Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to really hate the idea of trick or treating and wonder why the fuck it's become a 'thing'?

389 replies

Excitedtoday · 26/10/2015 11:40

I find trick or treating really quite anti-social. Why is it acceptable to be rocking up at someone's house on a dark evening basically begging for food? You don't know who lives there or what the effect of you knocking might be. For example, an elderly or disabled person who can't get to the door easily or someone who, for whatever reason, feels vulnerable in their own home.

Perhaps it's just because an anti-social cowbag and I hate people knocking on my door that I'm not expecting, especially at night.

And I also wonder how recently this has become a 'thing' that loads and loads of people do? When I was younger, I'm 25, no-one went trick or treating but over the last few years I've noticed my friends who are parents and family doing it as a matter of routine and I just wonder when that happened?

Is this just me being an anti-social bastard?

BTW, no children and never answer my door after dark whether its Halloween or not.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
SockQueen · 26/10/2015 22:31

I've lived in flats for the last few years so haven't been bothered at all. We used to get a few at home when I was a kid (31 now) but it wasn't a huge thing, and I never did it myself as my parents didn't approve.

I got trick-or-treated last year in a restaurant, which really fucked me off, as clearly we wouldn't have sweets on us, so they were just begging for money. Astounded that their parents (who were outside, the kids were about 6-8) thought that was acceptable.

KittyLovesPaintingOhYes · 26/10/2015 22:52

Ah Perspicacia now I've gone all nostalgic remembering queueing outside the cinema to see ET, was it really 33 years ago? They got the little critter across town by draping him in a sheet and I couldn't work out wtf all these kids were doing roaming the streets in costumes! Mind you I grew up in leafy Surrey, most excitement we had was knock-down-ginger but we didn't save that for Halloween Grin

Grilledaubergines · 26/10/2015 23:37

In my 40s and did it as a child, and loads of children here do it (south east). Unwritten rule is "no decs, no door knock" and there is never a problem. Adults join in with dressing up too. Don't know about Scotland/Wales/NI but in England an awful lot of people really go for it in a big way.

JakeyBurd · 27/10/2015 00:13

I don't like trick-or-treating either but I welcome guisers. It's been a 'thing' in Scotland since the 15th century and has a lot of history behind it.

I really resent the way Americans take other cultures' customs and traditions, commercialise the fuck out of them and re-package them back to us as a new Yankee branded enterprise with full corporate backing. I and many others would rather stick to our own Scottish traditions and most of the neighbour children still do the guising, money or sweets is fine.

Would piss me off in a restaurant too though SockQueen. That's not on.

SockQueen · 27/10/2015 00:44

It wasn't even actual Halloween either - I think it was Oct 29th or something! Cheeky sods.

kali110 · 27/10/2015 01:06

I'm in 30's and it wasn't a big thing when i was growing up either.
I hate it too.
We don't put decorations up yet they still come round!
Wouldn't be so bad if it were just little kids, but it's not!
It's secondary school gits.
Some of the kids round here are just nasty.
Houses and cars have been egged, scratched,toilet roll have been thrown everywhere, a group even tried to set their dog on one of my cats Angry
I suffer health problems, chronic pain and anxiety to name but a few.
I spend halloween scared.

Louise43210 · 27/10/2015 01:23

Our street has lots of Halloween fun but we know whose doors not to knock on and respect that. One house is renown because the old bloke loves to dress up and jump out at us from somewhere unexpected! Its great fun.

CheerfulYank · 27/10/2015 01:51

I always did it but I'm American :)

Here if the porch light isn't on (regardless of inside lights) you don't knock.

bonbonbonbon · 27/10/2015 03:16

What, no mention of it being an annoying American import? This post was better last year.

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 27/10/2015 06:42

Of course there is a long, long history of culturally acceptable norms being suspended on special feast days, surely anyone who has seen/read any Shakespeare knows that (ducks and runs :o but it's very true! So people saying "why is xyz not OK most of the year but OK on one day are questioning a practice which has existed for hundreds of years - perhaps since the dawn of human history - tied to other "special" days of the year if not to Halloween).
*Obviously that does not excuse criminal damage!

OfficeGirl1969 · 27/10/2015 07:08

The kids went once or twice round MIL's estate where it was quite welcomed when they were little, but it was hideous when OH used to work odd shifts and was sleeping early evening. I put (polite) signs on the door saying "please no trick or treat" but the little shits used to bang on the door twice as hard........!
Fortunately the last eight years or so we've lived out in the boonies so no danger of anyone dropping in!

Shaffron · 27/10/2015 07:12

I do it with my kids but there are rules.

We generally knock on houses we know, with decorations etc. I've explained to my kids that they never knock on houses with no decorations. We live on a big estate with lots of young families so it's easy just to go round together to each others houses.

No really scary outfits and we make our own! Encourages creativity! They have to tell a joke, sing a song etc.

Be polite and don't be greedy with how many sweets you take.

It's really fun and if it's done this way there is no harm.

Shaffron · 27/10/2015 07:13

Sad to hear about vandalism and rude children. That's not on.

