To think that if you have decorated your house, then its fair to assume you are happy to help trick or treaters knocking?

[BasinHaircut]

House down my road, went all-out with the decorations. Looked really good and as I walked past it on the way home I wondered whether DS would even want to knock there as it looked quite scary.

Anyway as we went out to knock on the few houses on my road that were decorated/had pumpkins out, I noticed that a bunch of kids were knocking at spooky house but getting no answer. A minute or two later we approached the house again and other kids were knocking there so we skipped it but they again didn’t answer. Then another few minutes later we returned and DS knocked and you guessed it, they didn’t answer. The TV was on inside and I could hear people inside.

AIBU to think it’s weird to put so much effort into decorating your house for Halloween but then not get involved?

Wouldn't even spend time thinking about it. They might have had bad news, sickness, a row, trouble with homework, a migraine...any number of unforseeables!

Maybe the decorations were for their children or still up from a party at the weekend?
I would never assume someone will answer their door.

They were probably having a party.

The fact it was only 5.30, probably meant there was nothing to hear yet, as they may have been waiting for more guests to arrive.

I couldn't give it another thought really.

Thanks for asking @grannytomine Sorry to hear you had it too, it's rotten isn't it? DH and I are a bit shaky on our feet today but thank goodness I think we're all over it. DS has bounced back, he's amazing

Nah, I don't think it's weird to decorate your own house how you like.

I would have thought them out of order tho if they'd told ToTers to fuck off. Pumpkins on the doorstep are like pampas grass in Surbiton. You weren't wrong to assume they wanted to play.

But not answering the door? Meh.

I would like to decorate for my kids. I don't want trick or treaters though. Random people knocking causes huge stress to my dog. Net result, I don't decorate. Even so, I had people standing at the top of my driveway shining torches in the kitchen windows trying to see if we were in.

Or another thought. Maybe they were providing the trick element. Get people to come and knock for nothing.

You are right, could have been any number of reasons why they didn’t answer, and I’m only talking about maybe a 15 min window altogether so maybe they had popped out and left the TV on for the cat? Told older kids who didn’t want to go trick or treating not to answer the door whilst they were gone etc.

We had to go out a bit later but left the pumpkins lit and the bowl of sweets outside so I guess we didn’t answer either for a portion of the evening even though hopefully it was obvious we wouldn’t by the sweets being left available to take.

YABU, they are entitled to decorate their house for any reason (private party, the kids or whatever) without having to give sweets to random strangers.

If they have a lighted pumpkin on the doorstep, it's fair for the trick or treaters to come knocking at their door, but maybe it's a genuine mistake and they do not know about it?

You can have the best decorated house in town, and be at work, be busy, give the bath or tea to your little ones, be waiting for your partner to buy the sweets you forgot..or just not wish to be disturbed.

We decorated and I went out with DS and his friends leaving DH to man the door. He is currently dying of man-flu though and I suspect he didn't get to the door in time for everyone who knocked, although he did try.

I agree with tabbymumz. I don't do Halloween and hate trick or treating. So I don't get involved. Last year no one knocked. This year 2 groups knocked. I didn't answer.
No houses on my street were decorated, in fact there were only a handful in the surrounding streets decorated as well.

Decorations means they're up for trick or treaters. However it's possible it was a private party, they were already out with DCs or maybe they just couldn't answer the door at that moment for some reason.

Our house was decorated but DH was on his own last night with DS so they were out for a bit. He did answer when he was in though. I bet there were some puzzled people at the decorations/no answer combo, but I told the neighbours in advance so hopefully they understand. Anyone else I'm not bothered about, they prob should stick to their own street (every street around here goes for it at halloween)

YANBU to knock and hope they will answer, YABU to expect they will definitely do so.

I only think they would be out of order if they gave you a hard time for knocking.

I didn’t even know about the decorations rule! About 10 years ago I lived on a busy street and had loads of trick or treaters despite having no decorations. Is it a new thing?

Now we live on a no through road and had absolutely zero last night! I have several bags of fun-size sweets I will now have to find a home for. Oh dear what a shame!!!

They might have been out trick or treating. That's what I'd have assumed anyway.

If you decorate your house for Halloween round hete, that's a signal that you are "playing" and trick or treaters will call.

Same here.

They may be out trick or treating themselves?

We realised we better put a sign up on the door that we were actually out trick or treating ourselves - lights and tv left on for doddery relative with strict instructions to not answer the door (as he would probably give the whole bowl of sweets away to first person he opened the door to!)
We only do our street - and only the houses with decorations on the premise that they are taking part. A few didn't answer - assume didn't hear/not in/out of sweets. No one was horrible...
Unfortunately we had such a good time, invited in to a couple of houses that by the time we got home most trick or treaters had finished. There was only 1 knock at the door and they were very impressed with the haul of chocolate we gave them!

Other than the TV being in, that could have been my house. I went all out decorating but got stuck away from home and didn't manage to get back until 18:10. From that moment though I was so busy I sat at the front door for the next couple of hours.

I bloody love Halloween.

We have a simple rule in our road. If you have an illuminated pumpkin outside you're up for trick and treating. If you don't, you're not.

It is strange, usually if you don't want to be disturbed, you don't decorate, and have a sign saying "No trick or treaters". Mabey their bell is not working, did you knock the knocker. Sometimes my battery doorbell is very dodgy, and the bell does not go off.

I grew up in the U.S. and usually the sign that someone is welcoming trick or treaters is to turn the outside light on. If no light, regardless of decorations, then they don't want you to knock. It's quite possible said house had run out of sweets, were busy doing bathtime with small children, it was too early at half five, or whatever. Obviously, you can't just take your decorations down in 5 minutes if something comes up. So it's easier to turn out the light. Or maybe they were just busy.

Winenight Same here!! I carved a little pumpkin put it outside with a torch in it etc. left outside lights on. had 3 packs of fun size chocs. Not one bleedin' skeleton turned up!!

I wouldn't mind but last year we had 9 uncostumed kids (with their hands out!!!) !! We are in Fr. though! The shops try to make it a thing here but not many know what to do! I can't eat the sweets!

I decorated the house but had trick or treaters knocking at gone 10pm. With two young DC's in bed it was starting to get on my tits so I went outside at 10.30 and took everything down 😒

That's false advertising

Some toilet paper and eggs would have helped them see the error of their ways