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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider trick or treating as wrong?

134 replies

sunshinemeg · 28/10/2013 22:14

In my opinion trick or treating is simply demanding rewards from menaces. It is certainly wrong to take a pagan festival and americanise it in such a way.
Am I being unreasonable to be so very against it? I do not open the door to anyone on Halloween, and I certainly will not be letting my daughter go trick or treating when she is old enough.

OP posts:
LackaDAISYcal · 28/10/2013 22:36

I spent many a year guising as a child. This trick or treat nonsense irritates me beyond words. YANBU

greenbananas · 28/10/2013 22:39

Where I live, nobody puts out a pumpkin (it would get nicked). The little kids come with their parents at teatime, and that's sort of okay despite my personal views about Halloween. Then the teenagers start, and some of them are truly menacing. I don't want eggs thrown at my door because my son is allergic to eggs. I hate watching my son pick hours way through the streets in the days afterwards, trying so hard not to egg on his shoes.

Bah humbug!

YoureBeingAnAnyFuckerFan · 28/10/2013 22:39

oh and I only knock on friends/neighbours doors that I've asked ahead of time. I tell the dcs we will go to X, Y and Z's houses and which order and also my granny as she loves to see all their costumes.

in my old house it was a council estate and trick or treating consisted of 15 minutes of all the dcs going round each others doors together with parents all standing at the doors watching. it really was lovely to see them all so excited and over and done with in a very short space of time.

OddBoots · 28/10/2013 22:42

It's not something I or my children will be involved in but if others want to then that's up to them. As long as people only knock on the doors of those with decorations up then no harm done.

bludgerwitch · 28/10/2013 22:45

I'm pagan, I celebrate Samhain and I fucking love Halloween - don't have any kids yet but I decorate my house and dress up and have buckets of candy ready, and can't wait to take my own children out!!!!

Screamqueen · 28/10/2013 22:47

And Boo Humbug to you Halloween Grin

This is the 3rd thread Ive read like this this year and I dont get the big deal - so you dont like Halloween then dont do it - but lots of people do!

SPsTombRaidingWithCliff · 28/10/2013 22:50

If its wrong getting free sweets and chocolate then I don't want to be right

foslady · 28/10/2013 22:50

I suppose it depends on your neighbourhood really. In the 14 years I've lived where I do all the children with only 1 exception have been polite, always said thank you and have dressed up. If you have a pumpkin out, then you are inviting children to knock, or if not most people put a note on the door. Like another poster said, it's a bit of a community thing.

Don't think I'd feel this way though in some other areas - I know I'm lucky, BUT the one thing that does seem to have thankfully died a death round my way is mischievous night, so out of the two, I'd rather have the hallow e'en visitors...

littlemisssarcastic · 28/10/2013 22:56

I wish every neighbourhood was like yours MrsCakesPremonition.

I don't take part in trick or treating, don't have any halloween decorations up, don't have a carved out pumpkin, yet still other parents, who I only really know to say hello to at the school gate send their DC to knock on my door. I'm talking more about the little ones, which is why I mention their parents.
When I don't answer, they persist in knocking for quite some time, sometimes they shout through the letterbox, before going on their way.

I have always made sure all the lights are switched off, so there is little sign of life in my house on Halloween night, but my car is sitting in the drive, and they still knock.

I have now resorted to going out for the evening, no car on the drive, no lights on, and best of all, I have no idea whether the local children are knocking or not.

Just because you know someone in passing, it doesn't mean they want to take part in trick or treating, even if they have DC of their own, even if your DC know their DC, so unless it has been arranged between parents before Halloween, or you have Halloween decorations/a pumpkin in clear view, don't assume people are taking part. I'm sure most people appreciate this, but there are too many that don't.

I hear of many people, some elderly, who turn all the lights off and basically hide in their homes on Halloween night. Sad

greenbananas · 28/10/2013 22:57

screamqueen I don't do Halloween! - But I am pestered every year by people who think I am just dying to jump up and down all night answering the door and giving them sweets I can't afford and pretending to admire their hideous skeleton masks (which frighten my little boy).

