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Original poster

To be a bit wtf about people trick or treating not actually on Halloween

76 replies

lightsandresistance · 26/10/2016 21:59

It would seem that people near us have decided that as Monday is a school night they cannot trick or treat then and so they are going to trick or treat sometime between Friday and Sunday depending if they are at a party, on holiday, out for the day already etc. It is a full discussion on a local pages that no one will be going Monday because it is a school night so they will do it x,y, z day instead.

Is this really a thing?

Am I being a miserable old bat?

Since when did Halloween change from one day to a whole weekend?

I am not a huge fan of Halloween anyway tbh and feel especially sorry for those who have tiny babies or dogs who go beserk etc.

OP posts:
Kokosjumping · 27/10/2016 07:43

And you should really only go to houses decorated for Halloween, with pumpkins etc. That's the rule down my way.

BrollySmolly · 27/10/2016 07:52

Myownprivate - do you have Halloween decorations up and a lit pumpkin? We trick-or-treat in England, but only knock at decorated houses - that's the trick-or-treat rule!!!

Basicbrown · 27/10/2016 07:58

The lit pumpkins is meant to be the rule, but you still get people hammering on your door ime.

steff13 · 27/10/2016 08:02

In my area, the city sets the trick or treat times. It's typically on the 31st, but if the 31st falls on a Friday or Saturday, they schedule for the previous Thursday. I believe their thinking is that adults usually have Halloween parties the weekend of Halloween, and they don't want little kids walking around after dark with potentially drunk adults in the road.

The trick or treat times here are published in the newspaper. This year it's the 31st from 6pm-8pm. I'd be very unimpressed if someone showed up outside those times. It's just not done.

mysistersimone · 27/10/2016 08:02

My estates page has been discussing this, saying they'll be taking the kids out over the weekend. I find it bizarre, Halloween is a specific date, it doesn't always fall on a weekend. I think its because it's not in half term this year. My 2 aren't at school the Monday but go back Tuesday. Our house is decorated aleady and stocked with sweets (the kids are already eating) but they won't be given out till the 31st. Weird people want to move a holiday to suit them.

TheNaze73 · 27/10/2016 08:07

That can fuck right off. YANBU. It's not BU not to open the door on the 31st either

Basicbrown · 27/10/2016 08:10

It's not BU not to open the door on the 31st either

Unfortunately if your own child is going out (and with the thousands it would be very difficult to argue) then it wbu to not open the door to others.

But if you aren't participating I agree completely.

Basicbrown · 27/10/2016 08:12

I agree Simone. It was only the last 2 years it has been the weekend and it has been outside half term before. It is the first time this has ever come up though.

Aeroflotgirl · 27/10/2016 09:08

I agree, Halloween is on the 31st, its not any other day, so no sweets will be given. It is rude and cheeky to go trick or treating any other day, if you can't do it on Halloween, too bad. Halloween has fallen on school nights, we have had trick or treaters come then, just come early before all the sweets go.

Aeroflotgirl · 27/10/2016 09:10

Exactly, you don't have to participate, don't open the door, keep lights down. If your children are trick or treating, you really should be reciprocating with sweets for the trick or treaters.

ButtonLoon · 27/10/2016 09:24

Wow, y'know, I always here people complaining how Halloween is an American import (I know about Scotting guysing but that doesn't stop people complaining), but it's like the UK is doing this weird pastiche of the US Halloween.... Hmm

It can only be the 31st because it is All Hallow's Eve, the day before All Saint's Day.

Madeyemoodysmum · 27/10/2016 09:31

If anyone dares do that to me I will tell them it's not the right day.
It's going to be a school night for another few years!

And I like a
Halloween and make an effort.

Creatureofthenight · 27/10/2016 09:36

No one is getting anything at my door unless it's the 31st. Halloween is one day, it's not a movable feast.

Whitelisbon · 27/10/2016 09:39

I love the fact that there are so many people from Kilmarnock on this one post! I grew up in the valley, and still struggle with the fact that Halloween is not on a Friday! We're not far from Kilmarnock, but Halloween is firmly celebrated on the 31st, and people laugh at "those dafties in Kilmarnock", while secretly I'm in agreement with you allGrin

Eolian · 27/10/2016 09:42

I understand that some people don't like it when people knock on their doors etc but I don't quite get the 'It has to be on the 31st' thing either. People happily spend months weeks doing Christmassy stuff when it's not yet Christmas and I'd be a bit surprised if people refused Easter eggs because it's not actually Easter Sunday. How about going out for a romantic dinner on the weekend because Valentine's Day happens to fall on a Monday that year?

