...to want to send Trick or Treating back to America?

[onedamnthingafteranother]

I want to relax in my own home of an evening, not close all the curtains and turn the lights off and pretend to be out (or actually have to go out) because this whole imported idiocy turns up all evening (we are near the centre of town and get inundated) at my doorstep once a year.

Grumble grumble, I'm a grouch - also an introvert in a people job who wants to pull up the drawbridge at night. Thinking of leaving a bucket of chocs outside with a "don't knock, just help yourselves" notice. Trouble is, door opens straight into the pavement.

round here (sw) it is commonly known not to knock at a undecorated/no pumpkin house. I go all out on decoration on Halloween, all the neighbourhood kids know we participate so we get called on lots. The yr before last my little one was sick on Halloween and so I hastily took down all the decorations and pumpkins and to my total surprise no one knocked at all- they all knew that because my decorations were not up it wasn't ok to knock, I was dead impressed and thankful.

YADNBU!

I think people are getting confused. Halloween is not an American invention but Trick or Treating is. I'm guessing it must have been adopted by the south first sometime in the 70s and gradually made its way North. As a child in the 80s and living in the North we all just used to say "Penny for Halloween". But traditions change and I suppose it is more appropriate for today's society.

My parents and grandparents went guising. Here (Scotland) you need to do a party piece for your sweeties.

Trick or treating isn't American in origin, either.

But Trick or Treating must be American, as it was unheard of when I was a kid (70s, Midlands). You would get kids asking for Penny for the Guy (not so much door to door, though, more out in the street) - which you never seem to see now. Also carol singers from early December (who usually just tunelessly belted out 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' and expected to get money for that! - usually teenagers).

Just because they didn't do it in the Midlands in the 70s Nadia doesn't mean it's American or unheard of elsewhere.

We did it in North Wales in the 70s.

I didn't do it in the 70s where I am from, so it must be American . . .? What a bizarre conclusion.

I'm in America, and I've never had kids coming to my door on random nights. Here, trick or treating (in my town they call it Beggar's Night) is on one specific night (it was tonight) at a specific time (5-7). If someone's porch light isn't on, you don't go to their door.

Yes but did you call it trick or treating or guising as in scotland ?

You just need to regulate it better. I love Halloween - been living in America 8 years and it is amazing here. Only done from 6-8 on the day itself... Houses with everyone sat out on the lawn drinking and with things like crackers and cheese, wine and hello vodka shots for parents... Houses with grave yards an dry ice fog and all sorts. It is magical and everyone just embraces it. Kids put a lot of effort into their costumes too.

I did it in the 70s in the Midlands - Birmingham.

If anything, I'd say it's more regulated now than it was - much more parents with little ones going round decorated local houses, all done by bedtime.

My recollections of it as a 9yo are decidedly lairier - hordes of us, no adults involved, & eggs/talcum powder thrown at houses that didn't want to participate...

Does it matter what it's called? The idea is the same, isn't it?

Let me clarify! The practice of going door to door for food on Halloween (known as Souling) predates any American version. But "Trick or Treating" and by that I mean when you knock on a door and say the words "Trick or Treat" is a North American tradition. It originated there in the 1920s. See here en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating

It may not have actually been called 'trick or treating' before North America started taking part (I think the phrase originates in Canada) but dressing up and knocking on doors asking for food and money (usually in exchange for prayers or songs) has been happening since the middle ages in the UK. So definitely not a new thing.

I can totally understand why people don't like Halloween though. When I lived in England I hated Halloween too, and would always turn off all the lights and hide in a back room on Halloween, because all trick or treaters where I lived were basically yobs with eggs and rotten fruit to throw about - and sometimes rocks if you were really unlucky.

Now I live in the US and Halloween here is terrific fun, the whole street decorates and gets dressed up and it is all very good natured and festive.

Who said that?

All hallow eve is pagan and from the uk inc dressing up to trick evil

We live in the middle of a Blair witch style wood. No one is brave enough to trick or treat us :) The irony"

And we always buy sweets just in case - we always get to eat them all!

Lol @Caff. I put a pumpkin out every year but none venture to our door! In my old house we used to have loads come, we got dressed up to answer the door and everything. Strange, the creepy places are too scary for them, can't imagine why

Sure OP. Do you also want to send Diwali back to India, and the London Carnival to the Caribbean?

I don't recall ever trick or treating as a child in Australia. There were no decorations or themed lollies etc. All of a sudden it's Halloween everything!
The worst part is that people dont understand the rules on what house you can approach. I don't like trick or treating. 364 days of the year parts are obsessed with food choices and stranger danger yet on this one day it's open season on eating anything from anyone. Just seems wierd to me.

It's not American, blame the bleddy Scots!!
(disclaimer: A large part of my family are Scottish and I very narrowly missed out on being able to vote in the Scottish referendum)

Put a sign out the front saying "No Trick or Treaters Please"

I think it's one of the nicest things we've imported from the US. Around here it's a wonderful community event - brings people together!

Trick or treat in the 70's, never allowed to do it by my Mum, she was born 1946 and posh not done, my Dad talked wistfully about trick or treat, he was born 1935, he could just remember going and moaned constantly how the war ruined it
And how due to rationing he was an adult before sweet rationing finished.

He told me the favourite trick was to attach a bit of cotton to the door knocker and pull it, whilst hidden, and watch the householder come and look about, after a few knocks they would be mad.

We also carved turnips, Under Dads instruction like he did as a child.

This was Kent