When did you start 'Trick or Treating'?

[Kimura]

I feel like I'm seeing more and most posts from MN'ers saying that they never did 'American-style' trick or treating when they were young. I'd always assumed these posters would skew towards the older age brackets on here, but this year I'm noticing people around my own age (early 40s) and younger talking about knocking on doors for sweets etc like it's a new US fad.

I grew up in the North of England in the late 80s/early-mid 90s and I have many memories of going trick or treating as a young kid, then taking my younger sibling when I got older. I've never known it not to be a thing.

My late grandmother used to tell me about doing 'Penny for the Guy' on Guy Fawkes night when she was young...so while I don't disagree that it's become commercialised, I don't think stuff like this is new or 'American'.

Curious to know how far back other people remember doing it!

Similar age to you and we were never allowed to trick or treat (mum said it was begging), live in the north of England and remember people knocking but my mum refused to entertain it . My eldest was never too bothered but went a couple of times, my youngest loves trick or treating and dressing up so we do it every year and it’s brilliant! (We go all out on the house as well and throw a Halloween party).

I'm 45, grew up in the home counties.

We did trick or treating, but it was just to three or four houses on our road who had children close in age to us, and who we were friendly with, and they came to us too. My mum used to give satsumas to them.

Costumes were really basic, bin liners or coats worn like capes, maybe a bit of face paint. No one decorated their houses or had pumpkins.

Well every day is a school day! 😃

We had a bonfire and a few fireworks/sparkler’s every year. The would often be a penny for the guy in the villiage. I think we started trick or treating when I was 8 ish and considered old enough to go with friends. We would put black bin bags on and draw cobwebs/warts on our faces.

my kids have generally had bought costumes (apart from the odd homemade request) and often attend a Halloween party/event in the lead up. I think we probably started trick or treating with then around the age of 5.

I live in Scotland so as far back as i remember, as did my parents before me. We called it guising though and often got cash instead sweets

Poor kids! Dd is 15 as didn’t go for the first time this year as felt too old. Dd12 still gets so excited. The costume planning for the next year starts nearly as soon as the last one is finished, they discuss it with their friends all year. I’ve been sad the last couple of years that they are too old to need me to go with them. Such a fun social occasion and still have the core memories of doing it myself as a child

Northern England early 1980s. Carrying a ‘turnip lantern’ (swede).

I think the northern proximity to Scotland might have made a difference.

People went door to door doing ‘penny for the guy’ too.

Yes, penny for the guy was more often ‘out on display’ somewhere. I remember someone going door to door but that might have been the exception. That was for money. Halloween was for sweets and toffee apples.

Im early 50s and did it in the South East. Definitely harder work than is here. I also have a few Halloween parties in lieu of birthday parties.

😂.
My parents would be gutted if everyone was like you. They love the little ones and not so little ones knocking on all dressed up.

I’m 26 and all of my friends used to go trick or treating but we were never allowed to. I take my son now since he was 4 and he loves it

Yes. My parents and PIL are all in their eighties and adore being called on.

One of the things both sets have enjoyed recently is that both neighbourhoods have changed over from being areas with an older population and now have lots of families with young children, so trick or treating numbers have gone up after a very fallow period.

It’s not begging, begging is asking for something with nothing in return. Trick or treating is a social contract where people who want to gift sweets to kids clearly signal this and are offering some thing rather than being asked and in return the children are dressing up.

I was born in the 60s, and we went every year from the age of about 4. Little groups of us, with our parents accompanying us. In later years we went on our own (not knowing that our parents were following behind.) Fewer people carved pumpkins then, though, so quite a few knocks weren’t answered. We lived in a small village, so pretty much knew everyone, and knew where the best options for sweets were.

For reference, I lived in the south west. We used to do Halloween stuff at school too. I remember a big display at primary with the Ghoosties and ghosties and long-legged beasties” poem.

I was born in the 60s and went guising(live in Scotland) locally with my friends when we were at primary school.We were only allowed to knock on the doors of neighbours we knew. We weren’t allowed to go traipsing around other streets knocking on the doors of strangers.
I allowed DC1 to go out on Halloween with their friends when they were 8 yrs old.I followed at a distance to make sure everyone was safe.