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Original poster

Tricked for not treating.

83 replies

ToadRage · 01/11/2026 13:48

Just curious, this has never happened to me but just was curious if anyone had been tricked for not treating or not answering the door on Halloween? The only one i had heard about was before I was born one of my parents neighbours had all the plants in their garden pulled up, she was devastated. Once a toddler who didn't quite understand trick or treating sprayed silly string at my Mum so he didn't get a treat.

OP posts:
ScaredAndPanicky · Yesterday 18:47

Back in the early 2000s hordes of teenagers used to demand money on our estate or they would vandalise your property. Eggs and flour would have been considered quite tame. One elderly lady had lit fireworks put through her letterbox and her hall caught fire.

devonsevon11 · Yesterday 19:01

HorseandHeron · 01/11/2026 15:51

I love this. We have family in Scotland, and they call it guising. I was there one year and every single kid who came knocking had a joke or song or poem to recite - even the really tough teens. It was so lovely to watch.

Show quote history

I grew up in Scotland and just assumed this was the norm.

Found it strange when I moved down south and nobody did “a turn” as we call it in Scotland.

Edited to add: we never did any “tricks” if we didn’t get sweets. Trick or treating = American

Guising = Scottish.

Can’t remember what we used to say, but back in the 80s / 90s I doubt we said “trick or treat”. Maybe just “happy Halloween”?

Also, sweets weren’t common, it was tangerines and monkey nuts, and maybe some 10p’s 🙂

Twokittenchaos · Yesterday 19:30

I discovered yesterday that DD6 thinks it’s “trickle treating” so there’ll be no tricks in store for unsuspecting householders from her.

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Musetotheangels · Yesterday 19:51

user1471538275 · 01/11/2026 14:01

I don't think the trick is part of how Uk does trick or treat.

They kids shout the words 'trick or treat' to householders that have clearly indicated through decoration their willingness to participate.

They then give treats. When they run out, they turn off lights/take in pumpkin.

Never ever had an issue, even if people have knocked on door after treats have gone (often they've been told by others our house is participating0 - have simply said 'sorry, we're out' and no issues.

I would never have tolerated any idea of damaging someone's property because they were not choosing to participate.

Sometimes my children were disappointed that only a few houses were decorated - but it was my job to deal with this.

It absolutely used to be! When I was young, we had our house egged, that was nearly 50 years ago, and my parents were preaching to the kids at the door about the wages of sin etc so they kind of asked for it. But it very much was part of the trick or treat ritual in the UK. My kids asked what if someone said trick to them. I said we'd stick our tongues out and run away laughing. They were sad they never got to do it lol xx

Nomorebullshitnotavailable · Yesterday 19:52

When we were kids a couple of boys in our class knocked on the door, my dad answered, they shout “trick or treat!”

My dad gave it a moments thought and said “Trick!”

They chucked a bag of flour over him and legged it.

My poor dad thought it was a genuine choice and that they’d perform a magic trick for him.

sprigatito · Yesterday 19:53

devonsevon11 · Yesterday 19:01

I grew up in Scotland and just assumed this was the norm.

Found it strange when I moved down south and nobody did “a turn” as we call it in Scotland.

Edited to add: we never did any “tricks” if we didn’t get sweets. Trick or treating = American

Guising = Scottish.

Can’t remember what we used to say, but back in the 80s / 90s I doubt we said “trick or treat”. Maybe just “happy Halloween”?

Also, sweets weren’t common, it was tangerines and monkey nuts, and maybe some 10p’s 🙂

Edited
Show quote history

We said “trick or treat or something to eat”. Early 80s, in the midlands.

WilliamTopazMcGonagallPoorPoetFromDundeeBeItTold · Yesterday 20:03

TwoYearsTooMany · Yesterday 18:37

There was a phase a few years ago of mischief night being "done" several years in a row in our area. It was always peculiar things, never vandalism. A lot of garden items moved between gardens (potted plants, statues, large feature rocks and watering cans ...). It was just weird and bemusing but kind of interesting... I didn't hear of anyone actually minding - people chatted a bit more asking one another whether they were missing a potted bay tree... Nobody elderly was left to struggle as people mostly offered to bring anything in their garden back or collect found items.

I sort of weirdly liked it, but obviously wouldn't have if there'd been vandalism or anything valuable taken.

A year or two ago all the village road signs were swapped with signs from another village too - the council weren't impressed and obviously it costs worker labour to put them back, but it was at least mildly interesting, and nothing stolen or damaged, just moved.

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A year or two ago all the village road signs were swapped with signs from another village too - the council weren't impressed and obviously it costs worker labour to put them back, but it was at least mildly interesting, and nothing stolen or damaged, just moved.

I'm going to be the boring old stick-in-the-mud saying that I hope nobody in the village ever needed an ambulance, fire engine, police or other emergency service whilst their houses had been made much harder to find.

TwoYearsTooMany · Yesterday 20:06

WilliamTopazMcGonagallPoorPoetFromDundeeBeItTold · Yesterday 20:03

A year or two ago all the village road signs were swapped with signs from another village too - the council weren't impressed and obviously it costs worker labour to put them back, but it was at least mildly interesting, and nothing stolen or damaged, just moved.

I'm going to be the boring old stick-in-the-mud saying that I hope nobody in the village ever needed an ambulance, fire engine, police or other emergency service whilst their houses had been made much harder to find.

Show quote history

In some areas this would be true. Not here though. None of those services are relying on village signs in this area.

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