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?

Notes get ignored. The teens are chavs that do it as not dressing up at all and wear hoodies up and mope around.

I’m Irish too and don’t know what you’re referring to here? I do know the history of Halloween too.
Most Irish people I know enjoy Halloween. The exception might be if there are nervous animals in the house.

Yes, all the children in the street went out ‘guising’ mostly home made costumes, Mrs Mop etc, wee ones had cowboy outfits, nurses outfits. You went to the neighbours, who would’ve expected you, then you had to ‘do a turn’ a poem, joke, a song etc and you were given monkey nuts, apples etc. No such thing as Halloween decorations in 1960’s Glasgow!! No-one begged for anything! 😂

YABU for using the word chav.

Bucket of sweets in the porch, note taped over the doorbell asking people not to ring or knock because we have an anxious dog but telling them to help themselves. Our dog barks himself to a frenzy when anyone comes to the door and that's the most stressful bit. It's worked in the past. Obviously takers, because about 2 thirds of the sweets will be gone but no nuisance to us. It seems a good compromise.

I dont do any of the holidays.

I'll be answering the door and putting my pumpkins out.

My dd loved trick or treating when she was younger so it's nice to do it for other children now and let them have a little fun. It wouldn't be much of a night if everyone was hiding in their houses with the curtains shut and not answering the door.

I blow out the lights at about 8pm and close the curtains to discourage older teens on the scrounge as all the young kids have finished by then and there's still lots of the evening left to watch a horror film 👻

I don't expect a lot of trick or treats as we live in a town where most residential are well into retirement.

I feel anxious answering the door if I am not expecting anybody (CPTSD) so won't be answering anyway. Round my way on Halloween trick or treaters usually only knock on doors where there house is decorated with pumpkins or other Halloween decor.

Nobody uses the word chav anymore. YABU.

Gawd MNland is the most miserable place on the planet.

We've been guising since at least the early 80s when I was a kid.

It's a brilliant night round here, houses are decorated, little kids go to the decorated houses and do a 'turn' ie tell a joke or sing a song. Some houses just have sweets outside and that's fine.

No begging, no chavs, no smashing anything, no intimidating people, just proper neighbourhood fun for those who want to take part. It's one of our favourite nights of the year.

We're in Scotland btw.

We'll be out trick or treating so I decorate the front of my house and leave out tubs of sweets 😊

I live in a part of the road that does not decorate. Prior to moving here, I always had decs, parties etc but let it slip, complicated as we have 2 front doors and the one nearest the road isn't used.

I vowed last year that 2024 would have a pumpkin. I've actually go a load of small ones I'm going to arrange as a trail up the drive to lure ToTers to the right door. And lights. And other things. A local friend (who finds my adoration of all this amusing) is coming for Negronis. I'm going to be Prof McGonagall again, resemblance much more marked this time!

If all this is in any way linked to about remembering the past/lost loved ones, for me today brings back happy memories of childhood and some of the (rare) good times with my parents getting on, and my late DH who indulged my Halloween love.

For those not taking part, have a peaceful evening. For those who are, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What do you mean you "don't agree with" Halloween? It's an ancient festival, what's there to agree with? By all means don't enjoy it or celebrate it, but saying you "don't agree with" Christmas or Easter or Eid would be weird wouldn't it.

No pumpkin = no treats here where I am.

I don't really understand why having taught their kids not to speak to strangers or take sweets from them, it is perfectly acceptable to knock on doors and do just that.

This is the first year I'm not doing it as my kids are older and going out without me.

But I enjoy it and they do too. Around here a lot of the houses go to a great deal of effort to decorate and it's just a really exciting night for the children. Yes, they want and get sweets, but it's not just about that.

Are you referring to my use of the word sad? Because I didn't name call at all, I just disagreed politely.

You do realise this is AIBU where we are supposed to give our opinions, don't you?

Why so defensive?

It is hard to avoid when people knock despite you not having decorations out, and egg your house/car windscreen when you don't answer the door.

That kind of behaviour should be dealt with by the police at Halloween. There should be ACTUAL laws about where you can/can't knock. Any other time of year the harassment would be punished.

There are lots of reasons people don't want to/can't join in.

I don't believe in telling children not to talk to strangers- you teach children to be sensible, to not get into a strange car, to not go somewhere with someone they don't know, to not give strangers their details etc. but speaking to people is normal, even if you don't know them. There's all sorts of reasons to knock on doors and speak to people you don't know- it's not dangerous. Some people do it for a living!

I sent my kids to Asda yesterday to pick up sweets and they spent £20 - we've never had more than 2 trick or treaters in any year so I suspect we'll be eating kitkats for a while!

Have never experienced any egging or anything (touch wood).

I did also buy three pumpkins for us to do, no child has bothered yet

Can't happen soon enough for me.

No it’s ridiculous.Loads of plastic tat and that dreadful fake cobwebby stuff up on my street.

I will be going to the gym as usual.House will be in complete darkness.

In our village,children only knock at decorated houses anyway.

I brought up my children to believe that we'd only knock on doors that were decorated. My house isn't decorated and I'm hoping that other parents know about this "rule".

When I lived in a much busier part of London on a very much busier street, I had small children back then and I did decorate my house and I did receive kids at the door which I had no problem with. It was fun, my kids enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. I loved buying sweets in ,putting them in special tubs etc.

Forward to today (miserable as it sounds 🤣) I CBA with it. I haven't bought any sweets in, I literally have nothing to give, if they knock (a biscuit?!). Tbh I haven't had anyone knock since I moved to a quieter, more elderly residents, street a few years ago so no not bothering /not answering. I have bought sweets the last couple of years incase but they weren't needed.

We won't as we have two dogs who will be unsettled by people constantly knocking, however round here you don't get bothered unless you decorate your house so I'm sure it'll be fine. I have no issue with trick or treating though, just don't have young kids anymore so don't get involved!

I don't have to do Halloween to involve myself in my community.