To think trick or treating should stop before 7pm?

[hibbleddible]

Don't get me wrong: I love Halloween. Treats in, decorations out, pumpkin carved etc.

At 7.15pm I had just got the baby to sleep, and dd1 in bed. Trick or treater's knock and cause the dog to bark and wake the baby. Dd (5) answers the door by herself in pjs, and becomes very excited.

Grrr! I then had two non-sleeping children, plus they cleared me out of the candy which I was planning on scoffing alone after dd went to bed

We've got grown up idiots in the pub below yelling and aquaking like a bunch of 11 year olds. Bastards.

Its of just for preschoolers!!!you know that dont you!??

steppemum I wouldn't let it upset you

Firstly, there are many things 'said' on MN that are just bat shit crazy...from the totally bizarre to the 'Yeah ok riiiight

Secondly, anti-social behaviour is an awful thing but I think it's better to blame the individuals than to blame Halloween. For every idiot with an egg, there'll be 100 excited, peaceful kids just looking to have a fun time.

I live in a London borough that's as rough as fuck, yet my house has only been egged once in 20 years, and on that particular year we were taking part in Halloween.

step I wonder where you live that it is that bad.

I agree that anyone who is egging is just a lot, and nothing to do with Halloween. All the trick or treaters I saw were young children (under 8) with parents.

I live in a notoriously rough area and haven't heard of or experienced any egging.

*lout

It's unfortunate if you live in an area with people who throw eggs. But that doesn't mean everyone else who celebrates without petty vandalism or aggression should be made to stop doing so. I had loads of children coming round earlier this evening, all of whom were polite and friendly and having a great time, and when I'd run out of sweets I took my pumpkin indoors and rushed off to fetch DS from the Halloween party he was at, three tram stops away and had several drinks and watched fireworks at the party for another couple of hours.
Any kind of cultural celebration that involves parties, sharing, interacting, is a good thing. The fact that a few arseholes use it as an excuse to be arseholes is no justification for demanding a ban.

The thing is, on mn it is all lovely little pre-schoolers with their parents.

But out there in RL it isn't.
and no, it isn't just me. Last year ds was staying with his cousin and they do Hallowe'en and went trick and treating. My SIL was laughing about all the dressed up teens. Ds and his cousin (aged 12 and 14) were out for 4 HOURS, and came back with 2 huge carrier bags stuffed full of sweets.

That was a very naice area, and there was apparenlty quite a lot of tricking too. (not from ds and his cousin)
That is why he is not there this year (ironically, they are usually more conservative than me over kids out and about, and their son is the older one)

We live in a large town in south of England, residential street, dead end not that busy, but close to large estate. Tricking is common. My friend (retired couple) said no to some teenagers and they covered his new car in flour and eggs and it stripped the paint. He followed the girl home, and her father couldn't understand the problem.
They live in a quiet middle class area of town.

Every year I get egged.
That is why I don't like Hallowe'en. Who lives in this lovely mn land where it is limited to little kids and few sweets??

Last year I was just about to turn the hall light off, when a little girl (probably about 4yrs old) knocked with her Dad.

I said, "Aww I'm sorry darling but I'm all out of sweets now".

So she reached into her little bag, took out a lollipop and said, "Oh no, here you can have some of mine"

I was so touched that I rifled through my cupboards and found a packet of crisps.

Wait!! I bet she did that to everyone, the cunning little minx!

Who lives in this lovely mn land where it is limited to little kids and few sweets??

Not me.

I live in one of London's most deprived boroughs.

Yes, we had teenagers knock tonight and some of them had made very little effort but still the atmosphere was a good one.

I'm lucky that in general, apart from a few twats letting off fireworks there isn't too much anti-social behaviour.

Well no more than a normal Saturday night around here anyway.

step I hardly live in a naice mn land. Trust me my area is rough, I can guarantee you would have heard about it, and not for good reasons. I'll pm you where I live.

It is why I'm surprised that you do experience antisocial behaviour, as genuinely I have never seen that happen, even here. There are plenty of estates around here too.

I promised myself I wouldn't comment on any Halloween thread this year, but I had to laugh at this:

but in this country most babies go to bed around 6-7pm

None of mine every did. I can't imagine any dc with working parents going to bed at 6pm ~ when would you see them?

solidgoldbrass - my problem is that the anti social behaviour is PART of the holiday.

so take another holiday, eg guy fawkes. Some people are twats with fireworks, but it isn't part and parcel of celebrating guy fawkes that you should be a twat with fireworks, it isn't 'post a firework off through a letterbox night'. But it is part of trick and treating, it is right there in the name TRICK or treat.

pre-schoolers aren't interested in the trick part. But older kids are. It is seen to be part of the fun, chuck a bit of flour, or eggs, or water pistols. Trouble is they don't care who gets them.

Just because it doesn't happen in your street, don't think it doesn't happen

I wonder if you live near me worra ?

step I always interpreted that the 'trick' part was the child performing a trick if asked (like a joke, or with a yoyo).

Bemused at all the babies going to bed between 6-7. Many of the parents I know work and are not getting in until 6-7pm and their babies tend to have slightly different sleeping patterns.

Don't assume little baby is grouchy because their milk is delayed, because you have no idea when their milk/bedtime is! As you note earlier, in other countries they sometimes do things differently, and presumably you accept that babies in these magical other countries are not all over tired and kept up too late?

