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 do NOT partake in it and NEVER will.

I used to love Halloween then the car loads of parents teens and a few tots started to be driven into the estates. So my house all decorated meant I was handing out buckets of sweets to all and sundry. Last year I saw similar on the estate I now live in as it’s not the local kids coming around so I no longer decorate the front of my house.

I’ve got rescue fur babies this week in who don’t even know what a child is yet so just hope no one knocks and there’s no noises.

No, it’s an end of summer festival originally.
The origins are benign.

I’ve never encountered any necromancy in the 50 or so Halloweens I’ve experienced in Ireland. Only divination to the extent of ‘do you get the ring in the Halloween brack’. Really not sinister at all. I think you believe the festival to be something other than it is. For most people who celebrate it it’s a joyful occasion.

One year, I was still living at home and was in charge of handing out sweets, and a group of 15-16 year olds came along (I was probably about 20/21). I’d had a few older teenagers already and they’d been lovely, and I’m a big believer in letting kids (even at that age) be kids for as long as possible, so was happily going to give them sweets. Until I saw one of them (from the window they didn’t know I could see them from) pick up a pumpkin and lob it at my dad’s car!!! He missed the car luckily.

I opened the door, pointing him towards the security camera on my house (just pre ring doorbells), insulted his aim, and the little twerp had the nerve to try kick my door. Well if I didn’t open the door wider to show my parents’ rather large husky glaring out at him (husky was a sweetheart but had very dark facial markings that looked like a mask, and was very large in size. Scared many people throughout his life despite only wanting snuggles 🥰).

Little shit turned tail and ran, his friends followed. One poor young fella in the group stayed behind and apologized, so he got sweets and advised to find better friends. I was raging for the night at the nerve.

I'm doing it! My youngest went off to uni this year so on my own. I live walking distance to three primaries so I get at least 100 visitors. I've carved a couple pumpkins and put bats on my door. Many houses have gone way out with skeletons climbing trees and giant spiders all over the house. Across the street they even have a human body wrapped up and caught in the web!
It is mostly small kids and I'll turn off the lights blow out the candies about 8pm. Teens, very few, tend to come out later.
I grew up in the US and it was a big deal, though now it seems to have turned into an adult thing with everyone dressing up. I preferred it with just under 10s.

Still quiet here so far (SE London) but I note a group of young ones, about 6 houses away but opposite
I got some sweets and lollipops in as I used to take my kids Trick or Treating and this is the new Generations turn.

Good for You . Happy Halloween.

Could we see a photo please ? Sounds good decor.

And that’s FINE.

Hearing teens screaming pathetically. Grow up

No knocks here yet!! Could be jinxing myself now but ahh the peace 🤣

Going to make my evening meal. Making it a quick one as my kitchen overlooks the green area in the middle of my road. Don't want people to see I am at home

Thankfully I live in a low rise block of flats with a security door and intercom entry system. I just make sure that my intercom is switched off from around 4pm onwards. I really do not want eggs and flour chucked at my front door.

I feel really bad now reading the posts from those with grown up kids and still taking part.
It has really made me think of the excitement when dd was young and we went out and she saw a house with a pumpkin she could knock at and get home and count the sweets!
I will get some stuff in next year and make a better effort.

We always do a pumpkin but light it inside now.

Lucky not to have neighbours so no!

We don’t join in. The tradition of true guising here in Scotland is gone, outfits are all shop bought, and the kids just want the sweet and wouldn’t even know to do a turn for it.
Which is a shame cause I love Halloween. We’ll hunker down tonight and celebrate Samhain tomorrow.

So many fun sponges on this thread

We don’t. The rule here is unless house is decorated you don’t knock. My son is autistic and the costumes really scare him plus the door going would be upsetting for him. I don’t have anything against Halloween, we will usually do something Halloween related with children but trick or treating is something we don’t do

This might be drastic but we have gone away for a half term holiday to a cottage in the middle of nowhere so I can be confident there will be no trick or treating!

It isn't really the reason we are here but I have to admit that it is a welcome break from all the door knocking on our suburban housing estate.

I just can't get into Halloween. I wasn't brought up with it being such a big deal, didn't do trick or treating with our kids and I find some of the gory displays you get these days tasteless and a bit triggering (a hanging figure was a real low point). I don't get the American dress up costumes that now appear to be on any theme at all either.

We had people knocking between 5 and 6:30. It was quieter than expected.

Nobody knocked but I don’t have a pumpkin out.

Sounds magical.

Actual laws? Lets hope you are never in the position to implement 😂

To be honest most of the kids who knocked were teenagers and they were all dressed up, very polite and said thank you etc.

It was the 8-10 year olds with their parents that didn’t utter so much as a please or thank you.

Think if you heard of bad experiences of trick or treating, you are less likely to participate.

Not any more? So it used to before.