I'm the Halloween Grinch - do you follow the pumpkin rule?.

[Pancakeflipper]

I live on a small lovely street. Nice mix of ages.
The rule for Halloween on our street has been "pumpkin outside - knock here for sweets" . Allowing those not wanting spooky ghouls at their door to have a quietish evening.

Is this the rule near you?

In recent years our street is named on Facebook posts as the place to be.... (fucking stop it - we dont want everyone here) It's crazy on our street. Its no longer the local streets nearby - but driving miles for a fucking Chewit.

The pumpkin rule is ignored.
Guess its not a known rule..?

And that really pisses me off. There's lots of reasons why people don't want hoards of groups ringing their doorbell for the evening.

I salute my neighbour who diligently eats her Ferarocho chocolates, saves the wrappers, pops in cherry tomatoes and hands the box round.

I thought it was a known rule
🎃

It is known rule, I am an immigrant and I know it!
They probably think everyonr participates because it's "famous on Facebook"

Of course it's well known.

I like the cherry tomato idea.

For our area, it is if the house is decorated. There was an incident with a lit pumpkin a few years ago which means people don’t put pumpkins out.

It's the rule round here. Pumpkin or spooky stuff outside - you can knock. House all quiet or normal, you move on.

wicked ferrero rocher woman. That is a good trick.

Yes, we go by the 'No Pumpkin, No Knock' rule here.

Not many kids live down our street now so it will probably be fairly quiet though. Pumpkin went outside the front door about 5 minutes ago.

Not necessarily pumpkins, but decorated.
We have stopped participating since covid (various reasons), if anyone does knock I politely say no, and that they should only be knocking on decorated houses.

Wrapper woman is a Halloween legend. One year she gave out those little boxes of raisins with a sticker on the box calling them Bat Poo. So many older kids fuming there was no chocolate.

Outdoor lights, decorations... ok to knock
Dark, no decorations... stay away.

Growing up, my grandmother was frequently terrified on halloween as people would come to the patio door after going through the garden gate. The front doors of the retirement complex were up a driveway.

we loved by this rule and explained to the 6 year olds today why Nanny didn't want to take a pumpkin hole to light etc. however if make exceptions for heavily decorated houses with lights on. they also get knocked.

had one trick or treated yesterday, so no pumpkins out but we do have a tree covereed in skeletons so looked fair game

Definitely a rule where we live and is stuck to as far as I know 🎃

Fellow grinch here . I just posted on another thread about Halloween .
Curtains drawn , no decorations , no sweets at the ready . No door answered .

Yes, the pumpkin “rule” is known and largely followed where I live. I like trick or treating, and I don’t understand why some people get so aggressively upset about it happening - but I do think the pumpkin convention is a good safeguard against people who are disabled/elderly/have religious objections being bothered by it.

I cannot understand how parents think it's ok to drive to another neighbourhood like that. Ridiculous! Surely you take your kids round your local area?

Facebook bollocks and entitlement..urgh. Halloween Grinch here, too! 🎃

I don't answer the door. I live alone, no pumpkins or decos at all, and I turn the timer hall light off for the few hours tonight. I've just dropped the Hallowee'n party bag next door in their porch. Done.

I think the rule is what has made Halloween socially acceptable in the UK, because by rights it’s only those willing to participate who are ‘bothered’ by it.

As like most things in life, its a lovely community activity IF people stick to the rules. If they don’t it becomes a nuisance that just pisses people off and creates ill will.

The rule is observed where I live. I don't do Halloween now my DC are much older, used to do it every year. Tonight I have no pumpkins or decorations, the lights will be low, and I don't think anyone will knock.

DS14 is out at a party, I’m in the bath and the lights are off, no decorations. The door will not be answered!

In ours it’s not just a pumpkin but one that is lit up.

A new neighbour checked earlier today on the street WhatsApp group, and was told that anywhere with a lit pumpkin is fine. We also have a ‘take your pumpkin in when you’ve run out of sweets’ rule.

Families that live on our street are very considerate but that doesn’t stop feral teenagers knocking. Last year our neighbours had all their sweets taken from their porch, including the bowl. When they checked their camera it was adult men.

We live in a little cul-de-sac and get hardly anyone! I decorate. I have four pumpkins and my same decorations I've had for years, but only get a fairly conservative number of kids knocking. When we run out of sweets or have had enough we bring the decorations in and nobody knocks.

The neighbours don't decorate and don't get anyone knocking afaik.

I don't understand travelling for trick or treat. I'd far rather my kids not knock on random people's doors in general. At least these are neighbours!

What in earth? How pathetic do you have to be to do that as an adult? I despair

I had never heard of the pumpkin rule until today. The rule around my house seems to be, if I've remembered to buy sweets, nobody knocks but if I've forgotten, the ravening hordes turn up.

Last year I forgot and had to resort to passing around the biscuit tin.