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?

I’ve decorated so I’ll have to now. I still need to buy sweets though but I won’t be buying bags full. Once they’re gone I’ll be turning the lights off at the front.

I guess to be 'fair', we're so used to the idea that T or T is cute, nice unthreatening little kids knocking in the hope of some sweeties, that we forget the whole idea of what it essentially is: give us something good now or else we'll punish you and you'll be sorry.

The problem is that it's because of the accepted culture of those sweet little kids, dressed up and saying a set phrase that they understand to mean "Could we please have a few sweets" that groups of bad-faith entitled teenagers see it as their big opportunity to come with menaces and demand you jump to giving them maybe significantly more than a little pack of Haribo or a couple of Celebrations or else.

They'll happily exploit a tradition that's mainly for little children, but then expect to be considered as teenagers who are obviously not thrilled to just be given a lollipop.

Of course, once they have that attitude, every home is a source of what they want and they're not going to care about whether householders want to participate, are not interested or are terrified of strangers banging on their door after dark.

People have been saying on this thread that it's USUALLY or MOSTLY just sweet little kids out with their parents and asking for a treat, but, as with a lot of things, nobody who is frightened will be reassured by knowing that it's 'only' a minority who may do them harm.

Definitely not a massive investment, you are right!
Unnecessary bother, though.

I feel sad for anyone who doesn't understand the concept of people having different opinions and making different choices.

I didn't say you weren't allowed to feel like that at any point. But my equally valid opinion is that it's a shame.

Yeah it's different up here definitely. Guising is a really longstanding tradition. It was well established when I was a kid, 30+ years ago. But here you have to do a 'turn'. And I'd say about 90% of the kids who come to our door have a joke, a dance, or one young girl even played the flute on our doorstep last year!

I lived in inner city Glasgow as a kid in a tenement and it was still a big thing. We are in a newer estate now and I'd say 70%+ of the houses here take part.

We are heading out for dinner tonight to avoid trick or treaters. I have been struggling with my mental health this year and finally diagnosed with Complex PTSD, so random knocking, fireworks and the house being egged is not for me.

Around here they knock on all houses, whether decorated or not, some parents drive their kids from estate to estate to knock on doors, I wouldn't mind if it was just the kids from our area but I gave up last year when kids started demanding money instead of sweets.

I have heard of people dealing with this by leaving a massive empty box/bowl out, with a sign saying "Please only take one each and leave some for everybody" - so everybody who comes will assume that somebody who already came earlier defied the sign and took the lot!

This used to be a pain 20 years ago, but here these days the pumpkin rule is kept to.

I won't open my door to any random knockers tonight, but I don't think we've had any on Halloween for years.

I've seen someone post this on another thread (maybe you) and I'm curious why you say that. I tried looking it up online but all I could find is that Oíche Shamhna marks the end of the harvest season and the start of the dark period. It was believed that on this night the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest so people offered food outside their houses and dressed up to appease the spirits (both the welcome ones, e.g. ancestors and the unwelcome ones).

Is there anything more sinister to it why you don't like it?

OP I swear I've seen you post more about Halloween this week than those who are celebrating.

I live in a nice area so no pumpkin = no callers. And people stick to this rule. Where I used to live it was absolutely terrifying.

I'm finding more and more on mumsnet people who go mad about stuff and post incessantly. There's a few who go mental about anything to do with weight loss jabs although they'll never be on them and aren't overweight. I just don't understand it.

So sad to hear that some people had to deal with teenagers demanding money, emptying out their sweets box or their house being egged. That would put me off as well and it sounds quite scary. Thankfully, so far I've only experienced well behaved kids and we've only had trick or treaters since we've started decorating the house.

What i like so much about Halloween is the idea of this collusion between strangers to give strange kids sweets for no other reason but to make them happy. I think that's lovely and it means that absolutely no one should feel compelled to take part or feel forced to hand out anything. For whatever reason. You don't have to justify it and no one should make you feel bad about it. It should be enjoyable for everyone involved. I will explain to my kids that they have to ask nicely, be grateful and appreciate that a total stranger is trying to do something nice for them. And we just go to decorated houses anyway.

One day of the year, I can't understand why you wouldn't want to enjoy seeing kids enjoying themselves. There's some right Scrooges on mumsnet.

Just don’t decorate your house if you dont want to take part. If you've got decorations/pumpkin outside that indicates that Children are welcomed. I wouldnt take my kids to a house not decorated 🤷🏻‍♀️ its just a bit of fun you miserable bugger 👻

Same here. I’ve done it for the past 15 years , continued carving a pumpkin and buying sweets for local kids, even after my DCs outgrew it. But I’m done now. Haven’t got around to decorating, and not got any sweets in. It’s sort of sad but sort of a relief!

Teehee. DC and I have spent the week decorating the house because a) it's a great half term project, and b) it's fun. DH on the other hand doesn't like Halloween, but I guess he tolerates us decorating and getting excited. We are actually going to another part of the town to T&T with friends, so it'll be DH by himself on Halloween in a heavily decorated house. 😂I have taken the doorbell off and I have a big tub of sweets ready to pop on the doorstep so he can be left in peace. We live in a quiet area anyway so not expecting much action. But I was under the impression that if you decorate your house, it's fine to T&T, so I'll just leave some sweets out just in case.

I love Halloween. I don't care. 🎃

I cannot understand why folk need to name call.
For those in the back, we're not all the same and someone having a different view doesn't make them 'sad' or 'scrooges' or any other derogatory term.

You are aware that this isn't a universal concept and that some folk do knock at undecorated houses, right?

Same here. Not for the same reasons - I just don’t agree with Halloween and think TOT is stupid.

I live in a flat and no one has ever knocked in the 5 years I've been here. I am going to put some sweets in the lobby later though.

It all depends on your area and your previous experience doesn’t it.

I’ve never in my life experienced nasty people knocking at the door on Halloween, scary threatening teens, or heard of any egging or flour type tricks for anyone I know. But I do know that it happens elsewhere.

Round here, it’s all very nice, people knock at decorated houses only, nearly all the kids say thank you v nicely, none are actual scary, even some younger teens are nice and older ones don’t tend to go round, or if they do generally with younger ones to look after them. So I might roll my eyes slightly at someone living here saying that they “had to hide inside to be safe” as it’s just not a problem here. BUT it’s possible they might have experienced bad behaviour elsewhere and feel scarred from that, so fair enough, even if it’s not an issue here they might feel too anxious so I do get that.

My kids are older teens now so they stay at home and give out the sweets. We love it when lots of people come by - it’s disappointing if you only get a few callers.

Just put a note on your door however most kids know not to go to a house not decorated. Why are they Chavs? You come across very miserly.

It was done in Yorkshire too.