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.

Yes same here, decorated or pumpkin is fair game, otherwise move on. When DPs moved into their house a few years ago, they bought sweets and no one knocked. They were very confused as quite a few families around. I had to explain the pumpkin rule to them!

We weren’t in our own area tonight because we’d been invited to a party at DS’s friends house. Next year we might host, in which case there’ll be minimally less kids in that area and minimally more in ours. Does it really matter? If you don’t want to participate then don’t, or ask for proof of address before you hand the sweets over if you want.

It's kinder than Brussel Sprouts. 🤭

I’ve got a sign up on my porch specifically asking people NOT to knock. It sends my dog wild and will wake up my baby. The front gate is also locked. Two teenagers decided to jump over from next door to try the door because they couldn’t get through the gate. My partner was swiftly outside telling them to fuck off 😆

I haven't had a pumpkin for at least 10 years but I still get trick or treaters every year. We also live on a small estate. That said, last year I had loads of visitors. This year we've only had 2 groups - the 1st group i knew, the 2nd group were tweenagers not in costume ( and I did recognise one of them) but they were polite nevertheless. There is a free Halloween event on in our village though which i think cuts down on the number of unsolicited door knockers.

I thought we followed the pumpkin rule. However, we brought our pumpkin in at 7.50 and just had another 3 knock. We've had 109 so far.......

I certainly know it to be the rule, but every year they ring, regardless. We don't display a pumpkin or any sort of Halloween decoration.

We do nevertheless have a bowl of sweets ready, and last year I actually enjoyed having a little chat to some of the kids who knocked round. I have all the time in the world for polite kids.

Yes all the children round here were lovely and polite and had all made so much effort to dress up, it was really fun. I am pretty house bound and I really enjoyed it!

gah!! my neighbours hate me.

houses with pumpkins outside, knock, no answer.

random houses with no decs or pumpkins opening door and giving sweets.

I'm so confused 😂

I don't let me kids knock if no decs but then we're watching other kids knock doors and them open and get sweets so obv then allowing my kids to go over but wven they're like "but why don't they have pumpkind Mom?"

so.
confused.

everyone who'd answered has been lovely tho. even the two crazy ladies who "screamed in fear" and gave me a headache. they
thought they were hilarious tho so I'm glad they're enjoying the door knockers 😂

Know the rule but didn't think it worked. No one ever knocks at ours (busy main road). DS14 and I bought chocs we like thinking we would eat them. Also bought a small plastic pumpkin for the window. Just had a group of 15 girls knock and take all the chocs. Pumpkin has now been removed from window!

10 adults gathered round the door / gate sounds slightly crazy and possibly quite overwhelming for the people who love there. did it really require so many grown ups for a couple of preschoolers?

honestly if you care they much who gets a pack of Haribo why not just post 2 through each neighbours door and be done with it!
we buy sweets to give out, I honestly do not care where the kids love or howl omg they've lived there or if they reciprocate giving out sweets. life is too short to get her up cos the 5 to at your door lives 5 streets away instead of 4

So what? It is a thing in NI and Scotland and has been for many centuries before Guy Fawkes was even born.

You said it was North American and you were simply incorrect. Take it or leave it. It's just a fact

We weren’t gathered round the door! We were scattered at the other side of the road while the kids went to the door with one adult to supervise. Excuse us for being parents where both parties want to be involved and experience fun things for the first time with their kids

I’m pretty sure that is the rule round here too. Look for pumpkin and/or decorations.

No one comes here though as the house is hidden from the road, on a 60mph road with no path and too far from the village.

LIT pumpkins mean you can knock if they are out so are the sweets

Well known rule here - we’ve had a totally quiet night.