To go trick or treating to strangers' houses?

[TickOrTeat]

Just read on another thread that a lot of posters only knock on houses of people they know presumably for safety reasons. Do most people do this? Apart from our neighbours (only a couple of whom are participating) we pretty much only go to stranger's houses. Not on purpose but just because I don't know anyone in walking distance who has young kids or is happy to participate in tnt. We usually get a few trick or treaters too. Always unknown.

I'm slightly worried now. Is it rude to go to people you don't know? Is it unsafe? I think it's very low risk considering we don't enter any houses and most sweets are wrapped (and most people are nice and peaceful) but am I missing something?

Normally we go with friends in their area in a fairly large group but this year it will probably be just me and my two young kids.

We go to decorated houses only.

We just go to decorated houses as well, which is why I thought it should be ok.

We generally go to grandparents round the corner, the friendly old couple next door (who make it clear every year they want the kids to call), the neighbours on the other side who have a couple of kids themselves and who we are friendly-ish with, and then drive to uncle/aunt/cousins house. That’s it.

I can’t remember the last time kids who I didn’t know knocked on the door to trick or treat.

We go to houses that have decorations and pumpkins outside. I thought that was the unspoken rule?… You can normally tell which houses are taking part (pumpkins etc) and which aren’t (lights off, darker)

We went to houses with decorations and pumpkins, so many were parents and grandparents whose kids had outgrown it but still wanted to see kids. Lovely for little ones.

My kids are older now but we used to go to any house that had decorations or just a pumpkin.

Ofcourse you knock on strangers doors

The answers you get here and say for example on your local facebook would be very different

Its fine to knock of strangers doors
(with a pumpkin / decorated only obvs)

Personally we’re not into Halloween at all and we’ve never done trick or treating.

but if I did I - I wouldn’t be knocking on strangers doors even if they were decorated - not really because of safety concerns but just would feel so weird and wrong to me to knock on a strangers door and expect them to give my kids sweets …

know that appears to be the whole point of trick and treating!!! - but just seems strange and bizarre to me (hence why we’ve never done it)

If we did do it - it would definitely only be to neighbours we know.

there is no ‘rule’ only what sits comfortably with you.

We decorate and always get loads of kids. All strangers, we don’t have or know any kids. So seems perfectly normal. I can’t imagine anybody who has gone to the trouble of decorating their house for Halloween, whether for their own benefit and enjoyment or that of trick or treaters, is going to be outraged at being included in a Halloween tradition.

Perfectly fine if they're decorated with lights on etc. That's them signifying that you're welcome!

Remember, this is MN. Adjust your interpretations of the posts accordingly. Some need any excuse to show they're above anything they see as tacky. Others need to prove that they know Halloween is American and thus automatically awful (even though they're wrong). Others would faint at the thoughts of answering their door to a stranger on any day of the year. And others would never dream of doing something nice like giving a child a few sweets if they weren't going to be somehow repaid.

It's fine.

This subject tends to bring out the neurotic every year 🤷‍♂️

We went to as many as we could find, whether we knew them or not. My dc are 12 & 13 and take themselves now, thank goodness!

Obviously knock people you know, but if there's houses with Halloween decor then just go for those too. If it's quite a family area, with houses directly facing the street, then it's kind of expected you might get knocked on. Obviously don't bother if all the lights are off.
Don't do tricks on people's house that don't reply or refuse though. That part is kind of not really a thing. 🤣

We only go to friends, family and neighbours.

Thanks everyone. I feel knocking on strangers houses is almost part of the appeal and what makes it special. It's the one day of the year where you and a (hopefully willing) stranger collude for no other reason than to make a child happy. People actually make an effort and spend money for random strangers. I've always found that very touching and we've only had good experiences. We only go to decorated houses and I also love it when kids come to our house to trick or treat.

When and where I grew up Halloween wasn't a thing. I've only done it for a couple of years. I am a bit nervous because I'm going alone this year and I've never done it in this area. Some of the decorations are a bit gruesome. Err....that's not a bad sign, is it?

And when I say I'm going alone I mean, alone with the kids..not just me😶

There are often posts in my local FB groups from people saying they bought loads of sweets, and were disappointed that hardly anyone knocked.

So if they have decorations, go for it.

I don’t think it matters as long as you only go to houses that are decorated. I get over a hundred trick or treaters at my house and I don’t know any of them apart from one family with a boy who I used to teach. I really enjoy it. I buy lots of sweets and put decorations and pumpkins outside so children know it’s okay to knock on my door. It’s obvious that I’m participating in Halloween so I don’t think it’s rude at all to knock on my door if you don’t know me.

We had 80 kids round last year, I knew 5 of them. We decorate the house. Don’t forget MN can generally be very uptight.

Of course it's ok.
This is why they decorate.

Of course. The decorations are an invitation.

Taking 2 year old for the first time. He's all about skeletons right now so Halloween has come at the perfect time!

Of course you can go to strangers houses! I will have hundreds of children at my door on Thursday night and I won't know many of them.

Decorated houses only. It's very busy where I live and lost people take part. Nobody bothers unlit or undecorated houses.

What ??? LOL, what is the point of doing that? . Here in Buckinghamshire we knock in all the doors from houses that have been decorated.

I buy loads of sweets for Halloween and decorate the house. We got all the neighbours kids coming round and also some strangers we don't know. It doesn't matter to us we love seeing all the kids and parents dressed up and having fun. I am disappointed when we were don't get any 'randoms' all trick or treaters welcome.
It is a fun time and should be enjoyed by those who want to join in and participate.
Happy Halloween 👻.

I'm literally deliberately going to strangers' houses tomorrow and avoiding the cunts people who live in my cul de sac! Can't stand the neighbours and certainly don't want to go knocking here. The close over the road however... perfect trick or treat territory!