80sMum · 27/10/2015 07:18

Trick or treating was unheard of when I was growing up (Kent, 1960s and '70s), except in American films.
I remember when the film ET was released (1980?) the Halloween scenes in it were a great curiosity. I think that film raised awareness of trick or treating in the UK. In my experience, the practice started to become popular in the UK in the late '80s/early' 90s.

Notoedike · 27/10/2015 07:22

I'm 45 and I did it as a kid. My kids do it now, there are rules -we make an effort with the costumes, only knock on doors with lanterns or Halloween decs outside. Knock, greet person with Happy Halloween and say thank you!
It's a really enjoyable evening around here, we bump into lots of neighbours and friends and the kids have a great time, it's all done by 7.00pm.

RebootYourEngine · 27/10/2015 07:36

I hate halloween and trick or treating. I wouldnt mind it so much if people stuck to the same rules such as only people you know and decorated houses. I have people knocking and my house isnt decorated.

And also here we never know when the kids are going to come round, if halloween falls on a saturday the kids could go trick or treating thurs, fri or sat. Because some people are told not to go out on fri or sat because people will be drunk. Others ignore that and go out on halloween no matter what day it is.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 27/10/2015 07:44

I love it.

My parents didn't allow me and my brother to it when we were young. We would make costumes and wander about but no knocking.

When dd was little we just went to decorated houses.

I put quite a bit of effort into decorating my house and we get lots of kids. Dog goes crazy all night though. I enjoy decorating the house. I have a caldron by the front door which does coloured smoke/water vapour out of it. I have a mechanical spider which drops on people's heads when they knock on the door......I do get small kids screaming and sobbing sometimes!

Brioche201 · 27/10/2015 07:50

We used to have mischief night on the 4th November which thankfully seems to have been replaced by trick or treating
"Shaffron* i would be well pissed off if I had been kind enough to answer the door give the child sweets and then be expected to stand there indulgently while the kid sang a song with the pushy mum stamding adoringly im the background expectimg you me to praise her tuneless tot.

differentnameforthis · 27/10/2015 08:10

I did it when I was a kid, and I am 42!

I said no to my kids for years, now it is taking off here (Australia) we go out & only knock on homes that some indication that they would welcome it.

Others I have seen go to every house, which I think is rude.

but cunts people are knocking at my fucking door. Did you really just called kids cunts??

Plenty more here op, No TorT

to really hate the idea of trick or treating and wonder why the fuck it's become a 'thing'?
to really hate the idea of trick or treating and wonder why the fuck it's become a 'thing'?
to really hate the idea of trick or treating and wonder why the fuck it's become a 'thing'?
ToastedOrFresh · 27/10/2015 08:36

.

RebootYourEngine · 27/10/2015 08:39

Do those no trick or treat signs work because i have a no cold caller sign on my door & i still get them knocking at my door.

NicoleWatterson · 27/10/2015 08:39

Having spent many a night camped out at my grand parents when my late grandmother was suffering Alzheimer's to stop trick or treaters scaring the shit out of her. Yanbu

There does seem a new breed who only knock on decorated houses, or houses they know. that seems logical. I'm not a fan of it, mine won't be doing it. But each to their own. Some love.

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 27/10/2015 08:42

It was never trick or treating when I was a kid (and I'm approaching 42). We lived in the Cotswolds and that expression was never heard. People had Hallowe'en parties and dressed up (apple bobbing and all that) but anyone who did go visiting people did the same as I did - you only called on people you actually knew and you showed off your costume. There was no "demand" for a treat.

What I do object to is kids (with parents) coming round four or five days before the 31st and doing their trick or treat nonsense wearing nothing but a black witches' hat. Make an effort, FFS, if you're going to bother.

Moln · 27/10/2015 08:56

Ooh interesting, I'm from Birmingham and went trick or treating just once. When we did we had water thrown at us, someone told us they'd call the police because we'd knocked on their door and told to fuck off. I can't recall the time of day but I'd say it was 6ish as it was just turning dark. We went to five houses.

Don't mind it now, don't exactly like it, but a few packets of small chocolate bars and put pumpkins out that my dcs carve. They go trick or treating themselves (supervised).

Id say the op might just be an irritable antisocial kind, I think I recall her name from the judgy thread as one of the posters whose lists of things made me say ' Alrighty then'.

Squeezedmiddlemummy · 27/10/2015 10:21

They're just children, it's just once a year ... I can't believe this a forum for mums. You're being quite mean. Would it kill you to open the door and smile while giving a kid a lollipop. It's not hard work!! And a pack of lollies cost way more than your fags!

I'm glad us mum's who realise that it's just a bit of fun for kids are in the majority here.

Just stick a note on your door saying 'No trick or treaters if you're that bothered! Most little one go with their parents and older ones can read.

Trick or treaters are antisocial kids begging for food! SERIOuSLY????

I'm beginning to think someone is having a laugh at 'Netmums' expense judging from the ridiculous posts we've been seeing over the past days.