Personally I take baby up to bed anywhere between 6:30 and 8 (usually between 7 and half past), but would not bat an eyelash at someone else keeping their baby up later.

One of my friends' babies used to stay up until 10pm so they could see one of their parents after work. Other parent was stay-at-home and without other commitments so baby also woke around 9am.

Everyone is different OP.

On the other hand, it's blimming annoying when a sleeping baby gets woken up, so many sympathies!

Err no.

Apparently (according to radio 4!) The question was originally will you give me a trick or a treat? So the householder gave out either a trick or a treat.

But the current question is usually basically - give me a treat or I will trick you.

actually I have just googled it, and the dictionary definition is as I said, but the origin article said that one of the origins may have been guising, which is a scottish (and Irish?) custom, where the child sang a song or performed in exchange for a treat.

We had a lovely Halloween. Dd went off with her friend for a couple of hours. They were so chuffed to be able to go out without adult tailing them and had a fab time.
Ds2 sat by the front door to give sweets to all who knocked (and had our left overs).
Ds1 sat behind a bush in the garden dressed in black with a scary mask. He stood up and waved as our guests were leaving causing a few to shriek and brought much laughter. He then asked to go out for an hour at approx 715. Yes he is 15 and had made minimal effort with his costume but still came back with some sweets (in time for Dr who) and we all had a fab time.
Not all teenage boys go out to cause trouble.

When we were little it was guising - you would do your 'turn' and get rewarded with sweets, monkey nuts and the odd coin.

Scot here in my day (mumble years ago) you had to be prepared to do a 'party piece' a song, poem or joke or a wee harmless 'magic trick' like a coin from the ear type thing. While I enjoy it where its celebrated I do think not as much effort is made now. Shop bought costumes, no make up and no party pieces. Place I lived a few years ago was a very rough area and there was some egging etc which I agree is out of order and not in the spirit.

Personally its samhain for me but not well this year so muted ceremony.

drummer girl - I wasn't suggesting all teens did.

When ds went out with his cousin, I am sure they were well behaved and had a good time.

The point was that it is endlessly repeated on mn that it is just a nice thing for little kids. Well, that is only one side of it, and the other sides are not always so cute and pretty

Put the sweets out in a box, not a bowl.

Put a note saying you are not participating on your gate or visible on the first bit of the house callers can see, not around the side at the door..

Actually, Mischief Night was always associated with Guy Fawkes night and the mischief wasn't all to do with fireworks. Catholics and Irish immigrants often bore the brunt of the mischief on both Guy Fawkes (and around the 12th of July) in many British cities, esp. Liverpool and Glasgow. Those who compare Halloween unfavourably with Guy Fawkes should probably take a look at the sectarian associations of that particular celebration.

Lots of people know very little about Halloween and Halloween traditions, maybe because it isn't actually a tradition in large sections of Britain. It's convenient to label it all bad because it is assumed to be American, but it originated in Ireland and Scotland, developing from the old feast of Samhain and it has always been a thing in Ireland. There has always been mischief associated with Halloween too, but in America the mischief was largely squeezed out by commercialisation and hordes of cute kiddies thronging the streets with their parents. Traditions like Devil's Night lived on in Detroit, where volunteers still patrol the streets.

Those who object to their local streets being given over to loud and rude elements should perhaps consider decking their children in costumes and taking back their neighbourhoods until late at night.

I am in the US and people who get egged are well known local Halloween Grinches. The eggers tend to be aged 12/13ish.

Last year ds was staying with his cousin and they do Hallowe'en and went trick and treating. My SIL was laughing about all the dressed up teens. Ds and his cousin (aged 12 and 14) were out for 4 HOURS, and came back with 2 huge carrier bags stuffed full of sweets.
I am wondering what you would think of my neighbourhood, where everyone from babes in arms to what are probably 16 year old members of the high school wrestling team dresses up and goes out for the duration of the trick or treating hours, 3pm to 9pm (yes that is six hours) with frequent returns home to empty the pillow cases of candy and go out again. Last year we had snow blowing sideways and my youngest DD aged 13 went out Trick or Treating with her friend and the friend's three little sisters, and again with just the friend when the three little sisters were too frozen to go on, around 8 pm.
Your DS and his cousin are amateurs.

7pm?! It didn't start until 7.30pm in our building today, and that was for babies right through to teenagers!

I am in the US and people who get egged are well known local Halloween Grinches. The eggers tend to be aged 12/13ish.

Oh classic victim blaming. I didn't give them sweets = I am a grinch and deserve to be egged???
yet again, don't do hallowe'en and you get a nasty negative label.

I am not a 'Hallowe'en Grinch' I don't give out sweets. many people in our street don't. Fra more don't than do. I am never unpleasant or rude, or even offer an opinion on it in real life. I just quietly don't do it.

The sign is on the front door, because if I put it on the front window, every passing teen would egg us. Now we just get egged by the people who come to the door. Our houses are pretty much onto the street, there aren't driveways and front gates/paths to negotiate.

Math good post. As someone raised catholic Guy Fawkes night is difficult. Love the fireworks but dd is well aware that the sentiment is anti-catholic and Guy and his pals were trying to off a traitor!