to go trick or treating on Saturday?

[littledawley]

rather than Sunday which is actually Halloween.

DC have never done it before but really want to and I thought that Saturday would be easier, no school the next day etc.

If that was all the menaces amounted to it wouldn't be as bad, but some older kids trick and treating in England have been unpleasant to my relatives, some of whom now choose to go out for the evening on halloween.
I've never seen anyone here raise funds for unicef so that bit is irrelevent to Brits.

at Coalition! So true! And I'm half Scot!

YABU

no trick-or-treaters at our house on Saturday or Sunday thanks, we will be pretending not to be in Load of over-commercialised nonsense...

YANBU We never go trick or treating on halloween when it falls on a sunday always a saturday and we have never had doors slammed in our faces or been told to come back on Sunday.. alot of people prefare the children to come on saturday rather than sunday [hgrin]

I don't mind having trick or treaters round, but wouldn't expect them on the day before Halloween so might not have sweets etc. Clocks go back on Saturday/Sunday (I think?) so it will be dark by 5pm, so no reason for it to be a late night before school.

D

Am also feeling v stupid this year as DH had a meeting at a large well known chocolate company about two weeks ago and came home with sacksful of chocolate, which I promptly gave away (at work, Brownies etc.) as I didn't want us to stuff ourselves with it just cos it was 'there', completely forgetting that if I kept it a few weeks it would be perfect trick or treat fodder. Now have to go out and buy probably the same chocolate for Halloween on Sunday!

D

"So, because British children are poorly behaved, you blame an American tradition instead of the British children and their parents?"

Spot on.

OP YABU. I wouldn't answer the door on Saturday but I can see your point I suppose. What about Sunday afternoon?

Most Halloween traditions do not originate in America actually. They are mainly Celtic in origin, imported to America, dressed up a bit and then sent back.
Trick or treating seems to be viewed with much more suspicion in the UK, whereas in Ireland it is seen in a much more friendly way, probably because it is based on our own traditions.

If you don't like it, don't put anything on your door and don't answer it. Big deal.

To OP, yabu, its really rude to trick or treat any day other than halloween. Not done at all.

Oh, I love Halloween!

But Y would BU to go trick or treating on Saturday as it's not Halloween.

I had this argument with DH as my friend is having a party on Sat (he doesn't want to go) and his argument for not going is that he'll be taking DD Trick or Treating! I told him he can't as it's not Halloween and people won't have their sweets ready and he can't change the date of Halloween just to suit him.

We only take DD round to the places that have pumpkins in the windows etc so that we're not being nuisances. The kids round here are lovely and they make an effort in dressing up. You just give them the sweets and they go on their way - no menace at all! [hsmile]

What HeadlessPrinceBilly said.

I'll be at a Hallowe'en party on Saturday, so we'll have sweets ready both days.

In fact, I should be getting decorations done already..

halloween is the 31st not the 30th
won't get anything at our house

americans are an easy target - there is far more american bashing on this site than any other group of people, certainly would be called racist if you substituted other countries/people/groups etc in place of american

I think that the Brits are secretly jealous of all the lovely Martha Stewartesque Halloween things going on over there in the States.

Never even gave it a thought that people may come the day before, I wont have the pumpkins out or sweets ready until Sunday.

Well, here in the north of Scotland we'll be going guising on Saturday night, and so will everyone we know. Always works that way when Halloween falls on a Sunday - not considered appropriate for the Sabbath at all! [hgrin]

Am glad you posted as I'll now know not to open the door to anyone on Saturday evening in case they have the same idea.
Tbh I'm not the best person to ask as I think trick or treating is pretty vile full stop, but agree with others that if you really want to do with it then early Sun eve is probably better. The clocks go back on Saturday so will be dark quite early anyway if that's an issue.

Wow! I think I have a resounding answer and am now rethinking trick or treating at all! I was really considering it on Saturday as their cousins are staying with us and would enjoy going to. Based on these responses we definitely won't do it on Saturday by might go on Sunday.
I was planning on going by the rule that if a house has pumkins/halloween stuff on display then it is okay to knock but wouldn't dream of knocking if they don't.

Wish I'd never said yes when the children asked if they could go.....

BTW - not planning anything 'vile' DS's trick is basically a very silly toilet joke and DD's is a funny dance!

Thanks for all the responses.

littledawley ignore the misery guts and enjoy the trick or treating with your dcs :o I do the same as you btw, anyone with the pumkpins outside and clearly displayed halloween items we knock otherwise not. People are really friendly here and last year someone even left a bucket of sweets outside with the pumpkins for children to take one of (and they were only taking the one too) as they'd gone out trick or treating themselves.

Yes, I'm one of the misery guts who is that way after getting mightily pissed off with having my carefully planted window boxes vandalised, seeing colleagues who work on Halloween attacked by gangs of youths (hospitalising one chap) and a whole range of other delightful behaviour. I loathe Trick or Treat which seems to me to be demanding chocolate with menaces. We put up polite notices saying we don't take part and asking people not to knock and they STILL do. [hangry]. I have no problem at all with our own traditions of Halloween but loathe the American import of T/T. And that doesn't mean I hate Americans - far from it.

1. it's NOT American it's a Celtic festival incl the trick or treating bit
2. Sat isn't Halloween Sunday is so if you want your kids to get anything take them out on Sunday as soon as it turns dark - we won't be handing anything out on Sat round here!

I never understand people going on about it just being a recent thing, I trick or treated as a child and i'm in my 30's, my parents didn't think it was a 'new thing' then.

OP - I would be annoyed if you trick or treated on the wrong day.

but in the states (and canada while I'm at it) this whole 'gang of youths' thing lording over the streets on the 31st of october doesn't happen for the vast majority of areas.

Trick or treating can be lots of fun if that area is into it and supports it. Don't blame the tradition - blame your local (British?) kids who have taken a foreign cultural tradition and put their own nasty antisocial twist on it.

ba