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Original poster

Do you answer the door to trick or treaters?

134 replies

itsclh · 31/10/2023 19:09

I personally don't 😬 though I feel like I should maybe make the effort now I have kids!

When I was younger I remember the streets being really busy and getting an answer at most doors, seems to have changed now the past few years.

Do you answer?

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 31/10/2023 20:10

We do, not had as many this year though and still have a few sweets left 😋

Multipleexclamationmarks · 31/10/2023 20:11

Yes, despite the fact we've no decorations or pumpkins out (not into it) we still get a handful of kids knocking. I buy sweets and answer till I've run out. We've had about 10 kids so far. They don't seem to know the no decorations no knocking rule.

Desecratedcoconut · 31/10/2023 20:11

Yes, of course, I made my Halloween rounds as a kid and I pay my dues

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Events & celebrations
KohlaParasaurus · 31/10/2023 20:13

Yes. I still have nightmares about the time we'd forgotten to get anything in and I had to resort to handing out my stash of dark chocolate Bounty bars and DH's Club biscuits.

Somanycats · 31/10/2023 20:13

Not decorated here, so was surprised to get two little tots with their Dad presumably and two laden buckets. We luckily had some chocolate in the house so I gave them a milky way each. They looked most dischuffed and said 'What are they?' Eventually Dad took the kids away but the pair of them were super angry with my offering! Gits. What should I have given them?

Sirzy · 31/10/2023 20:13

No, I’m not a fan of it and autistic DS really hates all things Halloween. We leave the house in darkness.

the no decoration no knocking rule works well as it lets those who want to enjoy it so so without involving those who aren’t interested.

Beezknees · 31/10/2023 20:15

I live in a flat in a secure building with intercom so nobody comes. I'd love to be able to hand out sweets! I think it's great fun.

GunboatDiplomacy · 31/10/2023 20:15

Yes. A fair number of neighbours have been out with their tiny adorable ghosts and witches, and a few miscellaneous slightly older groups have been round from further afield. All very polite. One lot had a long suffering Labrador with a witch's hat and cape with them. It seems to have quietened down now. I'll give it until the middle ad break in Bake-off then bring the pumpkin in.

IncomingTraffic · 31/10/2023 20:17

I open my door - but we decorated (pumpkins, cobwebs, light up skeletons, etc - DS14 loved decorating!). I took DS3 out while the older one (and his friends) gave out sweets. We only knocked on houses that are decorated. Little DS came back with his bag full of sweets.

NancyJoan · 31/10/2023 20:20

I love it. So many cuties, hardly any big kids; the older ones tend to be the siblings of my DD’s friends. Lots of happy little witches and ghosties here.

I never did it as a child, it’s a new one for me, and I didn’t enjoy trudging the streets with my kids when they were small, but I would have felt very mean to say no when all their friends were having parties and going together.

IncomingTraffic · 31/10/2023 20:25

I just brought my pumpkins in/turned the lights out.

The best house I visited tonight was giving out wee paper glasses of sparkling wine for the parents. 😁

BrightLightTonight · 31/10/2023 20:26

No - never. It’s an evening I hate, children begging for sweets, I hate it

Desecratedcoconut · 31/10/2023 20:27

The best house I visited tonight was giving out wee paper glasses of sparkling wine for the parents. 😁

Oh wow, really? That's next level sociable.

StillWantingADog · 31/10/2023 20:28

Round here you won’t get any knocks if you don’t have a pumpkin out

we did but thus far only had two knocks!

vipersnest1 · 31/10/2023 20:28

My days of trick or treating are done!
Did it when DCs were young enough (including one year when we had a caravan - it was bloody freezing, and they did a circuit of the caravan to be given sweets!).
I used to stay home to dish sweets out while XH took the DCs out to other houses, so there was give and take.

IncomingTraffic · 31/10/2023 20:28

NancyJoan · 31/10/2023 20:20

I love it. So many cuties, hardly any big kids; the older ones tend to be the siblings of my DD’s friends. Lots of happy little witches and ghosties here.

I never did it as a child, it’s a new one for me, and I didn’t enjoy trudging the streets with my kids when they were small, but I would have felt very mean to say no when all their friends were having parties and going together.

I’m Scottish, so I grew up with guising and it was so much more sociable. I lived in a village too, which also added to it. You’d go round the neighbours and get invited in to each house. There’d be games in the living room and then party pieces and then you’d get a wee bag containing monkey nuts, some coins and some sweets. You’d only go round about 5 houses because it all took ages.

Although, IME the English experience is getting a bit more sociable. Houses giving out wine etc.

HappyDaze23 · 31/10/2023 20:29

I love having trick or treaters! But at 7pm we were out of sweets so curtain closed and pumpkin back inside and we haven’t had any more callers. Didn’t seem quite as busy as it has been but a steady stream. All really sweet, polite kids, very little grabbing.

slithytoveisascientist · 31/10/2023 20:31

We are always out trick or treating ourselves so we leave lot pumpkins and a big bowl of sweets

IncomingTraffic · 31/10/2023 20:31

Desecratedcoconut · 31/10/2023 20:27

The best house I visited tonight was giving out wee paper glasses of sparkling wine for the parents. 😁

Oh wow, really? That's next level sociable.

It was awesome. Shortly afterwards I met one of my neighbours who was very keen to head over to the wine house!

This year has felt very neighbourly. Quite a few houses decorated in this street and each of the nearby streets and a nice sense of bumping in to your neighbours/having a chat as you went round.

Desecratedcoconut · 31/10/2023 20:33

BrightLightTonight · 31/10/2023 20:26

No - never. It’s an evening I hate, children begging for sweets, I hate it

Nobody is begging for sweets at my door. I get them hoping for Halloweeners - like just about everyone else who bothers.

TeenLifeMum · 31/10/2023 20:34

Yes, I love seeing all the neighbourhood children.

didistutter56 · 31/10/2023 20:35

Yes, even before I had kids. I know the etiquette now but we decorate and have pumpkins out to show they’re welcome here.

Desecratedcoconut · 31/10/2023 20:36

IncomingTraffic · 31/10/2023 20:31

It was awesome. Shortly afterwards I met one of my neighbours who was very keen to head over to the wine house!

This year has felt very neighbourly. Quite a few houses decorated in this street and each of the nearby streets and a nice sense of bumping in to your neighbours/having a chat as you went round.

Show quote history

I'm definitely nicking something like this for next year. Thanks

mondaytosunday · 31/10/2023 20:37

Mayhem here (gone home to bed now though). I think we topped 200 kids. We live within walking distance of three primaries though, so prime family area. Some houses go all out, we had lit pumpkins, a couple ghosts in the tree and one on the door. I loved going out when I was a kid and enjoy it now too (my kids are too old now but loved it too).

AdoraBell · 31/10/2023 20:37

Yes but had none this evening, is raining heavily though so I’m not surprised.

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