AIBU to not have bought any sweets for trick or treaters?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Even though my kids are older and not bothered by all that anymore, pre-COVID I did used to buy lots of sweets and put a pumpkin out for any other children.

Now I just imagine the bowl sweets as COVID soup waiting to happen. Not to mention numerous hands ringing the doorbell. So my plan was to leave the front of the house in darkness and sit in our main living room ignoring anyone who might ring the bell. 😬

But I’m not sure if I’m being a Halloween Grinch (whatever the equivalent would be for Halloween, I guess the Grinch would be a Halloween lover not a hater).

YANBU - too risky and there won’t be many kids coming knocking anyway

YABU - the kids have missed out last year, let them have their fun this year, the risk is low etc

First up, it's guising. Unless you're American. And I hope I'll see some guisers tonight. And anyone who sits in their house with all the lights off is bloody miserable.

We never decorate as it’s not something we celebrate, but people knock anyway. I wouldn’t mind so much if people followed the ‘no decorations no knock’ rule but they don’t. I also dislike opening the door to older teenagers.

YANBU not to want people knocking. Halloween is a pita imo.

Bit miserable of you, since you ask, but if you haven’t decorated/put a pumpkin out, you shouldn’t get any trick or treaters. I do think that kids have missed out on a lot of stuff since the pandemic started and little things like Halloween are important still.

We buy individually packaged sweets. Last year we left the bowl near the gate with the pumpkin so that people didn’t have to come to the door. This year we will answer the door again.

Why are people miserable if they don’t celebrate Halloween? I never got the memo Halloween was compulsory. When I was a child it was expected you did a ‘turn’ in exchange for sweets, now they just scream ‘trick or treat’ and grab as many sweets as they can get their hands on. It’s greedy and distasteful. One year we left sweets out by the door but they were gone in minutes after one group took the lot.

@Mojoj

First up, it's guising. Unless you're American. And I hope I'll see some guisers tonight. And anyone who sits in their house with all the lights off is bloody miserable.

First up, I'll call it whatever I like thanks. And anyone who sits in their house with all the lights off is probably worried if they have the lights on and don't answer the door they'll get yelled at or their house egged.

I also think that the people who bring their kids round to ask for sweets are not at home to answer their own doors, so they presumably don’t expect everybody else to be in… that's a very good point @PlinkPlankPlunk

First up, it's guising. Unless you're American. And I hope I'll see some guisers tonight. And anyone who sits in their house with all the lights off is bloody miserable.

I'm Scottish and I've always called it Trick or Treating. I'm familiar with the term "guising" but as a child, my friends and I called it Trick or Treating and still do. I wouldn't expect people in England to call it guising.

No I'm not miserable but having a autistic ddd who hates Halloween and the constant door knocking really unsettles her. People should respect if there are no decorations up then don't knock. But some people are very inconsiderate and knock anyway. A sign has been put up and if they knock ill be having words

There is no law about participating.
I filled the Halloween bags 3 days ago and will hand them an individual bag.
The DC around are very excited after the cancellation last year.
It's not the most sensible thing to do in a pandemic but I couldn't cancel it on them again.

We’re not trick or treating this year because going house to house in a pandemic is a bit bonkers.
I’ll leave sweets out for the local kids and we’ll have a very small party at home.
Everyone has their own levels of risk.

Participating in Trick or Treating isn't mandatory! I'm not doing it this year because the door going constantly drives the dog crazy! In recent years, teen DC have handed out the sweets while I've looked after the dog, but neither will be here this year so it's just too much and I'll be leaving the lights out.

People should respect if there are no decorations up then don't knock. But some people are very inconsiderate and knock anyway.
This with bells on. 🔔

Unless you have younger children at home or kids old enough to go out trick or treating , id find a house all done up for Halloween with just adults a bit weird

I’m in NI and it’s not guising here.

I think it's a bit miserable to throw up the drawbridge as soon as your own children have outgrown it, since you ask.

@Mojoj

First up, it's guising. Unless you're American. And I hope I'll see some guisers tonight. And anyone who sits in their house with all the lights off is bloody miserable.

Was it you shouting f*ing c**t through the letterbox by any chance?

If you don't want to join in then you shouldn't have to join in. Shouldn't be expected to.

Where I live we have quite a few houses with elderly people on their own. They're not miserable for not joining in!

We are going guising tonight - horizontal rain outside but I’m told the kids on the estate will be out anyway so I guess we’ll go along for a little while.

I have made up individual bags of sweets and put them in a basket by the door

I don't care if anyone thinks I'm miserable

It's a pain in the arse and I won't be sitting with the light off. Just won't answer the door

And that thing of only calling on decorated houses only seems to exist on Mumsnet

I am American and I grew up with Halloween. But I didn't think it became a British thing until fairly recently, amirite? So I don't see why you have to do what is basically an imported American custom. (I don't mean Halloween itself, but the candy thing.)

I had three sets of kids banging on my door yesterday evening, the last ones at 8:30pm. Zero decorations so it was very cheeky of them when it wasn't even Halloween. I heard adult voices too so clearly parents taking their kids.

I have previously participated some years with decorations and lots of sweets and enjoyed it but it is definitely an "opt in" not an "opt out" event - only on the 31st, only knock if the house had a pumpkin or decorations and be polite about it.

Well I can't be arsed. My asd son is too big anyway, daughter getting that way. They've had too much this half term without buckets of sweets on top tonight.
Ive told them nope. Covid.
I'm doing a tea party with decor instead.
I'm using covid as an excuse.

I don't participate in any of this halloween stuff, it is quite meaningless to lots of people., and now that commercialised, it has gone over the top.

I did once open my door, when quite a few kids came knocking on it, about 10 years ago, and their were some of the children;s Mothers, standing around in attendance too. Two boys , who would be about 6 or 7, who were the door knockers, said, hello, have you got any nice sweets and chocolates to give us,, surely missing the point of everything.

Was this morning with the dog & someone had already put up a sign for no "Halloween callers".

Not sure whether to just leave a bowl out with some sweets tbh.

It's a Sunday & I'm in Germany-not sure if kids will even be calling!

Frankly some people who struggle to get up and down from their chair or are on their own and vulnerable probably are miserable of people judging them for it.