...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.

Rafaella and others - I don't know why some of you are getting worked up about this. Strange.

OK a form of trick or treating was obviously in existence in some parts of the UK earlier than I thought and actually originated in the UK - so I was wrong about that. I assumed it was a US cultural import, as so many things are (eg school proms etc). But so what? I maintain that the actual phrase 'trick or treat' is American though, as LiveLife says.

And I never said anything against it - I think it's quite a nice custom. I have just handed out loads of sweets tonight. Probably nicer than burning a Guy Fawkes on top of the bonfire when you think what that commemorates (terrorist attack/gruesome execution). But it's a shame in a way that old customs are dying out to be replaced with ones from other countries/and or other parts of the UK.

Does it really matter? Obviously your experience was different. I assume you are younger than me/ live in a different part of the UK. Bless you, too!

Well the earliest citations for the phrase "trick or treat" in the context is not from the USA either, but from Canada. The actual activity was happening far longer - souling on all hallows eve certainly for hundreds of years in the UK.

Just because it didn't happen in your part of the country, doesn't mean it's foreign.

Baffling. Just because some wording has changed - now saying 'Trick or Treat', it must be American. Daftest argument I've heard for a while.

FWIW, we decorated the front garden, and the hall. Two 3ft spiders in webs across the hall, a spider cocoon hanging from one; a flock of bats suspended from the ceiling; outside we had a huge ghost and a glow in the dark skeleton hangin from the trees, pumpkins, and dozens of glowing eyes in the hedge. We were inundated by overexcited small children, all dressed up, and enchanted by the house. It was a lovely night, and wonderful to see how happy they were.

You really should READ the threads before making a post! You want to say it originated in Canada fine! Where's your evidence? And as for denying the obvious American influence of "Trick or Treat" and calling the argument "daft" saying "some of the wording has changed" what other wording is there? The original poster was talking about the hijacking of the traditional Halloween and its replacement with the Americanised " Trick or Treat" version. What sort of an ignoramous do have to be to miss that?

I remember carol singing! Children would go round to people's houses and sing a lovely song, and get a small contribution.

Trick or treat, all that Halloween stuff, I honestly can't stand. I have been a tolerant liberal for years, but I am now actually going to put my foot down. It 'celebrates' evil, commercial greed and represents absolutely nothing in the modern world, whatever its historical roots.

I agree with OP, I also hate that date, and the thought of getting my door "egged" because I'm not there, or whatever.

As a proud Canuck I can say that fred is absolutely correct that the term probably originated in some parts of Canada and the USA. The evidence is that the first printed reference to the term was in a Canadian newspaper.

That doesn't mean the activity hasn't long been practised here, though!

Monkey Nuts - peanuts still in their shells.

I'm confused now. What is Trick-or-Treating as currently practised? I think of it as guising, and I told dd to sing a song, was this wrong? Do you literally just chap the door and get the sweets? Is there a fall back in the way of a Trick planned?

No idea, it's all very innocent found here; small children don fancy dress, and their parents take them to the houses with Halloween decorations displayed. They knock, say "Trick or Treat", you say "Happy Halloween" and compliment them on their costumes, then proffer sweets, and they go.

I have no idea why there is so much animosity towards it, neither do I understand this vehement insistence that its American, and should fuck off back to America. It's been around for a very, very long time, and traditions evolve.

My mum is from rural Ireland, and they did trick or treating, Halloween, bobbing for apples etc in the 1940s.
In Ireland.
And they had no electricity so deffo weren't taking it from American's, .