I love it since we moved to the USA. I remember the last year I was in the UK, I bought a big bowl of sweets and waited excitedly to hand out candy to little witches and goblins... the only knock at the door came at 9pm when I had pretty much given up hope - and it was a freaking bailiff looking for the previous tennant! He actually made me waddle off upstairs (heavily pregnant at the time) to get my passport and prove I wasn't who he wanted. Needless to say, he didn't get candy.
Now though, it is a big occasion. Last year I had a party with lights and decorations, apple bobbing, mystery boxes with things like eye balls and brains (ake) inside... every year there is trick or treating in the neighbourhood, people go all out with amazing yard displays, grave yards, fog machines, dry ice, sound effects... people sit out on deck chairs in costumes and offer wine and vodka jelly shots to the parents. It is just so much fun and gives you a real sense of community spirit.
This year I made my daughter's costume from scratch (I usually have to glue gun, but I taught myself to sew)... I can't wait to see her twirling about in it. :-) Oh, and once the kids are tucked up in bed, all the adults have costume parties too. It's not unusual to have to go to 3 different parties that night!
The chocolate stash afterwards is a nice bonus too :-) People with young kids aren't expected to hand it out - those houses either leave bowls out front or just don't bother... when your kids reach teens you become one of the candy givers :-) So it is still free choccy for a few years yet...