Please talk me through Halloween

[Nahgiem]

I know this sounds silly, but where else can you ask silly questions if not an anonymous forum?!

Please can you walk me through what I need to do, to participate in Halloween?

For having children to the door:

• one sweet per child or is that not enough?
• do they pick themselves?

For taking my child out:

• any etiquette to know about?
• what to do about child with dairy allergy? Ask for non-chocolate sweets politely, or just take anything given and deal with later?

Anything else I should know? I believe my DC will need to say a joke or something (in Scotland - "guising"). Thank you!

• Hold out the tub of celebrations/swizzles and let them take whatever
• Hopefully your DC will be able to select (politely) what they can have but just take what you're given, don't reject anything you can deal it out later to interested parties.

No idea about Scotland, will you have to carve a turnip up there?

Are you in Scotland?

You only visit houses with Halloween decorations. If you don’t put up any decorations then no one will come.

Allergy child you just swap for different sweets at home. It would be very rude to ask for something else.

Yes only go to houses with decs up. I have a bowl of sweets and let the kids take a handful. We only get a couple . I wouldn't ask if they had dairy free ..I'd take what was offered and then just sort what you got later.

Yes, in Scotland. Thank you. DC with allergy is luckily always polite about it despite sometimes missing out altogether so I'll prepare them beforehand with what to do

Two sweets per kid is fine
Handing them out yourself avoids kids panicking and dithering on your doorstep!

For dairy allergy, just take what they give and sort out when you get home. Most will just be swizzles and haribo anyway.

Just go to any house with a pumpkin or decorations

Don't know about the joke thing! We just say 'trick or treat' here!

What time is acceptable to go out? DC usually in bed about 7.30 but could be a bit later if needed.

I’d ask neighbours how many children typically visit, so you buy the right amount of sweets. Lollies are good and usually inexpensive. If you are happy to accept visitors, decorate or put out a pumpkin.

Again ask neighbours what time children typically go out. In our area it’s around 5pm. Only go to houses with decorations or pumpkins.

I saw an idea for dealing with dietary needs which might work depending on the age of your DC. They politely accepted anything offered and then left it downstairs overnight for the ‘Switch Witch’ who changed it for things they could have.

I make up little bags with a fun size chocolate, a lolly and then something like a maoam etc. Each child takes one bag.

Only go to houses with decorations or a pumpkin outside.

My DS is allergic to peanuts (nightmare as here in Scotland loads of people still give out nuts!), we don't ask for something else he just knows he can't touch the sweets until we are home where we have safe sweets to switch with (it's all about the experience really).

Peak time around here is between 6-7:30.

In Scotland it's more traditional to tell a joke or do a song or dance. You don't get anything by saying 'trick or treat' though nowadays anything seems to go. In my young day, we all had to do a 'turn'.

Go out early for little ones , maybe have few friends for Halloween tea first. I have decs out sweets , pumpkins lit etc and love seeing the little ones but turn them off and shut the gates by 8pm when gets a big teenagery
When mine were little head to busy streets and only go to houses with decs - see motherland episode for the ultimate guide

Scotland also here. 6pm gives folk a chance to get home from work and get their dinner.

(as said) only go to houses with decs up.

Definitely need a joke/song/bit your child WILL be asked.

Don’t forget to ask your wee guisers for a joke.

Take an extra shopping bag to empty their guising bag into when it’s full.

Definitely call it guising.

My youngest is dairy free, she will usually pick out appropriate sweets but if given we just accept, remembering to say thank you.

(Some houses, depending on where you live, might invite you in if they properly “do” Halloween)

I'm in Scotland.

Taking kids out - only knock on doors of houses that are decorated / have a pumpkin in the window. Tell a joke. Take whatever they give and say thank you.

Kids coming to you - Have some kind of decor or pumpkin up. I just have a big bowl with bags of haribos/lolly's/chocolate and let them help themselves. Some take loads, some take one and have to be encouraged to take a couple.

Our sweets always run out so quickly so have plenty in! And take a bag out for your own kids as they'll get loads!

Have fun! Halloween is great fun with wee ones!

We get a tub of haribo packs or lollies and let them help themselves. Never get many so always encourage them to take a couple each.

We haven't taken dc. If I had to deal with allergies I think I'd have some sweets at home and swap out anything chocolate etc.

I don't know the system in Scotland, but here (London):

You only knock on the doors of families celebrating Halloween - you can determine this by whether they have decorations. If you want people to knock at your door you'll need a pumpkin or some other indication that you're celebrating.

When giving out sweets, hold the bowl out and let them choose, most are respectful ime. Try and get individually wrapped ones for hygiene! When taking sweets, you can't make requests, just take what you're offered (only one, not a handful) and always say thank you and happy Halloween. Have some non-dairy ones at home to swap with your DC when you get back.

Little kids will start around 5:30pm/6pm. Older ones may be out until 8:30/9pm (later than that is unacceptable).

Don't throw sweet wrappers on the floor.

Enjoy. I love Halloween!

Not is Scotland, NW England.

We light up our pumkins once we're home from school thst evening and have a big bowl filled ready, my kids love answering the door and seeing if they can spot any school friends, offer out the bowl for them to help themselves.

We live in a 'hot spot' for trick or treating; us, our immediate neighbours and several houses on surrounding streets have a lot of decorations and we get a steady stream of visitors from 5-8ish when the youngest goes up to bed. I bring in the pumpkins, turn off porch light and and turn out the front room lights (windows are decorated) and we've never had anyone knocking after this point.

We go out around 6:30, rules we follow:

• only knock on decorated houses
• take one item only
• say thank you.

If you're in a certain part of East Ayrshire then we celebrate on the last Friday of the month and not the 31st. Killieween!

We are also a trick or treating hotspot, people drive to our neighbourhood to trick or treat and line the roads with cars. I’ve got a 5kg tub of swizzles and am limiting to two per person in the hope it will last the night!

Don't say trick or treating in Scotland (we're not American 🤣🤣). And definitely have a wee song/joke/dance in return for your sweeties. Have fun! I love Halloween 🎃 👻.

For the allergy, take a stash of haribi or whatever is safe for your child and swap them out. Don't say at the door!

This is genius, Kilmarnock have the right idea.
The rest of us idiots will be traipsing around on the Monday night (most probably in the rain!)

I don’t have decorations up and the local kids still come to the door (I’m in Scotland). I usually pretend I’m out.

It's a happhazzard event that is solely reliant on participants.

No one will be offering bespoke allergy's free Sweet's.

I would take and sort out at home.

Only Knock houses with pumpkins out

Go out as soon as it's dark...we are usually home before 7.30.

Thank you everyone.

@TheRubyRedshoes I was not expecting bespoke allergy-free sweets, I was wondering if, for example, someone has a tub of chocolates and one of lollies, and hands her a chocolate, if it was ok to politely ask to swap for a lolly, or something like that. But it's fine, consensus is to take anything given and sort at home which I thought might be the case.

I didn't realise people overthought Halloween so much!