Trick or Treat - AIBU

[Doseofreality]

AIBU in believing that it’s an unwritten rule that you do not Trick or Treat houses that have no Halloween decorations up.

We’ve had numerous bangs (and yes they are bangs) on the door over the past hour, and quite frankly, it’s pissing me off!

I can't be arsed with decs but I had sweets. I only had 6 come to the door. I think people are getting better about leaving homes in peace if they've no decs up and I definitely need to sort a pumpkin out for next year as I've rather a lot of chocolate left.

We used to get a never ending stream of trick or treaters at our old house, even with no decorations. I put up a sign when youngest was a baby to say we had a newborn sleeping, please don't knock, just take a sweet from the tub outside. Still had numerous, loud knocks.
Since we've lived in our current house we've had no trick or treaters - there are plenty around but since we have no external decorations they don't knock - it's only decorated houses that are visited. It's so much less stressful!

I ran out of sweets after over 200 visitors. I turned off the lights and blew out the candles in the jack o lantern and only one person has knocked since then.
At my old neighbourhood the local paper supplied 'no trick o treaters' signs to put up. Next year try that.

Where I used to live it was knock on any door at Halloween.
When I moved I stocked up on sweets and couldn't understand why I had no trick or treaters to give them to, until someone explained the rule about decorated houses or pumpkins around here!
I think it's a great rule and saves older people bieng pestered if they don't want to be.

I'm not bothered wasting money on Halloween tat! I don't have much storage and would prefer to save it for my Christmas decorations rather than a few pumpkins! I've always had a supply of sweets in incase we have trick or treaters. We had no callers this evening but there didn't seem to be any passing by either. I think Halloween parties have taken over a bit around here as opposed to house-to-house trick or treating!

It could be annoying if you don't want to get involved. I guess plenty of other homes locally are known to participate. I guess you could put a polite sign saying 'please - no trick or treaters, thank you'. If you have a disability for example that makes it hard to get to the door you could put that on the sign? Not ideal but I can't see any other way of stopping it.
I personally get a lot of joy out of handing out sweets and seeing the different kids and their costumes. Obviously it's not for everyone.

Yep they have drove me mad tonight. We’ve had loads. I turned the porch lights off and they’re still knocking and ringing the bell. It annoys me because they can see I’m in my living room but I should be able to sit in my living room without being harassed. My gran turns all the lights off and pretends she isn’t home but you should be allowed to be in your home FFS, no need to hide.

Don’t get me started on the group of boys all dressed in black shouting down the street and peddling their bikes in the middle of the road with no lights on. Happy Halloween indeed. What’s the equivalent of a Halloween Scrooge? 🤣

Put a bowl of sweets outside with a note "please take 1" or 2 or whatever. Some people do that here if they are out for example

YABU and a Killjoy!

People should know not to knock on the door, but perhaps put a sign up saying Not home or gone to bed

Plenty of doors answered tonight where porch lights/outdoor/hall lights were on. If the house is in darkness at the front then don't knock. If you want to deter knockers then make sure your house is in darkness, kids don't waste time knocking at those houses.

I’m not sitting in darkness just because parents can’t teach their teacher basic manners!

Which is why people like me elected to have absolutely nothing to do with it thereafter. Well done you.

Wish someone would tell the teenagers round here that they're still knocking despite the lights being off. Trying to put 17 month old to bed too. I heard one of them on the doorbell saying what's the point in decorating if we don't answer the door. It's 8pm (and the sweets were finished an hour ago)!

I went out for a walk this evening around our estate. I love to see the decorations and the lovely atmosphere. Only decorated houses were being knocked at.

But about 10 years ago I lived in a different part of town and we would have children knocking even though we didn’t decorate.

It's not basic manners. It's your imposed 'unwritten rule' that not everyone follows. Have your principles and cut your nose off to spite your face by all means! Do what you want, but you're gonna get knocks at your door if lights are on 🤷🏻‍♀️

What do we think of people who decorate but don't welcome Trick or Treating? DS and his friend knocked on a house tonight with two lit pumpkins at the front door. Met by a quite bad tempered man who asked them what they wanted. DS didn't really know what to say so just mumbled something about it being halloween. Bad tempered man snapped that the pumpkins were just for decoration and shut the door on them. Poor kids are both quite sensitive and definitely lost their joy after that.

I don't always decorate but I'm always open to trick or treaters. There are signs people can get to not participate or just a simple note on the door saying no trick or treaters. Maybe it's an area thing? I'm in the North West and get just as many knock on when I don't decorate.

Unfortunately that's the problem with 'unwritten rules', not everyone is exposed to them! Maybe he's not a Mumsnetter! Hope your boy didn't have his night ruined

I printed off a sorry no trick or treat thank you poster & stuck it on front door due to it sending my dogs barmy every time the door bell goes

Actually of the 5 houses I brought my DD to this evening, 2 were decorated, but all were prepared for and welcomed trick or treaters

This, it’s an utter joke. I shouldn’t have to sit in the bloody dark!

The kids on my street certainly never got that memo. They always knock on our house and its not decorated. If I don't answer they ring the doorbell over and over

It seems a sensible solution but imagine it would attract the naughtier kids to knock!

It has always been only knock on houses with a pumpkin/decorations. That was the case when I trick or treated 30 years ago