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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Kit30 · 27/10/2016 10:40

It's my birthday on 31st and my door will be shut.
Rank commercialism over Hallowe'en drives me nuts. I can remember when my granny helped me hollow out turnip lanterns. Pumpkins are for wimps.

Christmas decs are already all over the high street. Civilisation testing on the brink ; ]

Basicbrown · 27/10/2016 10:44

It's my birthday on 31st and my door will be shut. Rank commercialism over Hallowe'en drives me nuts. I can remember when my granny helped me hollow out turnip lanterns. Pumpkins are for wimps.

But then you have 666 at the back of your neck.......

pinkunicornsarefluffy · 27/10/2016 10:45

YANBU. Halloween is 31 October. TTing before then would just be ridiculous. Nobody round here would be prepared for it.

If anyone comes here before 31st they won't be getting anything. I always go away for Halloween, but will be back this year, so will be putting a sign on the door saying no TT . DC have never been TT. We are having a very small party with the neighbours so that the various DC don't go out TT. (one very scared because of the stupid clown business).

It's like Bonfire Night. 5 November. Now it can be anything from a week either side of that date, which defeats the point of it having a date.

zad716 · 27/10/2016 12:23

It's like Bonfire Night. 5 November. Now it can be anything from a week either side of that date, which defeats the point of it having a date.

Not at all the same as they are totally different types of events. One you can easily move, the other you can't.

GladAllOver · 27/10/2016 12:43

I always have a note on my door on the day, 'No trick or treat thank you'
If it starts spreading to other days I will leave it up longer. Problem solved.

pinkunicornsarefluffy · 27/10/2016 12:53

My point was that Bonfire Night is 5 November, same as Halloween is 31 Oct. Why hold fireworks a week before or after? Hold them on the night they are supposed to be on or what is the point.

Maraschinocherry · 27/10/2016 13:12

Why hold fireworks a week before or after? Hold them on the night they are supposed to be on or what is the point.

This exactly.

Farmmummy · 27/10/2016 13:17

This is why I'm glad we live down a long bumpy lane in the arse hole of nowhere and no one ever comes near. I absolutely do not buy enough sweets for the whole town to trick or treat give a few to my dcs and eat the rest myself for the sake of their teeth

Revealall · 27/10/2016 13:22

The clocks don't go back until Sunday though. You can't trick or treat until it's dark so Friday and Saturday will be a bit late for little ones?

MitzyLeFrouf · 27/10/2016 13:23

I'm Irish so have always loved Halloween but on principle I'd refuse to give anything to trick or treaters that appeared at my door on any night but Halloween night. Enough people on MN get themselves in a flap about the awful American tradition that is Halloween so I think I'll get myself in a flap about the horrendous Anglicisation that is trick or treating on a non Halloween night.

Just stop!

MitzyLeFrouf · 27/10/2016 13:24

'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.'

That's very sweet.

MaddyHatter · 27/10/2016 13:33

there is an annual big bonfire and fireworks display here that is always done the week after bonfire night. Its massive, takes a lot of organisation and insurances.

Our town one is always on the saturday nearest the 5th. I think most people expect the bonfire/fireworks to be on the saturday these days. The fact it IS a saturday this year is a bonus, lol.

bloodyteenagers · 27/10/2016 14:18

Last year we had some strange ones knocking on the door the day before. Sent them away. Then a few more and a few more. By now I was thinking fuck, I had messed up the dates. But nope. Turns out they were having a halloween party on the Friday because the parents wanted to go out on Saturday.

as for changing it because it's a school night. Nope. Occasionally it does fall on a school night. You feed the kids a bit earlier than normal, then as soon as it's dark out for a bit. Home, a treat, bath and bed. That's what the rest of us do.

