Anyone here not answering door today

[Auburngal]

I am going to switch off doorbell late afternoon. I have never done trick or treating as a child nor gave sweets to kids.

I just don't want my evening to be disturbed by the constant ringing of my doorbell. First few years of living at my home didn't get anyone as its a newbuild and people didn't know to go to the doors, you walk around the back of the block of flats and maisonettes.

Wonder how many people with Ring or similar doorbells will tell the kids and chavs to go away, politely or rudely?

Because they're probably not religious? Or a different religion?

Christmas and Easter are Christian festivals and it's the same as some Christians not celebrating Halloween because they see it as celebrating the occult.

As a child in the early 70's ,I'd seen people dress up at Halloween but wasn't sure what happened when you knocked a door .My mum was totally disinterested in taking me anywhere ,but said I could just knock on my own in the small block of six flats where we lived. I put on her long black coat with a hood which seemed to trail around me ,clambered up to the top floor ,knocked a door and made some scary Oooooo Aaah noise at a man I'd never seen before .......who then physically grabbed me ,lifted me up ,took me inside and said he was going to put me in the bath !!!
His front door hadn't closed and I was screaming so loudly ,my Mum came out. Despite me trying to tell her what had happened,I was told off for making a disturbance and made to apologise to the man .I was 6yrs old FFS . I've remembered it each Halloween since .....and it still terrifies me!!
I've reluctantly taken my own kids around over the years when they've asked ,but I really don't like it, haven't made it 'a thing ' and have always been glad when it's over.

A) Halloween is nothing to do with the occult and is entirely compatible with Christianity.

B) Christmas (and to a lesser extent Easter) are not just religious festivals as I'm sure you know. Lots of us celebrate a secular Christmas where literally the only thing to do with Christianity is the name. It's bloody lovely too.

My son who is 5 knows what Christmas is and still has no desire to have a tree or anything… I understand it’s tradition to some people but our family values travel and other things more than chocolate eggs or presents on Christmas. Don’t feel sorry for my children they go abroad to many places across the world 4 times a year and have many memories, my son is 5 and can name everywhere he has been and has fond memories of these places ❤️🙏🏽 so I’m sure when they grow up they won’t think their mom has intentionally made them miss out … they are 5 And 3 and have been more places than some adults I know and know lots about different cultures for their young age 🙏🏽 thank you for your concern though but again don’t feel sorry for my children they are well loved and well looked after we just don’t decorate our house for Halloween Easter or Christmas 😂😂

Your children sound very loved and lucky @Cocopops22, but I would check they don’t want presents or chocolate eggs if their peers are getting them. Even if they don’t feel it yet, it’s possible they may come to believe they’re missing out?

Sorry for sticking my nose in!

Yes they do.

You may not, but it’s still a widely used term.

Same here. So in the 28 years I’ve lived here, we’ve never had any knocks.

Although there was one occasion years ago, where one of the local teens (who was known to be a bit of a menace), trailed around with a group of young kids. They came to the flats and he started buzzing on all of the intercoms to be let in.

I looked out of the bedroom window and watched him rummage through each of the kids buckets, helping himself to all of their sweets.

I opened the window and told him to stop stealing the kids sweets.

He looked mortified to have been caught out and quickly walked away taking the group of kids with him.

Thank you ..and I am not excluding it all together if they decide they do want to get Easter eggs or trick or treat in the future I’m not against it, my kids are both autistic and often get too overwhelmed when we don’t follow our usually routine , they saw people trick or treating this year and had no desire to go outside, last Xmas we were in Switzerland so they were too busy having fun and exploring to feel like they had “missed out on presents”..this could change in the future and I would participate if they decided to.. But for now my sons get overwhelmed easily so they are quite happy as we are, but they do understand what Easter Halloween and Xmas are , we’ve never had an Xmas tree, this doesn’t mean they are missing out , or I can’t afford Xmas presents like the other person said - they do other things most children don’t get to experience and that I certainly didn’t experience at their age and because they are autistic my 5 year old is more fascinated by other countries, world flags, aeroplanes, mountains, etc so they are very happy❤️ we are going abroad on Sunday they are more excited for this than the thought of Halloween, it doesn’t bother them at all ❤️🙏🏽

I understand if you have a different religion but for you it seems to be either celebrating christmas or travelling. A christmas celebration is about family/friends spending time together and it can be so magic for children. In school they count down the days to christmas, do decorations etc. It doesn't have to be an expensive event, you can do small gifts. I just feel sorry for your children to never experiencing the magic of christmas..

It’s not choosing between celebrating Xmas or travelling- we are not Christians… and I mentioned travelling because you said you feel sorry for my children … I said don’t feel sorry for them they are very lucky . It’s pointless to buy gifts to celebrate Jesus Christ when we don’t follow religion, just because other people do. And I say other people and not everyone because as someone else has pointed out to you not everyone celebrates Christmas . My children get toys and treats every time I go to the supermarket and they have plenty presents year round. So yes don’t feel sorry for them, feel more sorry for the many households experiencing poverty due to cost of living and still feeling immense pressure to spend hundreds of pounds at Xmas to satisfy traditions that in actual fact most people do not follow for the correct reasons 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

OK. I'm an atheist so for me Christmas is about traditions. And it's not all about buying stuff either. It's the whole waiting for magic that counts. If you buy them gifts everytime you go to the supermarket there is really nothing special about it, you'll just wind up with spoilt and entitled kids.

I'm a Christmas loving atheist. For me it's about family celebrations, time off together, food and drink etc. I love the whole Santa thing but I'm not bothered about getting gifts myself, it's more about the kids and whole festival of it. The most important bit with the kids I think is teaching them about giving presents, so I try to involve them in choosing stuff for the grandparents, DH etc. Often has some slightly random results! But I think it's important to do.

First you feel sorry for my kids and now they are going to be spoilt and entitled because I get them small treats (stickers, books, magazines, small toys hot wheels cars etc) at the supermarket when they have been well behaved all week…bye moody Maria enjoy your day we cannot win, in your opinion, but surprise surprise we don’t live to please you Maria, FYI my children are wonderful, and also understand the importance of good manners and gratitude❤️ and they both have disabilities so yes I will treat my children as and when I please 🤗

"My children get toys and treats every time I go to the supermarket and they have plenty presents year round. So yes don’t feel sorry for them.."

And yet you complain about people spending money on christmas gifts while you're spoiling your children all year round 🤷‍♀️

You quoted me saying I treat my children but can’t quote me complaining about people spending money on their children for Xmas… I didn’t complain about anybody Maria….. you made that part up ❤️❤️🙏🏽

This year was my first in a new house, after years of living in a block of flats with key entry.
I never did trick or treating as a child and don't really like the idea of knocking on strangers doors and begging. I don't allow my kids to do it, and will go to an organised party if someone we know is having one.

As it happened, this year we ended up going away for the week for a bit of a last minute get-away before the winter really kicks in, and it was lovely. So I still don't know what happens round here!

Obviously don’t participate if you don’t want to but I don’t get the aggression around it. Around here people just stick a note on the door saying ‘no sweets left’ and no one knocks- why would they?
The persistent use of ‘chav’ comes over so badly.