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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to loathe halloween and wish it had never been invented

72 replies

depob · 31/10/2011 18:35

Seems to be just an excuse to stuff themselves with ridiculous amounts of sweets, spend out on tack and annoy the neighbours.
Feeling particularly grumpy that my DC's pumpkins have been stolen - yes stolen! within 10 minutes of putting them out. After all their work.

OP posts:
Ormirian · 31/10/2011 19:36

I don't mind. My older kids are too grown-up apparently Hmm but DS2 is having the time of his life! We've walked miles tonight (good walk for the dog!) and DS has piles of crappy sweets (some of which will disappear when he's at school tomorrow). Only knocking on doors where there are plenty of signs of Halloween-friendliness. We've had quite a few visitors.

All it takes is a few packs of treat-size mars, a little fake spiders web and a few pumpkins. Buying and carving pumpkins has become a half-term tradition for us.

Sorry you had the pumpkins stolen though. That's crap.

peeriebear · 31/10/2011 19:39

I had an anti Halloween leaflet from the local godbotherers a couple of days ago. I hope they can see my jack o'lantern from their high horse :o
We have had no teenagers on the take, just little kids bursting with excitement at being out in the dark all dressed up (with some parents dressed up too!) The only older kids we've had have made a real effort and the whole evening has been no trouble at all.

helpmabob · 31/10/2011 19:40

Surely its meant to be macabre - that is the whole bloody point. Bloody being the operative word. If anything halloween isnt scary enough

EdithWeston · 31/10/2011 19:40

Nice line on Corrie about trick or treating: "it's fun until I becomes e-number hell".

Hardgoing · 31/10/2011 19:45

I disagree, we've just had round the most classy group of Halloween teenagers, including girls all dressed up as red devils (very tastefully) and ghouls and ghosts, they were so well-spoken and polite, admired my children's costumes, then gave US some lollipops. How sweet is that?!

springydaffs · 31/10/2011 19:48

My kids are grown but I hated it too. I'm a christian but what bothered me the most was taking small kids out in a big crowd in the dark. Hated it hated it hated it. Frightened one of them was going to get lost and would I find them in the dark?!?

BsshBossh · 31/10/2011 20:00

Commercialism is just a fact of life. I enjoy Halloween (since having DD) but don't overdo it buying loads of unnecessary stuff. I'm in North London and it's been delightful having all the little ones come by all excited and dressed up. There are a fair few pumpkins out too which DD enjoyed. But she's in bed at 7 so my front room and hallway lights went off and we've had no more callers (next door have ad loads since 7 but they're older kids).

Original poster
depob · 31/10/2011 20:02

I went along with, got sweets, carved pumpkins, I am not a total killjoy. But am feeling like I wish I hadn't bothered. DD trying to be grown-up about but is quite upset her pumpkin got nicked. Oh well at least it means we'll not have any tt'ers knocking on the door.

OP posts:
rycooler · 31/10/2011 20:07

God bless America.

LadyEvilEyes · 31/10/2011 20:08

Just how many threads are we going to have about this?
Glad it's all over tomorrow, then everybody can start whingeing about Bonfire Night. Then Christmas.

Oh, and then Hogmanay.
Then Easter.
Um, and whatever comes next after Easter.

SauvignonBlanche · 31/10/2011 20:10

We enjoy it.

WitchesAreComing · 31/10/2011 20:11

Our pumpkins were stolen too. Luckily the DC have had them for a couple of nights and we have explained that they go back to the witches and ghosts. Sad that I was grateful that they were just taken and not smashed all over the path [hhmm]

I wish I lived somewhere that I could leave a basket of sweets out but I just know that the very first unaccompanied child or even an adult on the scrounge for something free would take the entire lot within minutes. I'm having a party next year.

MillyR · 31/10/2011 20:13

LEE, there is also Valentine's day for people to complain about.

Rycooler, if you don't like the American elements you could always carve a swede instead, and hand out soul cake.

Isla77 · 31/10/2011 20:13

yellowraincoat, I too grew up in Scotland and we had great fun at Halloween including knocking on neighbours doors and being given a toffee apple, tablet or some such treat. Loved "dooking" for apples and kept the tradition up with my children.
I live in london now and we always get some children knocking. I just buy some bags of the mini mars, twix etc and they seem happy to have a couple of those. Tonight we had a tiny tot - about 2 years old - dressed up as a little devil with Mum and big sis in attendance. So excited at being given his sweets he wanted to come in the house! I was tempted to let him he looked so adorable. Mainly it is little ones coming round in our area accompanied by parents. We did have a couple of larger groups of teenagers but all very polite and enjoying themselves. Nice to see the tradition being kept up but in my day you did not need to buy costumes. Our Mums helped us make them!

Ormirian · 31/10/2011 20:14

And don't forget World Book Day!

Oh...yes...I forgot. I hate that too Grin

aquashiv · 31/10/2011 20:16

No I like it. We kept it low key bobbing apples and the like no trick or treating they are bit young for that. Lovely seeing the pumpkins lit up how awful yours were stolen how mean.

edam · 31/10/2011 20:16

Don't mind Halloween but I did raise my eyebrow when my former neighbour's children came knocking. They moved nine months ago but came back to Trick or Treat in my road 'because there's no-one there in our road'. Hmm

TheVampireEmpusa · 31/10/2011 20:28

YABU, just because you don't like it doesn't mean others don't get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

microserf · 31/10/2011 20:32

but we've just had the most fun of our lives running around the streets! dd got quite little in the way of candy but had masses of fun chasing big kids around. not everyone's cup of tea, but since all the guy fawkes events keep getting cancelled near us, it's a nice autumnal festival for the kids.

Dillie · 31/10/2011 20:39

tbh I am a real humbug about halloween. My DH is into it and he does the pumpkins for my dd who is 6.

But one thing that I will put my foot down is trick or treat. My mum hated it and brought me and my sister up to see it as a form of begging. I guess it is those teachings if you like, are instilled into me and I dont like it. Plus a sad fact is you cant be sure who's door your knocking on these days! :(

Organised parties are fine, begging not

orienteerer · 31/10/2011 20:40

YANBU

minxofmancunia · 31/10/2011 20:43

I think it's fun, dd (5) and ds (2) went out trick or treating (with me of course!) and loved all the houses dressed up for halloween and trying to spot pumpkins. We passed several groups of teenagers wearing brilliant costumes who fascinated ds, and they were so sweet with him he had a great time Grin.

OldGreyWassailTest · 31/10/2011 20:44

Ah, well.......it's all over for another year and now we can stop having boring topics about it !

Just a few more days of Bonfire Night moans, then we can get onto the Christmas moans.

MsScarlettInTheLibrary · 31/10/2011 20:46

What do you mean Dillie? Whose door? Surely the only way you can know that is if you know the house and its owners? How has that changed 'these days'?

It is not begging. It is trick or treating. No-one has to participate.

SolidGoldVampireBat · 31/10/2011 20:50

If you don't like it, just stick a No Trick Or Treaters sign on your door and don't answer it if you get anyone stupid enough to ring.
We have had fun, several groups of mainly primary-age kids round and a stroll out for ourselves - but we only go to houses with decorations up.