that have lit up pumpkins outside, and only to take one sweet if a bowl has been left outside. What worries me is how many posts I have seen trying to suggest that all teenagers are rude (they aren’t) or that we should have some sort of societal segregation in place for only certain children to be allowed to go to certain streets. We obviously don’t get anyone calling at our house for trick or treat but if we did I would welcome anyone from anywhere as long as they were polite!

I wont even answer the door next year.
We had no pumpkin out but we did make some pumpkin decorated biscuits to hand out if anybody knocked and a couple of little kids in fancy dress with parents did come by. Later we had four teenage boys and a teenage girl call. The boys had their coat hoods pulled up over their heads and two had balaclavas. The girl just stood behind them looking dopey. I asked where their costumes were and one replied you dont need a costume to do trick or treat. I just said no thankyou and shut the door. This morning i saw all tte planters on the drive had been tipped out, one had been tipped onto my car, one was smashed up and chucked in next doors garden.

These were somebody's little cherubs.

I'm from the USA. I'm in my 50's, and went out with my younger brother as a kid. We were told to stick to our neighborhood, and certainly don't go towards the main street in our town. So we roamed as far as we thought our parents would be okay with. I personally don't have an issue with kids coming to my house from other neighborhoods. I buy as much candy as I can afford, and give it generously. When it's gone, it's gone. But then I don't get hordes anyway. The general rule for many here is, porch light on, means we're giving out treats. When it's off, we're done.

We have about 10 kids left in out street trick or treaters age..I had about 60 at my door last night..we do every year..bowl was emptied and I had to raid cupboards for more..our street has always been well known for being a great street for trick or treating in..I'm in ireland live in the town so loads to choose from..when mine were little they didn't need to go further than our street as they got loads

@Moonnstars I agree. I think if I was a parent I’d prefer to know the house my kids were getting free food from! This is a huge benefit of sticking to your own street/people you know as well getting to strengthen neighbourly relationship’s especially where I live where you barely see the kids as they’re bundled into the huge Chelsea tractors as soon as they step out the door either for school or endless after school clubs!

It’s got a bit much I agree, last night will be my last time. People start coming REALLY early from about 4 now, I hadn’t even got my decorations all out because of the wind and rain yesterday!
Then it was virtually non stop hammering on the door with a couple of small lulls until about 7.30 when the rain put a stop to a majority, last year people were still knocking at 9! That’s 5 odd hours! I had to raid my own choccy/treat box as I ran out SO fast. Some of the children are really grabby, greedy and rude. It’s started pissing me off now, and my kids are older so don’t go anymore.

Just buy whatever you like.
When it’s gone it’s gone.

That’s for Bonfire Night. Still happens in our village but separate to Halloween.

Whatever happened to 'Penny for the Guy??'

We are on the lists of areas in London good for trick or treating. I love it, I buy loads of cheap packs of haribo and love giving it out to all the kids who come round all dressed up and excited. I don't care where they come from, it's just really fun for all the children. I definitely don't think only the kids on our road should get to enjoy it. I gave out about 200 mini bags of haribo.

This

You shouldn’t have to but could you put a note on the door asking people not to knock?

Ds hates Halloween and that’s what we did when he was younger and it was always respected. Thankfully here now people do seem to respect the not knocking if no decorations.

I put my address on the Halloween map but was quite shocked when some people drive up in their cars, parked on the zebra crossing zig zags outside my house and their kids got out, got the sweets then they drove off.

I’m told not to put decorations out if I don’t want to participate. I never put decorations out but it doesn’t stop the long line of door knockers. It started at 4.30 and went on until 10. My poor dog was sick of barking. I’m on my own now, since DH died and it’s horrible. I felt under attack.

That's my memory of it from the 80's. Started when you got home from school with pumpkin carving and finished at bedtime.

Problem is my DC's have grown up with the American version and get annoyed because we don't decorate the house inside and out like Christmas for weeks before.

This year there has been the usual dramas over who to go TorT with , what outfits to wear etc. It simply hasn't been worth it. I actually think this is the last year we really acknowledge it.

My kids get very excited about the sweets but also love seeing the houses and honestly, their sweets will probably not be eaten fully this side of Christmas. My youngest took one lolly from one house, walked to the next one and put it in the box and took a different one and sort of just sweet swapped all evening. I think they have about 4 sweets in their bag (which I grabbed for them). Bob if mine were most excited about going for a walk in the dark which we never really do.

We just put a couple of decorations in the porch to let people know we are happy to have trick or treaters. That seems to be the done thing here.

We used to have a parade too - all the neighbours without kids would sit at the bottom of their drives to watch the kids in their costumes.

I loved that neighbourhood - it was such a community.

I used to take DC to a handful of neighbours who I had prewarned and checked they were OK with it. I couldn't get my head around taking children to get sweets off strangers. After five or six visits I felt they'd got the spirit of trick or treating and we'd go back and do Halloween games and they would be happy with the amount of sweets they had.

We are a popular area for TOT and in the past there have been parking issues because we've been descended on in this area. I think that's a bit off and greedy and not really a good lesson for your children. I am not going to stop giving out sweets, but I'd rather it was to those who live in my town.

My adult DC still love Halloween and still ask for my creepy meal every year. Growing up in the South West in the 70s and 80s, Halloween wasn't a thing, so it all was a bit alien to me at first.

We lived somewhere where neighbours messaged to let us know when they’d be coming with their children and check it was ok. It was all very restrained. We moved to where we live now years ago and I was blown away by how all out the area goes. Streets filled with groups, amazing costumes and word being passed between groups on the street of where the best houses are… sometimes because of decorations or kids swapping info on unusual treats. Houses fully decorated and themed and so much fun. I was really moved by how much effort people had made to make it fun for children.

My lovely parents in law used to be excited to report back to us how many kids had visited each year. They were really pleased but surprised to have a long queue at one point. Father in law had changed up money to give the teens a pound coin each with their chocolate 😆 I know they were lucky to afford to do that but also how lovely to not view teens as the enemy.