Trick or treating...

[bumblebee39]

AIBU or is it a bit odd/weird/rude?
Didn't want to take DC but it's become the expectation now as I don't know how I feel about knocking on strangers doors and asking for things (obviously we never do any tricks...)

[missymousey]

We always went guising when I was a kid, it was brilliant. Only to people we knew though.

[Kuntie]

I didn't do it as a kid and we didn't decroate our house at all. I didn't really want to go around knocking on random people's doors anyway, as a bit of a shy child.

I'm now 23 with an almost-3-year-old and we haven't decorated the house or got her an outfit. Maybe when she goes to school and they have a Halloween party or something, but it's really not my thing, Halloween had always just passed me by, just like Easter.

The only holiday I celebrate is Christmas.

[RiverTam]

because they think it's fun.

I have a friend (who's a teacher!!) who had no problem at all with her kids and their friends banging on every door on the street. Even after discussing it she wasn't bothered.

[bonbonours]

As said above if people have decorations or a pumpkin they are expecting visitors and have sweets. If they don't, don't knock. It's hardly rocket science. In 10 years of trick or treating with my kids i've never known anyone be annoyed or get any tricks played. When there are plenty of people who want to take part why would anyone bother hassling those who don't want to?

[RiverTam]

I had a group do this, i deliberately hadn't done exterior decorations as DD was very little and would be disturbed at her bedtime and also frightened by the costumes. But the house wasn't in darkness. I had this group knock, then knock again, then hammer, then shout through the letterbox, at which point I erupted out to give the teens a piece of my mind. I was most astonished to discover a group of younger kids accompanied by two adults! WTF!! (I did still give them what-for.)

[Biker47]

Tip for anyone here taking kids trick or treating, if you have a group of multiple kids, don't just let all four of them bang on a person's doors in quick succession one after the other when no-one is answering, and then let them shout through that person's letterbox. Had that happen at my house last year, as mentioned they ignore the unwritten rule about houses being decorated or not.

[RiverTam]

it's a real community thing round our way, loads of kids out for about 3 hours, I know a good number that come to our door, DD goes round with a group of school friends who live nearby, and it's decorated houses only.

It makes the street really lively and it's good fun. When we first moved here it was marauding teenagers in Scream masks hammering on doors and egging if you didn't open up, but it's really changed into a family thing.

[CaraFara]

It's quite a big deal round our way. We decorate our house and all observe the unwritten rule that you only knock on houses with decorations or a pumpkin outside.

[tillytrotter1]

Whatever you do, don't do this. My OH was renowned in the cul-de-sac where we lived for 'joining in', he had a mask, wore my long velvet cloak and would appear from odd places, the local kids loved it! One year, the knock came at the door and he went into his party-piece but at the door was a group of total strangers, one was about 10 carrying a toddler who screamed blue murder and was almost dropped! They went off eentually with their booty but then the parent, from another road, came round all guns blazing, calling the police, perv, the usual rubbish. Luckily our neighbours had been out with their children and pointed out that ours was the only house they'd been to and questioned why they were allowed so far from home alone!

[Elementtree]

Mischief night on the 30th October when I was little near Middlesbrough. It was just knockadoor-run and a few eggs though. It was hardly the Purge.

[ShatnersWig]

I'm 44. We only ever visited the houses of people we knew well. Never ever knocked on strangers' doors. Or sometimes we'd wander round the town centre just showing off our costumes.

[Josiebloggs]

Its quite a big thing where I live, around 70% of the houses join in with pumpkins outside their home. We go every year and the streets are packed with witches and ghouls, we leave a help yourself pot while we are out, it works well.
Alot of the OAPs join in and most view their role as trying to make the trick or treaters jump.
I think we are lucky because it is almost a community event.
I wouldn't feel comfortable going if the majority didn't join in and we lived in an area where i felt it could scare people.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

The rule is fairly simple, house not decorated, don't knock.

My parents didn't like trick or treating and never took us, it wasn't as popular back in the 80s where I live. I went to some parties so it never really bothered me. But my dc would feel incredibly left out if they couldn't join in the fun. Everyone around here makes a massive effort and have an unwritten competition for best dressed house - all the pics go a local Facebook site. The children are impeccably behaved.

I've explained to ds that the reason we only knock on certain doors is because a lot of people can find it intimidating, so he should never play a 'trick'. The police have in the past handed out posters to people who don't want trick or treaters. So I don't really know what the issue is, providing you're with your dc when they do it.

[Snitzelvoncrumb]

If you look only there might be Halloween activities near you.

[HotNatured]

I love Halloween. We don’t have kids but will decorate the house and carve a pumpkin. Trick or treaters are welcome

[5foot5]

We had mischief night on the 30th instead

On the 30th! Where was that?
We had mischief night but it was always on 4th November. This was North Lincolnshire but I think it was the same in Yorkshire.

[bumblebee39]

Mischief night... Learn something new every day!

[bumblebee39]

To be fair I think maybe I'm overthinking the whole thing and should just do what older DC wants and do some trick or treating.

Hopefully we won't be kidnapped/ mugged by teenage sweetie thugs/ fed toffee apples filled with razor blades waylayed by Pizza Hut on the way home...

[DuggeesWooOOooggle]

smallchanceofrain round our way Mischief Night is Nov 4th ie the night that Guy Fawkes and his gang were out causing mischief. We do live in his home city mind (York). One local private school, St Peter's, doesn't celebrate Guy Fawkes night as he is one of their alumni.

[FlyingMonkeys]

Trespassing 😂 yes! Also the postman and people dropping off flyers... Or maybe not and you could just ignore them vs setting the dog free and then having to pay out on insurance claims and getting the dog euthanised after biting someone when incited by the owner 😁

Nobody likes bonfire night either because 'hedgehogs in bonfires, upsetting cats/dogs, kids getting their hands blown off with crackers'... And then there's Christmas! Sitting on Santa's knee and elves posing with them for pictures (the bastards!)... Let's just scrap the lot and all sit at home grumbling.

[showgirl]

I'm in my 40's and did it as a kid. My mum is in her 70's and also did it as a kid. (She is Scottish.) Not a new thing at all.

[OftenHangry]

@bumblebee39 everyone is different

[bumblebee39]

Maybe I'm a hypocrite because I love bonfires night.

Always love a good firework display, me, though sometimes the guy Fawkes stuff seems a bit violent

Maybe I'm just being a tad very sensitive...

[nottakingthisanymore]

I think the problem is that some people like me don’t participate, don’t decorate houses etc and still have people knocking on the door. At our last address it was older teens who were abusive and scary. So we aren’t participating but end up being involved even though we don’t want to.