It's fine to hate Halloween, but let's not pretend the crossness is because of people's apparently totally weird and incomprehensible desire to do something a day early because it's more convenient! My birthday happens to be on the 31st October. I'll be celebrating at the weekend because Monday's a work day.

thefairyfellersmasterstroke · 27/10/2016 09:46

When we went guising as kids (Scotland, obvs) it was usual to do it for about three nights, up to Halloween itself. It's based on the tradition that you were collecting stuff to see you through the winter and couldn't all be gathered on one day. Never heard of a town dictating when it was to happen, it's hardly a municipal matter, is it!

It seems to me that Halloween is splitting into different traditions; the Scottish one, the American one and now an English one which, as ButtonLoon said, is like a pastiche of the US one.

thefairyfellersmasterstroke · 27/10/2016 09:48

Oh, and the Kilmarnock one! Grin

ClashCityRocker · 27/10/2016 09:48

Yes but if people don't know when to expect trick or treaters, they might not have sweets or just not answer the door.

My nana loves seeing the littlies dressed up, but wouldn't want to be up and down over three or four nights answering the door.

It's an activity which requires the willing cooperation of strangers. Therefore the strangers need to know when it's happening to willingly cooperate.

Besides, being out after dark on a school night was all part of the fun Grin

FlyingElbows · 27/10/2016 09:53

Just all move to Kilmarnock and then you'll know when it's happening! 😁

SpookyPotato · 27/10/2016 10:24

Eolian It's a totally different situation to celebrating your birthday on a different day. It's expecting strangers to have treats in before the day and most won't.. also having to keep answering the door over several days.
idaho If I didn't read MN I would think the same, we never get any! We put a pumpkin out, loads of kids in the area etc. Not one knock. I wonder if a murderer lived here before or something Grin We end up eating them ourselves..

Kokosjumping · 27/10/2016 10:26

Eolian that doesn't work as a comparison - I don't care what day people choose to celebrate Halloween but it would take the piss to have kids rocking up expecting sweets all through the weekend too. You don't get random strangers knocking at your door asking for confectionary over Christmas or Easter.

HoneyDragon · 27/10/2016 10:32

The absolute ONLY time I have deemed trick of treating before the 31st acceptable was when a local ladies son was going into hospital on the 31st for serious surgery and was gutted. So about twenty of us in the street lit our pumpkins filled the sweet bowl a day early and his mum took him round.

I keep seeing queries in my local Facebook site about which night people are trick or treating ....they will get no treats here till Halloween.

lunchboxtroubles · 27/10/2016 10:34

Anyone coming over the weekend will be told to come back on Monday.

Onenerfwarfrombreakdown · 27/10/2016 10:36

Moving it because it's a school night? That's just plain daft. I'm in Scotland, every year we go guising (in disguise) round the doors from about 6-7.30ish. Very little ones have usually had enough of walking by 6.45-7 (or parents have had enough of carrying them) and the rest of us are usually home by 8 at the very latest. Not many people knock on door (DH stays home to give out our sweets while I take DS out) after 8, the occasional bunch of giggly teens but if you take in your neep/pumpkin and switch off your outside light, you're usually left alone.
So the kids are usually in bed about their usual time or not too much later! (They may not sleep because they've had a dose of sugar but DS is usually pooped from all the charging about the estate and the excitement of the night anyway and zonks out). Absolutely no need to change it. In fact, if adults want to have a grown up style Halloween party at the weekend it means there's still a different night to go guising outside with the kids so it works fine. Smile

HoneyDragon · 27/10/2016 10:37

You accept Easter Eggs. But you don't eat them till Sunday.

People doing Valentines around the date are frankly weird in their celebration of their love.

Christmas historically isn't just one day, you have advent etc. Easter is over several days, Lent is forty.

We know how these things work.

People trying to bend Halloween to their special snowflakedness will end the whole thing altogether.

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