To think that trick or treating should be confined to your own street or friends/family

[Moonnstars]

Showing my age here, but I remember when I was younger firstly trick or treating wasn't really a thing, but even when it started to become popular it was only your friends and family you called in on. I remember visiting my grandparents and their neighbours (who had been prepared so had sweets in) and then doing the same with my friends family.
Now it seems that people are asking where is the best street to visit, and I even saw today on social media someone saying they are on holiday in the area and where is best to go, happy to drive around to find the best places!

I have my own children who will be out, but we stick to our own street. I also have sweets in to give out, but am I being unreasonable in thinking I shouldn't have to have enough in to supply people coming over from different places and that it should just be people you know or at least living in the same street you hand stuff out to.

Also I do acknowledge some people go all out and advertise their address and want people to visit - however these are often for charity and as for a donation.

YABU - stop being so tight and buy more sweets

YANBU - it is getting out of hand, people should only go to people they know/stay local

We only do our small village which has a lot of kids and a lot of houses take part. But my DD’s good friend also comes with us as their village has all the houses off a hugely busy road and isn’t as safe to walk around in the dark, so technically they are visiting our village. But they are 5 years old and go to the school in our village so I think that’s ok. I do think it is taking the piss to drive miles out of your own area for “better houses”.

We only take part early for a couple of hours. Once DD is home we take the pumpkins in as otherwise she wouldn’t go to bed. Her dad dishes out the sweets from ours while we go out.

It doesn’t bother me at all, I was never allowed to go trick or treating as a kid as my parents said it was for beggars. As an adult I like giving sweets out and seeing kids happy, I was always so sad I could never go and all my friends could. I give out full size packets of fruit pastilles as they are vegan and nut free and also give out glow sticks.

My dc are too old now, but my estate used to be brilliant. Generous neighbours, amazing houses etc and we loved it, joined in, handed out loads and loads of sweets. This year hardly any houses are decorated, and I am sure it’s because we used to get so many kids from other places. It just stopped being fun.

Just don't put deccs out of you don't want trick or treaters. If you only want a few turn lights out or leave an empty bowl outside when you're done. There's clear rules to trick or treating which most kids abide by.

Its called guising in Scotland and isn't an American import at all. Try the other way around.

YABU - if you don't want to participate then don't put out a pumpkin

We had relatives for Halloween last year from another part of the UK and they couldn't believe how generous people were. Some houses don't do it which is absolutely fine but the ones that do really do. It's harmless fun - genuine harmless fun.

I live in a nice village on the outskirts of a rough town. We get a lot of kids come in to our area because it's known to have the best sweets. Most of the kids are lovely and polite and in the years we haven't put a pumpkin in the window no one has disturbed us. I'm not going to be a misery and refuse kids who don't live in the same postcode, I take it as a compliment that people want to come here. In turn it's always a great atmosphere when I take my kids out and we see loads of people dressed up having a good time.

If you don't want to take part, don't. If enough people do the same then your area will lose it's reputation for being good for trick or treating and people will stop coming eventually.

I think it’s fun too, and I genuinely had over 100 knocks on my door. We loved it. And then people started arriving from other places due to the generosity, and it spoiled it a bit.

We do our street and “around the block”, but only houses with lights and decorations.
That seems to be the norm here.
I turn the lights off and stop answering the door around 8pm.
If you don’t want to take part just turn all your lights off at the front of the house - that’s what my parents do, sit in the kitchen until it’s all over!

Hmm i used to live in a close with 12 properties. If there hadn't been many families there then I certainly would've taken them elsewhere. Prob to MILs road

Fortunately my childminder also lived there ( how I found the place lol) and there were mostly families thee, did actually have Halloween party in the close.

I think the etiquette is if houses are decorated, or even just have a pumpkin put out, they're happy for trick or treaters to knock, and if not decorated/no pumpkin don't knock. So there are some streets/areas that go all out and I think it's fine to travel to them, as you know the residents are actually wanting trick or treaters and the decorations have been put up for kids.
I feel more comfortable doing that than confining my kids to one street and knocking on doors where there's no pumpkins outside.

