Mum not coming on Halloween - irked?

[CleverAzureDreamer]

My mum has just let me know she’s having her hair done on Thursday evening next week so she won’t be coming over to ours to go trick or treating and watch a spooky movie with the kids (8, 10, 12). I’m slightly irritated by this as I thought it would have been nice to have a family night dressed up and go round taking the kids trick or treating.
I’ve allowed older DS to bring a friend over to come with us so it won’t be so empty but I just found it a bit selfish for a Nan to not want to spend Halloween with the grandkids! AIBU?

Guising meant you had to do a turn...like tell a joke, sing a wee song, read out a poem or do a little dance. That's how you earned your sweeties or coins.

Lol, my mum is visiting over half term, and leaving Thursday afternoon precisely because she has no interest in Halloween! And I don’t blame her, trick or treating is dull as sin 😂

Trick or treating may have it's origins in Celtic culture but it took the Americans to develop it further and the current trend for Trick-or-Treating in the UK is largely an import from the US- it isn't a natural organic evolution of our own customs.

In around 1986 as a 12/13 year old I went trick or treating for the first time based on seeing it on TV from America and the local residents were baffled by it as they had never had this before. The only people who were familiar with the idea were an American couple who had moved into the village.

It's similar. Children dress up. It used to be that you'd be greeted with "Dae ye want ony guisers?"

Traditionally, this is an offer for the children to put on a performance. When I was a child, it was a song and/or dance. Nowadays, it's usually a very brief song or a joke - though no one ever refuses sweets to children who are too shy to perform.

"It's similar. Children dress up. It used to be that you'd be greeted with "Dae ye want ony guisers?""

That's right! "Dae ye want any guisers?"
Oh that takes me back.

The older you get, the less inclined you are to spend precious time doing things you don't really enjoy. For your mother, the Hallowe'en festivities obviously come into the category 'things I don't really enjoy'.

You’ve never met anyone in your entire life who has gone trick or treating or brought their kids?
You must have an incredibly narrow life.

Is it buggery

You couldn't have ever paid me enough to get involved with Halloween

I was going to say that there were never any threats attached to guising, but then I remembered the full words of "Knock, knock, knock we are the guisers!"

Halloween is not an extended family event

I have literally never heard of anyone doing trick or treating beyond parents with their kids

A bit mad, OP!

Clearly not for your mum as much as you.

12 year olds shouldn't need supervising unless the area is unsafe
And ridiculous to expect them to go around with their grandmother!

My mum used to tell us about Mischief Night which was still a thing in Yorkshire until Halloween took over. Apaerently it was on the eve of bonfire night though (4th Nov) and children would go out just to cause mischief by playing silly tricks on people- pranks and mild vandalism.

That's really nasty no need. It's obvious it's not about her Mum looking after the kids either so wrong.

Repeat for the English ignoramuses.

What's fascinating in this thread is the English-centric attitude in relation to British (and Irish) life. It's nothing new of course, I mean one of the major reasons the Scots who want independence for Scotland do so as they feel ignored by the English. Plus the BBC (that's BRITISH, not English, broadcasting corporation) is also very English-centric.

The English haven't got a bloody scooby do what is going on in these two isles beyond ENG-ER-LAND

Just one of the latest ignorant comments: "Americanisation of British social life" by @StopStartStop

The way Hallowe'en is 'celebrated' or commercialised today is a gift from America.
I don't recall Scottish Hallowe'en from the 1960s and 1970s, but perhaps they had it just like today.

Going to agree with this… it wasn’t a thing when I was young, we were told it was American nonsense and tbh I find it a bit of a nuisance now. The squealing noises in the street makes the bloody dog bark and although I keep the front of the house in darkness and put a note on the door asking them not to knock, I spend the evening in the dark shushing the dog every time the gate is opened. By all means, you do you and have fun - but not all of us are interested. Sounds like your Mum can’t be arsed with it either… I’d hate trailing round in the dark and cold & it often rains here.

SHE's the unreasonable one? Blimey. She's probably had enough halloween to last her lifetime and perhaps she feels your children are too old to be knocking on doors for sweets.

Completely and utterly unreasonable. I hated trick or treating with my own DC but I did it year in year out because they loved it, I dressed up and tramped the streets in the cold.

hell will freeze over before I do it with grandchildren that is the mum and dads job!

Done what sorry? Trick or treating? We live in Bristol where there are LOADS of trick or treaters. It's such a lovely, community event. Our local park always puts an amazing costume competition / party on. My parents live rural SE, where it's less prevalent but there are still enough houses participating for it to be fun and worthwhile. I grew up in a NE town, and again, it was celebrated and people went trick or treating, and that was 30 years ago now!

I'm getting excited myself thinking about it 😂

Halloween aka OÍche Shamhna is a massive “thing” in Ireland, unfortunately.
I hate it with a passion.

You never know what the future holds so I can't say for certain....but I'm pretty sure if I had a choice between hair done or trick or treating with the grandkids, I'd be getting my hair done.

It's not the same now. Shop bought costumes require no creativity or resourcefulness...making your costume was all part of it. So was hollowing out a turnip with brute force (or your dad's drill) to make a lantern. The smell of burning neep said it was Halloween, not aisles of purple and orange plastic in Asda.

I would have thought the plastic tat and the over decoration of houses is much more American influence than guising influence

Oh it is.

Fuck me lol I did not realise that there was a competition on for the most over fucking dramatic post. "This is how gangs start" "you really want an elderly lady dressing up to go begging for sweets" "you want to send your mum out to an area that sexual assaults happen in" "get your husband to take time off work to go trick or treating". "I'm a grandmother and grandmothers do not participate in Halloween" someone made an obvious joke about the hairdressers being an excuse and your mum is obviously gonna be out on her broomstick instead and someone quoted it while frothing at the mouth about how nasty it was. But at least nobody is overreacting eh lol