american style trick or treat in London?

[Unanimes]

My children are half american and are accustomed to the tradition of Halloween and trick or treat, for young children.
Do you know where to go, in which streets people would celebrate Trick or treat american style? and Halloween? In London?
Which day? 31st or during the week end?
Is there an american community here, that would celebrate it the same way they do in the US? A place in London where trick or treat would be more celebrated like in the US? Where it is so genuine and fun?
Thank you for your advice

For a start we don't dress up like Disney characters. All costumes must be ghoulish or pumpkin related.

And as for where to go - well you call on your neighbours.
In our village the kids go and knock on all the doors where they know people or can see people are ready for them.

In London I expect you'd go up and down your own street (with a parent at a safe distance)

Lived in London for 15 years and have never seen trick or treaters! In a lot of London people don't know their neighbours and it's just not an established custom. We certainly don't have sweets in or anything to give out.

Your best bet would be to find a good expat comm

Agree with never seeing trick or treaters in London! Maybe find a Halloween party for kids instead?

Sorry posted too soon.

Was thinking you should look for an expat community, you may find people are surprised/unwelcoming if you try it in a typical London street.

Should say it may be different in the proper suburbs, I've always been fairly central.

And only on the 31st, as soon as it gets dark.
We normally have around 20 callers in small groups.
This year DS is 16 so is looking forward to handing out sweets at the door.

I had a friend with a younger child who would come to ours for hot chocolate (around 5yo) and to get his costume on, then my DCs would take him out.

We go every year in St John's Wood. There is a large American community there and they decorate the houses and go all out for it. It gets very very very busy in the evening and you almost have to queue to get to some doors.

Good luck.

My kids are half American also. Spent many years doing friendly style Halloween in the US.

It is totally different here. The 'cute' element is just not recognized. Just a couple of windy bin bags on the doorstep!

I agree that you really need an ex-pat community. Are you anywhere near the American school in lONDON?

Where I live, all the children go to the houses that are decorated. I decorate mine, DP takes the children out and I stay in and answer the door to the 100+ children that come knocking. I love it!

Agreed that the only costumes for Halloween should be of the spooky variety...ghosts, witches, witches cats,pumkins,monsters and ghouls. Trick or treat is done anywhere where spooky decorations are on display, mainly a lit carved pumpin in the porch/window. No trick or traeating houses with lights out or no decoration.

I'm part yank and just don't get the dressing up with no reference to Halloween on Halloween (Disney bollocks), it's meant to be spooky and pagan!

Well I live in London and a group of my friends have a tacit agreement that kids are welcome to go round each others houses. Have you asked any parents you know from school/ nursery/ toddlers/ church.....

I'm Scottish and we call it guising although down here that is an alien term! I don't have kids but live near them all and was v. disappointed last year that no one took up my offer to come round (I'd even bought treat sized chocolate, which of course I was forced to eat myself afterwards ). This year I'm working so if I sound recongisable I won't be at home!

it was pretty big in Brighton when we lived there....but I do not really think it would work in central London - poss in some suburbs - depends a lot where you are

I live pretty centrally but in a residential area if that makes sense. I don't want to say more as I will out myself. There are a lot of kids in this area.

I love Halloween. Had an early Halloween riot party on Saturday for the grandbrats. Great time, no injuries this year - Musical Chairs can get a bit physical.

On the actual day (Thursday) I'll have my lit-up pumpkin (plastic, sorry, arthritis means I can't be doing with pumpkin carving) outside, to let kids know there's a welcome plus sweets here. When I first moved to London, 1994, loads of small kids with big sisters and brothers as chaperones, used to call. Now the small kids are all grown up, and their own kids calling round!

Occasionally I've run out of sweets - in which case, I've a supply of coins as a standby!

st John's wood is full of Americans so I would go there!

The neighborhood just behind Kensington High St to the north (Holland Park-ish) is great for TOT.

The restaurant Sticky Fingers is great for post-TOT, also (same neighborhood). You'd need to pre-book.

Alphabet streets in Fulham.

I will PM you OP so as not to give away all our TOT secrets.

Am amazed by posters saying they've never seen trick or treaters in London. I grew up there (zone 2 - so not quite the burbs) and went every year with a big gang of friends, there were always heaps of kids out in the neighbourhood.
Lived there in my early 20s and, again, we were always called on by trick or treaters. I'd expect any residential neighbourhood to be suitable, whereabouts do you live OP?

I have never seen trick or treaters where we used to live (zone 2/3 in London). But now we have moved to the outskirts of London, trick or treaters do come around - but they only knock on doors where pumpkins are lit up. DD1 was so excited to go on her first trick or treat last year!

I didn't used to see trick or treaters when I lived in flats in London but that's for obvious reasons. Since we've lived in a house we get a few young ones accompanied by parents. It's really nice and my kids get so excited. We're going to go for the first time this year.

I say you're good to go anywhere where there will be a few families. I'm going to avoid some of the houses I know will probably prefer not to be disturbed. We're in W London.

I'm in zone five and we also trick or treat - houses with pumpkins only. My Ds thinks its better than Christmas!

I've seen trick or treaters in zones 3 and 6, SW London. The rule round here is that you only go to houses that are decorated and/or have a pumpkin out.

I live in a flat now so don't get anyone coming round and I am a bit sad! I like giving out the chocolates!

Where I live in north London we have trick or treat on the 31st. As others have said, kids only go to houses that have pumpkins in the window or are decorated in some way. The number of trick or treaters we get varies from year to year, but we always have a least a few.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'more celebrated like in the US' or what would make people 'genuine' in participating. My dd has always enjoyed trick or treating. The kids coming to my door have always seemed 'genuine' to me, as am I when I give them the sweets.

We live in London (zone 2 family area) and get loads of trick or treaters but I agree your children should go to an area you are familiar with. It seems very rude when large groups of strangers come & ask for sweets whereas I don't mind our neighbourhood children ringing. I especially dislike the groups of early teens who ask for money. It tends to be primary school children only who trick or treat. Ask other parents at your children's nursery/school if you can trick or treat with them.

BTW if you see a 'trick or treat no thanks' sign RESPECT IT. Chucking eggs is seen as vandalism here, not a jolly jape 'trick'.

some people don't want to be disturbed. But there is also a sign that says 'trick or treat yes please' where sweets are a good bet.