I agree that you should stay within your own area then the children in that area get to partake fully without it being that there’s nothing left.

We live on a large new build estate and often have people out of area who target our estate as it’s been known in the past to be very decorated (most houses fully done up!) and it’s always been good to trick or treat at.

But I have to say that it’s been spoilt massively by people out of area coming in. We have groups of teens who come onto our estate and scavenge the lot, there’s no longer sweets left on doorsteps of families who are also out trick or treating. This year, and I’ve noticed from being out walking the dog, that there are maybe 5 houses out of around 100 that are decorated. So I don’t think as many houses will be partaking - last year there were loads of posts on our residents social media group with CCTV of teens emptying entire bowls of sweets into bags, decorations being stolen or broken and lots of very cross residents.

Shame how the few often spoil it for everyone!

My mum is almost 70 and she went trick of treating as a child, so those of you saying you are too old must be a lot older than that!

We are such a weird country. In Germany they have no end of community festivals and celebration days where children are given free sweets by others or the community. The horror!

I definitely feel that people driving to “better areas” ultimately put off the people handing out sweets and people just stop. A pumpkin out doesn’t mean it’s a free for all for the whole city, it’s meant to be reciprocal I always felt. As I said previously, we opt out now and go away.

For Halloween we dressed up as witches, had scary masks and went house to house to show off costumes and make scary noises etc. Swede lanterns rather than pumpkins.

Penny for the guy involved making a guy for bonfire night and then standing in the street with it. Completely different thing. I wasn't allowed to do it as my parents said it was begging!

Ah, would ya stop.

Mini blondes 8 loves halloween. Has done for a few years. We decorate house and get lots of sweets in

we spend an hour going round our streets local to where we live then an hour at home to open the door

we leave a bowl out while we are out with a note saying take one and on cctv. Usually stops all being grabbed

I think most children stick to their street so don't think it's a big issue. Maybe if you have a small street then I think it's fine for children to continue on. It's fun! I had about 50 houses on my street growing up, so we just went guising there. If you want to limit children coming I think don't decorate your house in any way and turn off the lights.

Also I wish people would stop saying it's a US import, maybe for your area of the UK but it's been going on for centuries in other parts.

Yay Halloween 🎃 🎃
Yep I'm in the states,.yep it's tacky and ott. I love it. We will have probably 250 /300 trick or treaters. I don't care where they live they are very welcome in our Halloween crazy neighborhood. I'll tell em their costume is awesome and give them some candy ( even those pesky teens)..

We arent taking part this year unfortunately. Where we live locals go all out and the place has been mentioned on a few local facebook pages as posh and good for loads of sweets. Last year we gave out 150 sweets and barely got a thankyou. One little charmer complained all the good sweets had gone and asked for money instead (with parent standing behind him) and had the berve to knock again when i closed the door on them.

The only time Im answering the door tonight is to the takeaway delivery.

Oh and should have said, normal housing estate with normal families, nowt special!

I feel you OP. I live in a housing estate where every Halloween we get inundated by trick or treaters coming from elsewhere. Last year in the space of an hour and a half we had at least 100 callers (in groups obviously). I had packed individual bags with treats and all gone in an hour. Then the emergency supply was gone. In excess of 120 children called on a cul de sac with maybe 15 houses. The knocking continued until after 9 long after I had run out. Even with the lights off and pumpkins in children were banging on the door and ringing the bell when we didn’t open.

I want to agree with you, as when I was young it was just my street and to a relative's house. However I have to say, it's really dead and dull where I live!
I love looking at the effort others have put into their Halloween decorations and if there are pumpkins/decor outside I would assume this means that they welcome the trick and treaters! I wouldn't go too far, but a 5 minute drive to a more vibrant part with other kids out and activity going on is more fun for us all.

Actually a bit of a dream to visit the States for Halloween! You guys look like you do it right 😅