Eolian · 27/10/2016 14:41

I know Christmas and Easter aren't the same, and I realise it's the knocking on doors and asking for sweets that bothers people. The point I was trying to make is that some people are trying to justify their annoyance at Halloween encroaching onto the weekend by saying that it's a 'weird thing to do because Halloween is on the 31st, end of '. Whereas really it's just because they hate it whenever it happens to occur. Or saying that they won't have any sweets in. Well if you're already discussing the possibility of weekend trick or treaters surely it's not likely to be harder to buy sweets before Saturday than before Monday.

MitzyLeFrouf · 27/10/2016 14:46

I love Halloween. On the 31st October. Trick or treating on a different night is missing the point entirely.

IsadoraQuagmire · 27/10/2016 14:51

What Mitzy said!

bloodyteenagers · 27/10/2016 15:16

I buy the sweets on the day. Then I start hoping no fucker knocks on my door so I can eat them all. I have little will power so only buy when needed. If I buy them on the Friday or whatever, come Monday they will be gone.
Plus I am not doing a 4 night thing. That's ridiculous. Continue with that, and before you know it, it will turn into a week.

But now I know before I move to check local areas, because I will not be partaking in this foolishness of halloween on any day other than halloween.

And bonfire night, needs to go back to November 5th. Fireworks for a week or two is annoying. Don't know when it changed. As a child, it went on a school night and that's when it actually happened.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 27/10/2016 15:53

Not trick or treating on the 31st because it is a school night is taking precious to a whole new level. We always trick or treated, a late night never killed anyone, get in the spirit and stop being a grinch I say!

Or move to Ireland, our mid term break is next week so we can let our chocolate fuelled kids stay up till they crash from their sugar rush at which point we can polish off everything else from their trick or treat bags

Willow2016 · 27/10/2016 18:09

I'm Scottish but dont live in Kilmarnock

Its 31st or nothing here. Have told little chancers before to come back on the actual night but to be fair it was only the once.

Place wont be decorated properly until monday evening anyway!

And it will take me all weekend to carve up the pumpkins we have at the ready

We only do Bonfire Night & fireworks on the 5th too!

Mumzypopz · 27/10/2016 21:53

I'm a bit off with trick or treating full stop. My child is petrified on Halloween. What gives people the right to knock on your door and demand sweets?!!!! The whole concept is just crazy....fine if you have prearranged with friends / family that you will be round, and fine if you only knock (with adult supervision) on houses that are obviously ready and welcoming by putting out decorations/pumpkins etc....but why knock on every door in the street?! If you really don't want people to knock, it's such a nuisance. I'm also amazed by the amount of parents that let their kids go trick or treating alone....yes fine, just go and knock on local paedo's doors, that's fine, no harm will come to you..I'm sure. Even if you put out posters saying no trick or treaters they still knock.

JellyBelli · 27/10/2016 21:55

People dont do that where I live, as they dont get anything. And if the house is dark they dont knock.

Mumzypopz · 27/10/2016 21:59

I quite often go upstairs on Halloween and look to see who is knocking...it's amazing how many kids will see their friends knock (and not get an answer), but decide to knock anyway..and when they don't get an answer by knocking on the door. They bang on the window!! Rude!!!

Basicbrown · 28/10/2016 07:49

I'm also amazed by the amount of parents that let their kids go trick or treating alone....yes fine, just go and knock on local paedo's doors, that's fine, no harm will come to you..I'm sure. Even if you put out posters saying no trick or treaters they still knock.

Yep same. My DD is always asking when she can go alone and the answer is never. Because if you are old enough to TT alone you are too old for it.

Eolion you are right. I hate Halloween. We have thousands of people round, all smiling and saying 'wow aren't they generous' thanks 'happy halloween'. And I will only do it once. It is the worst thing about where I live.

Gowgirl · 28/10/2016 08:04

The beauty of Halloween is that it I 3 hours on the 31st, time limit fun if you will! My dcs have costumes ready and I will go with them, I'm just hoping t or t is done here! Our Las place everyone decorated and went abroad....

Gowgirl · 28/10/2016 08:07

And dh has finally decided on slender man to open the door, it was Freddie Kruger Las year

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