Trick or treating: love it or loathe it? Please take our super-quick poll - and you could win a prize

I am with those who are talking about guising.

You had to earn your apple or sweets or whatever you were given. You had to tell a joke or sing a song or something.

And yes, you could dress up as anything, it didn't have to be related to hallowe'en.

AND we made lanterns out of turnips. Pumpkins are CHEATING

I love it but don't get many (if any) guysers coming to my door, and I take my dd (by car)to just a few houses of friends that hold halloween.

And I make her a new costume every year [proud mummy emoticon]

When I was a kid I longed for the chance to go trick-or-treating, and the chance to dress up at hallowe'en (I am old. I was a nipper in the 70s when hallowe'en was noted but nothing like the big deal it is now )
So I was thrilled to bits to find when I moved into our current pad 3 years ago that there is trick-or-treating round here with a pumpkin-displayers-only general code of conduct, and for the past 3 years it has always been kids dressed up and happy with sweets, no menacing teens and absolutely no egging-the-house or damage.

did not bother with prize as halloween haters ime not fun park lovers

I quite like it. I think it gives kids an opportunity to see how nice adults can be to them by joining in the fun. I've had children come round and be so very pleased with the booty they get from our house.

it's a bit of fun. Obviously it can be taken far too far.

We will be having a birthday party in our house. ds is 3. He is dressing up as buzz lightyear.

loathe it but then i am a bloody helling english woman and halloween is so very American

arse, no box to enter my email in!

I am on the fence re trick or treating. I have never done it myself, and have no plans to take DD
I dont mind people coming to the house, but prob not looking forward to it this year as DH is going to be working away.

LOATHE with a capital LLLLLLLLLLLLL !!

Done.

Dh won't let our dc go trick or treating because 'it is a form of begging'. And I can't think of anything worse than traipsing round teh neighbourhood disturbing them with my dressed up children begging for sweets...

But we love everything else Halloween, adn in fact the prize is right up our street....

It was a bit of a closed question really, I love halloween and the tiny kids dressed up and excited etc but I dont like it when the teenagers come round and the intimidation side of halloween as I am on my own with dd.

A few halloweens ago teenagers smashed the window because I wasnt home to answer the door witnessed by another neighbour.

Not ALL teenagers of course

I was going to say same as Scrappy - we don't do hallowe'en so if I don't want to win a Hallowe'en prize. can we have an alternative please otherwise surely the poll will be biased

Thank &*$% I don't/didn't live near Custy

It wasn't really part of my childhood and suddenly it's such a big thing. I'm not comfortable with it and don't really see the point.

we used to take a tin out and sing

we come a copper calling for bonfire niiiiight
your coal and your fiiiire we hope you enjoy

tra la li
tra la la
tra la fidly do dum

Down in the cellar theres a big umberella
and up in the fire theres an old pepper pot
peepper pot peeeeppper pot morning til night
if y' give us nowt, we'll tek nowt god bless and good night

He's not a beggar, he's a very scary booooooy

Loath it but feel guilty every year because the kids love it so much.

What happened to guising!?

Way back in 'toldendays' (circa 1979!) I used to have to play something on the tin whistle/recorder, or say a poem in french or tell a joke or do some Irish dancing/ballet before the lady of the house would hand over any nuts or apples!?!! NO chocolate! Not a chance!!

Plus, we would dress up as anything not just a vampire or something.

It is unrecognisable from Hallowe'en today, which comes straight to GB from Wallmart thank you very much.

I love it, but we don't get teens knocking on the door, just small kids and their older sisters and brothers or parents. I would loathe it if it involved threatening youths in hoodies.

I love it here. All the children dress up and even the older ones/teens also dress up and are very polite. They all make an effort. I'm taking mine out again this year as well as last year was lovely.

our guising was general fancy dress as well, and we used to recite poems or jokes, sing a song, or do a magic trick. We used to plan and practice our "turn" for weeks beforehand. Loads of kids out and about in home made costumes on the night and a real sense of community.

round here it is an excuse for teens to knock on the door and demand money with menances. hate it, put the lights off and pretend I'm out.

used to live in Bermuda which does it US style and there it is lovely - everyone gets into it, you have lots of treats at home and people go round the neighbourhood, most make a big effort and it is really brilliant for ages 2-12 mainly though a few older kids join in and parents make an effort too. and the costumes are whatever you want - not gory stuff but fairies, pirates, fancy dress in general. we need RULES on how to do it "properly" here!

I'm with LackaDAISYcal,

I love Halloween and 'guising, but hate trick or treat. No sweets are given out to those who knock at my door unless they are dressed up (not just a hoody and a crappy mask, at least a bin liner with holes for arms etc!) and tell me a joke/sing a song etc. I refuse to bow to the blackmail that is trick or trear, I see it as "give us some sweets/money or we'll vandalise your property" Not playing that I'm afriad!