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

[Excitedtoday]

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.

heavens2betsy I like you!

But if they did knock on your door and they sang would you be annoyed?

tam o shatter

Haha, a whole new side to Burns is now in my mind!

I hate it too. I never did it as a child - my mum would have never let us beg for sweets from neighbours. What gets me are the family groups (from her very small cul de sac) who happily knock on my elderly mum's front door in the dark at 8pm every year (she never answered) expecting no doubt free goodies - but were never to be seen when she needed help clearing the snow from her front path or help getting her bin down the stairs to the pavement.

Bramble No, I love Christmas and I'd probably be too pissed to care

I am 25 and we always went, just round the block and only stopped at houses we knew or that were decorated. Have taken DS a couple of times and do the same. There were a couple of older people down our road who didn't want people knocking so we used to make them signs to put up on the night. It's even easier now that they can be downloaded and printed off in minutes.

I think it is ok as long as people stick to decorated houses. People shouldn't have to put notices up or turn their lights off to avoid being disturbed. We don't do it with ds because he would hate it.

I only take my children to the houses that have Halloween things in the window. I just assume those people don't mind.

Why thank you very much OP!!

Mascara Unfortunately there are lots of brain-dead parents who also go knocking at houses without decorations meaning those of us just wanting a normal, quiet night (i.e. without decorations) have to sit in the fucking dark or else risk eggs at the window or dog shit through the letter box.

We went guising it was penny for the guy though so halloween and bonfire night combined we got sweets monkey nuts or money which parents used to buy us sparklers op you dont need to open your door you know i am a halloween grinch these days i hate it but kids love it.

Haha! Oh well you must just dislike Haloween for some reason!

Me and my friend used to make up dances, one year we had those sticks that you filled with lighter fluid and had them burning whilst we did a song and danced and threw them to each other..it was great! I also did a card trick one year and sang "the sun will come out tomorrow" - how weird for Halloween but still, people enjoyed it :)

I don't like it so much if the kid doesn't have a joke or song. They just stand there and expect something but if they do a wee thing, it's really cute.
The problem I have is that the years I forget to buy sweets they come knocking and the years I get loads of stuff in - not a single knock on the door! Poor me for having to eat them instead!!

I love Halloween! I have fun decorating the house and enjoy meeting the neighbourhood kids and seeing their costumes. As well as sweets I give out cheap books for All Hallows Read. I understand that some people might not want to take part because of health issues etc but if kids follow the custom of only going to decorated houses then it won't do any harm. The ones who take it too far and egg houses etc are a few bad apples who shouldn't spoil it for the bunch. I think our local police or council also hand out stickers for people to put in their windows if they don't want to be visited by trick or treaters. People who don't want to take part should have their wishes respected but people who do want to take part should be allowed to. I'm disappointed if I don't get trick or treaters. Also I'm 26 and took part in trick or treating when I was a child so I don't think it's really a new 'thing', maybe it just wasn't popular in the area you grew up in?

my mum would have never let us beg for sweets from neighbours. said Janey

HOUSE - I win !!!!

Tape up letter box. Throw eggs back :)

I love Halloween, it's a chance to dress the house and see cute little ones in costumes having fun. We get through a whole host of candy and treats here if the weather is good.

Excited YABU to assume that just because you / people in your immediate neighborhood didn't do something when you were a child that it is a "new" thing - I went trick or treating as a child (in the SW of the UK) and I am 15 years older than you.

IMO and that of most others, it is common sense to only go to houses that have a pumpkin out and lights on/ and to houses of people you know.

I live in Germany and the kids here trick or treat (although they don't call it that) and did before we moved here - it was one of the nice ways of becoming part of the small community with young children when we first lived here - it was lovely to be invited along.

We always wish more kids would come to the door as when ours get in they want to answer the door to more trick or treaters, its a bit of an anticlimax when there are only 3 or 4 groups out, but then we live in a small place!

Bramble I just don't get it. I think because it was never a big thing growing up I just don't understand the attraction now iyswim.

Plus I was a homebird as a child and nothing would have coaxed me out of a nice warm house on an Autumn evening

Is this just me being an anti-social bastard?

Yes. :o

We spend more than £5 though. Because we eat the first lot we buy and have to buy more. :o

WhetherOrNot

I live in an apartment building and really miss the kids coming around. Some years we get one or two (I stick something on our door) but I miss seeing all the kids going around all dressed up.

If kids just knocked on decorated houses then no one would mind - But I dont decorate outside, I don't want to answer the door when I've put my PJ's on when the kids are in bed!
Last year I was heavily pregnant with spd so put a sign up, 3 groups all kept knocking ...each time their parents were with them!! Woe betide any lazy parent, brat person that ignores my sign once I've got the baby to sleep this year!!
Also, as much as I love Xmas, if I answer the door to a tone deaf child mumbling carols at me then expecting me to pay for the privilege, they can all sod off!!

I sound delightful dont I! I just hate answering the door lol

Last year my 90 year old grandfather fell while answering the door to trick or treaters, they were young children with their parents and the parents were very apologetic and came back the next day to check he was ok but it shows why it's not a good idea to knock on random doors! I'm dreading trick or treaters this year as I have a newborn baby in the house and can't be bothered with the door ringing every 5 minutes!

Have you actually ever had dog shit through your letterbox or eggs thrown at your house OP?