I respect the right of serious pagans to celebrate an important festival in their calendar, and guiding sounds okay to me, but I loathe the ignorant and menacing thing that Halloween has become. I dislike the commercialisation of Christmas nearly as much - but at least Christmas doesn't come with skeleton masks and people throwing eggs in the street.

lostblonde86 · 28/10/2013 22:57

Completely agree with you sun. Yanbu!

Bettercallsaul1 · 28/10/2013 23:01

I have always enjoyed Halloween and always had a Halloween party for my children when they were young.

It's also practically the only "community" activity left , and I like children coming to the door for their treats (with their parents hovering in close attendance!) I always insist on hearing a joke or song first, though, as it's a two-way thing!

Maybe we are lucky not to have too many teenagers with eggs - our street is generally full of mini witches and skeletons , rushing about and shrieking joyously!

FlapJackOLantern · 28/10/2013 23:01

By The Boo but there's some miserable people on here Halloween Grin

Our whole village takes part - lots of littlies out and about with parents, all children dressed up. Lots of fun and laughter and shrieks. Made especially fun because I live next to the churchyard woooooooooooooooooooooooo !

HaveIGot · 28/10/2013 23:02

I have never ever had a problem with trick or treaters. If we put out decorations we get trick or treaters and if we don't put out decorations then no one calls.

I like doing Halloween, we get to meet our nieghbours and watch the kids have fun. It's a nice fun. Thing to do.

Alisvolatpropiis · 28/10/2013 23:17

Grin at SP

I was never allowed to go trick or treating properly, I was taken to visit relatives all dressed up and neighbours my parents knew.

It doesn't bother me particularly but I've never lived in areas where people are knocking on my door every 10 minutes. I do think there's an upper age limit to it. Over about 12 I think they're taking the piss a bit. I find the little children dressed up as pumpkins etc absolutely adorable though.

Dobbiesmum · 28/10/2013 23:35

I'm Pagan and I don't see the harm in it at all as long as the trick or treaters don't get stupid about it.we have the same rule locally as mentioned up thread wrt decorations, Samhain is a celebration and if it's treated as such then long may it continue!

BeaWheesht · 28/10/2013 23:38

Meh the kids love getting dressed up and going guising so we will be going on Thursday.

I was never allowed and I'm still pissed off about it tbh!

theholidayfairy · 28/10/2013 23:38

We live in a village and I take my kids. But we only go to houses that are dressed up and decorated and clearly up for and prepared for trick or treaters. A lot of the older people in this village really go to town as they love the kids going, they make lovely cakes and get sweets especially. I would never dream of letting them knock just anywhere. I would also never dream of letting them do any kind or horrible trick .....

Caitlin17 · 28/10/2013 23:41

I think it really must be more of an English thing. I've never seen tricks being done. It's definitely guising here, children do their party piece and get sweets

Dobbiesmum · 28/10/2013 23:42

I've helped to organise this years local Halloween party at our sports club, I'm being the actual resident Witch for the night Halloween Grin
I've got a hat and a broom and everything...
Tbh OP, it's very hard for me to get offended about anyone taking a Pagan celebration and making it more acceptable to the general population, I know what it's about for me and other Pagans, I'll observe it in my own way as always but there's no reason for me to not join in the fun too!

BeaWheesht · 28/10/2013 23:44

Oh and we only go to decorated houses and the kids sing a song / do a nice trick / tell a joke...

MammaTJ · 29/10/2013 06:33

It is very much a community thing here too. I love it, I decorate my house and have 100+ children to my door. I don't bother sitting down. My DP takes our children out while I stay home.

They only go to decorated houses.

It goes on for about an hour and a half, straight after dark, then it all stops.

samithesausage · 29/10/2013 07:41

I get terrified of trick or treaters. I hate it. When I was a teenager, we would get the local teenagers shouting and looking through the letterbox demanding money. In the end you had to threaten them with the police!
I like the idea of a code. If there's no decorations outside then you don't knock. I'm dreading this year!

SunshineMMum · 29/10/2013 08:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

neunundneunzigluftballons · 29/10/2013 08:47

Once again it is not American trick or treating is British (Scottish and Irish - all of Ireland being British until 1920s and some of Ireland still British.) Does that make you feel any better about it.