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Original poster

Do people not understand Halloween etiquette re trick or treating?

365 replies

Notcontent · 31/10/2021 17:44

I thought the rule was you only knock on doors where there are obvious decorations or lit pumpkins - basically an invitation to come?

We usually do it and have lots of sweets but I just didn’t feel up to it this year. Teen dd has gone out and it’s just me at home. No decorations at all. And some kids have just come knocking. Have now had to turn lights off at the font to make it look like no one is home!

OP posts:
Firesidefox · 31/10/2021 20:09

Agree re unwritten rule. We've done it for years but our DC are older now and this year we just could not be arsed. So we didn't put any pumpkins out and that was that.

FlickerBeat · 31/10/2021 20:12

It's absolutely an unwritten rule - I can't believe some people on here don't know that! Surely no decorations or anything is a sign people don't want to be involved.

Had lots here tonight! I had to bring the pumpkins in as I ran out of sweets at about half 7! Was lovely to see all their little faces. We don't have children, but I still love to join in.

Larryyourwaiter · 31/10/2021 20:15

I always wonder about those out trick or treating - does that mean there’s no one at their house giving out stuff (I did ask this of a grumpy dad because we had nothing, no decorations and was in fact just coming home from work very late. There wasn’t by the way).

We were out by I stopped at Sainsbury’s local and some kids went in and said trick or treat and the manager gave them some sweets! Never would have thought of that.

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Carpetsareforflying · 31/10/2021 20:15

If your street name initial is A.W I'm very sorry, it was us, I had half my streets kids in tow and a couple just wouldn't listen to me. Never again.
The timing you posted is exact and they got quite a telling off from me.

DramaAlpaca · 31/10/2021 20:15

Well, despite having no decorations or lights on, the doorbell rang a while ago. We ignored it.

hotmeatymilk · 31/10/2021 20:20

I always wonder about those out trick or treating - does that mean there’s no one at their house giving out stuff
I went out with DD and left DP at home with a bowl of sweets. Around our way it seemed about half the houses were doing that, while older kids were staying in to hand sweets out for the first wave of little kids at sunset, then after we came home the older ones stepped out so we ended up giving people sweets on our doorstep who I recognised from seeing earlier. Would be quicker to just stay home and scoff our own stuff really.

RicherThanYew · 31/10/2021 20:25

I've been chuffed to bits with the lovely manners by each and every one of the kids who have knocked. There was a group of 4 young teenage boys who weren't wearing costumes but they were polite, chatty and were very pleased at the choice between chocolate or sweets. It's pissing down here so we only had about 8 knocks which is sad but never mind. I feel bad for the Jehovah's Witness couple a few streets over who have a very large poster advertising their faith in their window who have still had ghouls (and a few devils!) knock their door.

Lennybenny · 31/10/2021 20:25

It used to be if the house was decorated you knocked. I've just had my front door kicked the s* out of twice. Scared the hell out of me tbh and has now put me on edge.
I used to be in a village and took my dc out, we went to the same houses every year and people said on the fb page to go to certain houses if they weren't obvious on the high street etc. There was enough children in the village to make it good fun....and then new people started getting lots of visitors and having parties and taking them round the village as well. So the older people would be expecting the 20 children they knew and would end up with 30 more they didn't know....that was wrong. We've also had a load of fb reports of children trashing pumpkins and decorations and taking sweet buckets and throwing them round the garden etc.

NoDecentHandlesLeft · 31/10/2021 20:27

I thought- porch/hall light on, fair game.
Darkness- don't knock.
That said, nobody has knocked here so I'm starting on the sweets in a minute.

PollyannaWhittier · 31/10/2021 20:29

@SirChenjins

I don't think it's been on a Sunday night for a while and it feels inappropriate to me somehow

It was a Sunday (and a Monday and a Tuesday etc) 6 or 7 years ago Grin

The last time Halloween fell on a Sunday was 2010, due to the pattern of leap years. I think that counts as 'a while' !
Blondeshavemorefun · 31/10/2021 20:34

@Larryyourwaiter

I always wonder about those out trick or treating - does that mean there’s no one at their house giving out stuff (I did ask this of a grumpy dad because we had nothing, no decorations and was in fact just coming home from work very late. There wasn’t by the way).

We were out by I stopped at Sainsbury’s local and some kids went in and said trick or treat and the manager gave them some sweets! Never would have thought of that.

