To think trick or treating is a complete no no!

[marmite79]

Hi all, I love Halloween. I love taking dc trick or treating in our village. People are great here and it's always a big thing.

But.. I've already told dc it won't be happening this year due to obvious reasons. Can't see how it's safe and I assumed everyone would feel the same. So many children around here in a small place. People even travel here from surrounding areas. Too many to promise full social distancing. And giving our sweets with close contact isn't ideal. People have mentioned leaving in bowls outside but multiple hands in a bowl sounds hideous.

So yeah I've already told dc that it won't be happening assuming everything will think the same. Of course everyone can make their own decisions what they want to do.

The local village Facebook group has a new post about how so many kids still want to do and how to make it safe.

Maybe there is a way 🤷‍♀️

But aibu to think that it's probably not the best idea at all? And people should make fun in other ways.

We are planning decorations, sweets and chocolate at home, costumes and sweets at home plus Halloween movies. Maybe a take away in the evening.

I really don't want multiple children knocking on the door because I don't really want to answer over and over again! I usually love it but this year sounds like a nightmare!

I saw an idea the other day. Tape small bags of sweets on to skewers then push them into the front lawn. T&Ts can just pick one them selves, no need to come to the door

We normally leave a bowl out as we are out T&T as well. Not sure what’s going to happen this year, in the US so it’s a big deal.

I can’t see any issue with going round a few selected houses of their school friends who they see everyday

But of common sense is needed in these times

My village has suggested a ‘Pumpkin hunt’, so people will put pumpkins in their windows for the kids to spot, with their parents giving them treats for the ones they see. It’s a nice idea and seems pretty safe. I agree there isn’t any obvious way to do conventional trick or treating.

It’s a very big thing here.

It isn't here. It must be ten years since anybody knocked on my door at Halloween.

Tape small bags of sweets on to skewers then push them into the front lawn

Pushing sharpened sticks into a lawn that excited kids are going to run towards -what could possibly go wrong?

Pumpkin trail happening in our village too. Kids can still walk around and look at decorations, and can have a sweet every time they see a Pumpkin (sweets provided by own parents).

I'm actually thinking I prefer this to normal trick or treat!

We will still do it and I will sit outside the house. So then no one has to ring or knock the door. I will also lay out individual bags of haribo on board or something (basically so they don't have to rifle through a bowl). I think that's a great balance and means that children can still enjoy it. Don't really see why the whole thing has to be called off as there are ways to do it safely.

Knocking on peoples doors is a no no full stop. No cold calling, no trick or treating.

And I wish people would stop putting leaflets through the door too. I am not a "shopping-bleacher" (or parcel quarantiner) but I don't need rubbish shoved through the door that I then need to put in the recycling, and those who are concerned by fomite transmission will be made very anxious by having to handle bits of paper someone else has handled. Stop doing it.

For goodness sake people, you kids can live without asking strangers for sweets for a year (hopefully forever).

Absolutely not- anyone who tries that at my house will be told to go home straight away or the police will be called. And if I knew where the person worked and they were not wfh i would advise their employer as a Covid 19 risk.

There is enough time for the government to pass legislation banning the sale of Halloween merchandise.

I love Halloween too and have always passed out candy, but I won’t this year. The idea of anyone interacting at our front door honestly turns me off. I’ve even entertained leaving out the bowl, but Every time I’ve done this Any where we’ve lived, the entire bowl (yes the bowl itself too!) gets taken. I feel like I’m doing a public service not passing out candy this year.

The idea too hang sweets bags on awashing line idea was good so they could pick them individually.
We won't be visiting homes this year I will leave some treats outside.

il still be decorating the house. never really done trick or treating until last year so not too bothered about it although I'm leave sweets out in case anyone turns up.
we have a theme park booked for the day and at night time we will go on a haunted walk in the woods and go to the park in the dark.

I still plan to take my kids ...

Then go round my parents for food and games

Hopefully the demise of trick and treating will become the 'new normal' in future years never to be suffered again. Keep the children at home and entertain them there - do not inflict T&T on your neighbours

I think it's a shame, but if you send kids round to neighbours' houses, accepting things that they have touched - or worse putting their hand in a bag of lollies or similar - it makes such a mockery of everything we're doing at the moment to try and keep this virus under control. So I honestly hope that people won't consider it this year.

A Halloween night in with movies, sweets and decorations sounds amazing though, and hopefully they can try and do something related to Halloween in school so it's not completely forgotten!

I suspect it will be banned or strongly advised against. We've already decided we will do something fun at home not sure what yet. My kids won't be going door to door and I won't be opening the door to others kids. I think the majority will feel the same.

Our neighbourhood has lots of very young families and it's lovely on Halloween night, most houses are decorated and welcome trick or treaters

I don't think it will happen this year for all the obvious reasons but our local Facebook are talking about the pumpkin hunt too. I will take DD out on Halloween day if it sounds like it's mostly pictures, or at night if people are still lighting pumpkins. We will light pumpkins etc. I'll probably keep some sweets aside in separate bags just in case anyone mistakes it for an invitation to trick or treat, but I think the understanding will probably be lit up pumpkins are meant to be part of the hunt with parents giving sweets as described

We never bother with it anyway so it won't make any difference to us. Bonfire night is much more fun.

@nosswith why ban merchandise? Can't people enjoy Halloween in their homes, carve pumpkins etc? Would sweets be banned too?

Did someone actually said they would call the police if kids knocked on their door?! Wow.

I mean - we won’t be, but to call the police - on kids?!?

I was planning on hanging a washing line across the top of the driveway with individual packets of haribo pegged to it. That way people only need to touch what they're taking, and can't get to my door without scrambling over the line.

If I'm feeling creative I might try to make it look like some kind of spider web, if no a basic string will do.

My children love Halloween so they're upset that they can't decorate the house and go out trick or treating like we usually would.

We'll probably watch a film and have some Halloween themed treats.

Absolutely not- anyone who tries that at my house will be told to go home straight away or the police will be called. And if I knew where the person worked and they were not wfh i would advise their employer as a Covid 19 risk.

There is enough time for the government to pass legislation banning the sale of Halloween merchandise.

Don't worry. I don't think that anyone will be knocking on your door, unless it's the Postman having yet again mistaken your home for The Grinch's.

Our village is doing the pumpkin trail idea too.

We will not be participating in trick or treating or opening our door.

I thought the pumpkin in window idea was lovley