When did Halloween get like this?

[SoEasyToFall]

When I was younger Halloween was just about a school disco, and then when I was at uni it was a night out clubbing in fancy dress (or a flat party). It was never a huge thing.

Tonight while walking home from work there was masses of teens shouting abuse at everyone, smashing bottles and just being shits. More teens on the bus shouting abuse at everyone who wasn’t dressed up. I got called a miserable fat cunt because I wasn’t in a costume.

When did this happen? When did society get like this? I only left uni five years ago and it feels like it’s changed massively since then

Apparently in UK Brits are expected to spend £779 million on Halloween in 2025, according to a recent Finder survey.
More than half of people (55%) are planning to spend some money on celebrations, decorations or costumes, with an average spend of £26 per person.

Don't let Rachel Reeves know or she'll tax pumpkins !!

I've had one little girl who was ecstatic because she got a coco pops cereal bar.... few teenagers wandering around but no trouble 😵‍💫

Teens can't win can they? What's the harm in them trick or treating if they aren't causing any trouble?

It’s been quite a civilised and fun event here with lots of adults being involved.

I do think Halloween is becoming more of a thing but I was at uni many years before you and it was a bigger event that you’ve described even back then.

It's been raining here since mid afternoon. Even so there have been a few fireworks. I'll be happy if it rains for the next week - more likely that bonfire night is a washout

Same. Fed up of it every year and my DC are 18, 15 10 and 8. It's very stressful. Not finding it fun. Lots of pressure in the shops.

There are some houses here that do decorate homes very well. Do see kids with parents doing TnT nicely.

It’s the teenagers that mentioned in my pp that ruin it

This! I voted YABU because I don't think Halloween is like that everywhere. But I am really sorry that's been your experience this year; that is not okay.

Decorations from late Aug/early Sept. Halloween themed activities from late September. Parties / Halloween mania from mid-October.

Sorry to hear that. I've been out with my kids nothing like that here everyone has been pleasant

Plus retailers are putting out more HC (Halloween crap) like mugs, cushions, soap dispensers etc. This wasn’t heard of ten years ago

Yep, don’t go trick or treating, don’t sit on a screen all day, don’t go to a skatepark/park/beach. In fact sit there and do fuck all for 5 years because we said so 🤷🏽‍♀️

I'm also a BOF when it comes to Halloween - (Boring 'ole fart)

I got a notice from the cop shop to put on my front door to say "no trick or treat". so should will stop the little blighters coming..
Unfortunately, the fireworks have been going off since it got dark. I've had to shut my cat in the spare room and put the radio on.

Same here. Some great costumes too, very polite,

We did it for the first time in 79 or 80 but it was nothing like it is now, best we could manage was a paper bag decorated with a scary face and worn over your head.
Prior to that the focus was on halloween parties and then a few days later, bonfire night.

Sorry to hear that. Halloween night is usually fine, nothing worse than stolen decorations but the night before - mizzy/mischief night can be a bit hairy. The police put a dispersal zone in place yesterday ahead of the evening for our estate which seemed to keep things much quieter 😬

Same here. It's a really nice community event. Not all houses takes part, but everyone is respectful and only approach the houses with pumpkin lit. The kids out and about are polite and only take one sweet unless invited to take more, even the young teens. There's a really nice buzz in the streets and actually it's nice to see the teens dressing up and behaving like kids.

There was a werewolf in Asda this morning. Hope it was a costume,,,,,,

It's absolutely brilliant here. Kids being adorable going to the decorated houses and doing a little joke etc and excitedly putting a sweet in their bag. It's honestly ridiculously wholesome and lovely and will be some of my most treasured memories of my children's growing up.

the thing is I managed to be a teen going out and about without intimidating people or calling them fat cunts

We have just visited the next village along from us, very busy on Halloween and lots of houses going all out. It was a lovely, fun atmosphere. Mostly families. Didn't notice many/any teens. We then very briefly visited just a couple of houses around our much smaller and quieter village. We bumped into 2 lovely teenage girls who complimented my 7 year old on how brave she was for doing a Halloween trail on her own and wished us happy halloween. We were out til almost 8pm so fairly late. I'm not sure your experience is typical and I'd be reporting it to 101. I'm sure they won't be sending blues and twos around urgently for a bit of swearing but it might help them with monitoring if there'a a pattern of troublemaking in the area. I agree that it's totally unacceptable behaviour OP. This isn't typical teenage banter it's really mean and intimidating.

pp wasn't talking about teens causing trouble. She was responding to a different pp who called 15 year olds pathetic for trick or treating.

Very different.

oh wow, it’s not like that in South London. We went out and there were just loads of friendly people handing out sweets and running haunted houses and a great community atmosphere. Teens included. No-one called anyone a fat cunt

Don’t recognise your experience at all, it’s been lovely here - just a load of kids dressed up and trick or treating. I don’t think your experience is reflective of society as a whole.

Just a bit of fun round here on a rainy day! Bit of dressing up, Halloween baking, attempting to carve a pumpkin. Lots of families walking around. Amazing decorations on some houses! It’s quite nice as it’s usually just a few days or for half term. Breaks up the term.

sorry to hear it’s been like that for you.