We have to be trusting

5/6 we to out t&t

We leave a bowl full of sweets (but not all of them) on the doorstep

Saying we are t&t ourselves but please take one sweet

Then home 6 and then Open door and 4yr holds bowl

She loves both aspects of t&t

All of our left sweets hadn’t gone at 6 so obv everyone been good and took one

LidlMiddleLover · 31/10/2021 20:35

The whole thing is just begging by threat so there is no etiquette Just terrify people into paying you or you will do something nasty

Twentypast · 31/10/2021 20:36

@BruceAndNosh

I always thought the signal was turn your porch light off if you don't want callers
We can't turn off our porch light. It's solar and comes on automatically at night. I was sitting in dark and we still had people ring the bell which was driving our dogs mad.
ScouseQueen · 31/10/2021 20:39

Have had about a dozen callers, even in bad weather, including a cute baby pumpkin Grin Much improved on last year when everything was, for understandable reasons, quiet and felt very dismal.

Carpetsareforflying · 31/10/2021 20:40

@RicherThanYew

I've been chuffed to bits with the lovely manners by each and every one of the kids who have knocked. There was a group of 4 young teenage boys who weren't wearing costumes but they were polite, chatty and were very pleased at the choice between chocolate or sweets. It's pissing down here so we only had about 8 knocks which is sad but never mind. I feel bad for the Jehovah's Witness couple a few streets over who have a very large poster advertising their faith in their window who have still had ghouls (and a few devils!) knock their door.
Well, serves them right, they knock unsolicited ALL YEAR ROUND. I don't want to hear about their stingy Santa free god but they still tell me about him. So they can suck up Hallowe'en lol 🤣🤣🤣
Twentypast · 31/10/2021 20:43

@NoDecentHandlesLeft

I thought- porch/hall light on, fair game. Darkness- don't knock. That said, nobody has knocked here so I'm starting on the sweets in a minute.
I can't turn off my porch lights. They're automatic. The whole house is in darkness. And we still have people knocking.
Ionlydomassiveones · 31/10/2021 20:43

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

woodhill · 31/10/2021 20:48

@PollyannaWhittier

Thanks so over a decade, definitely have no recollection of it

Still very quiet round here as it's back to school tomorrow for our area

hotmeatymilk · 31/10/2021 20:50

The whole thing is just begging by threat so there is no etiquette Just terrify people into paying you or you will do something nasty
Oh calm down, The Purge

Icantrememberthenameoftheartis · 31/10/2021 20:50

I can go one better! I got home with my children about 7pm after trick or treating. We drive to meet friends so my car was gone, house in darkness etc...and my neighbour just came over and asked me why I didn’t open the door to her friends son when he knocked? Apparently he came back and knocked again!! I told her we were out. BUT we didn’t have a pumpkin out or any decorations! Everyone knows no pumpkin no knocking!!

SpookyS · 31/10/2021 20:55

I had no idea ToT tourism was a thing until my friend told me recently that it goes on in her nice friendly village, to the extent that they get dozens and dozens of knockers.

She said that this year they'd arranged to not have decorations outside, and for lanyards for the local village kids, and people would only open their doors to the kids wearing the village lanyards.

A couple of years ago there were dozens and dozens of cars from different areas in, and the residents just didn't want hundreds of knockers that were strangers from other parts of the city.

Marelle · 31/10/2021 21:01

the residents just didn't want hundreds of knockers that were strangers from other parts of the city
Honestly though - if you live in a nice posh village then you can afford to spend a few bob on sweets once a year and do something for less fortunate kids who don’t get to live in a nice place.

ApricotShandy · 31/10/2021 21:03

This thread is hilarious. I'm now picturing hordes of MNers sitting silently with their arms crossed in their living rooms in the dark, all across the country, seriously considering calling the police every time someone knocks on the door.

It has been much quieter than usual this year. We only had two groups of kids call round, in fab costumes and very sweet and polite. Maybe it's the weather and the fact it's back to school tomorrow.

Kanaloa · 31/10/2021 21:03

@LidlMiddleLover

The whole thing is just begging by threat so there is no etiquette Just terrify people into paying you or you will do something nasty
It’s hardly a professional racket with the Goodfellas smashing your windows in for protection money. It’s kids asking for sweets.
Kanaloa · 31/10/2021 21:05

I mean did you never go out and trick or treat? If your ‘terrified’ by children in costumes knocking on your door then you need some help because it sounds like you’re seriously anxious.

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