To not answer to trick or treaters on the 30th?

[happyfeet5]

I feel bad but we’ve had 3 knocks now and really don’t want to be disturbed over dinner! Find it very unusual that anyone would encourage DC to do this the night before Halloween? Understand that Monday is a school night but Sunday is too!

AIBU to not answer?

You are definitely not being unreasonable! It’s NOT halloween until tomorrow! A few years ago, the night before halloween, I had a six foot Winnie the Pooh at the door, trick or treating, and then later on, a chap wearing a very cheap mask and pushing his DC (about 4 yo) in a pram - child wasn’t dressed up and I only had a kit Kat to give them as didn’t think anyone would trick or treat any other time!

Yabu if you don't take the batteries out of the doorbell.

Yanbu if you don’t want to answer the door tonight.
We had one knock last night l, I was expecting more as there were lots of Halloween celebrations over the weekend. I’d still open the door but we’ve had no knocks today and rarely get many more than about 5 knocks on actual Halloween anyway.

Just close the curtains and don’t answer. I’m unwell with cold so hoping to spend evening without visitors. We closed curtains and didn’t put any decorations outside.

I thought it was tomorrow? Am I wrong...

It is tomorrow and where I live it's guysers (apologies as im sure i have the spelling wrong), trick or treat boils my piss as its American.

It's odd to have that tonight. And presumably you don't have a lit pumpkin either, so not on!

YANBU. I dont open the door to them on 31st either.

YANBU. 31st is Halloween 🎃

Do you have Halloween decorations up? I would never have taken my dc out trick or treating on any evening other than Halloween, but having seen lots of decorations up already in my neighbourhood, I wonder if some people think it's OK to go out on other nights? Seems crazy to me, like "doing" NYE on the second of January or 30th December because it suits you better.

I would definitely ignore it if people knock. They need to be trained into what is acceptable: decorated houses only, and only on the appropriate night.

My Scottish Grandfather would beg to differ! The Americans nicked it from us!!

“The sky is blue the grass is green so what do you have for my Halloween.” That was our traditional rhyme. Yes, the phrase may have changed, but the concept is the same!!

Irish blood in me here so I reckon Hallowee'n traditions migrated to the US from Ireland and Scotland and became ahem..... commercialised. They robbed us of our traditions!

My late Dad (going back a bit) put an apple on a string and nailed to the ceiling. Whoever could get a bite of it won.
And apples (again) in a bowl of water, you had to dunk your head in and try and grab one, they were small apples lol.
Barm Brack, there were various things baked into it by my mum. A thimble, a ring, etc. Whoever got the ring would get married (at seven years old), a sign for the future.
And various other things that cost very little. We just wore a cardboard mask and went around the houses saying "Help the Hallowee'n party" and monkey nuts and fruit were the contributions, that was it. Great fun was had though.

Sorry, just went off on a nostalgia trail there!

@Medoca read this.

It's guising as in "disguise".

Been going on for hundreds of years. Children would dress as evil spirits and go round their village and people would give "offerings" to keep the real evil spirits away. Then the Americans called it trick or treating and that's what the English call it. No idea why. A lot of Enlighsh people also trot out the "we didnt do halloween when I was a kid, this is all new."

It isnt new for the scottish or the Irish!

This only happened once and I sent them away with "come back tomorrow"

It's NOT a moveable feast, it's October 31st.

Definitely ignore them, they should only be knocking tomorrow night.

I've seen a few posts on Facebook from parents asking if other people are Trick or Treating tonight because of school tomorrow.

Surely common sense would lead to the traditional day.

Your Scottish grandfather would have called it guising. It isnt trick or treating. That is an Americanism.

I would open the door and tell them to come back on Halloween!

@greenhousegal oh christ I remember dooking for apples at primary school! Face planting a basin of water that was baltic to grab an apple with your mouth, while our hands were behind our back. Then that was deemed unhygienic so we then had to lean over a chair with a metal fork in our mouths to pierce the apples. H&S non existent. We had doughnuts tied from string hanging from the ceiling. Ah memories.

A lot of houses decorate early to actually enjoy it but you don’t go knocking till the 31st.

I'd answer and say a) it's not Halloween and b) we aren't displaying the traditional signs of being open for trick or treaters.
If kids with parents in tow I'd say it to the parents and say to the little ones, sorry you are a day too early.
If older kids who should know better I'd be more firm.

Either don't answer or just tell them to come back tomorrow.
No excuse for it to happen any other day than 31st.

Where I live trick or treaters only go to houses that are decorated

Just ignore

This has been talked about multiple times on local Facebook groups. Apparently it would make more sense to do it on the Saturday for their snowflakes. Everytime they have been robustly told 31st or nothing!