Anyone else not putting up Halloween decorations this year or participating in trick or treating?

[thegrinxh]

I was talking to a neighbour down the road and he seemed surprised when I mentioned that I won't be decorating the front of my house for Halloween this year/ participating in trick or treating.

None of the other neighbours on the estate say hello or are friendly and I have had issues with kids throwing footballs at my car and fence etc.

I don't really want to be spending money for other peoples kids on sweets and decorations.

My own kids are way too young to participate anyway.

My neighbour said "Oh well I think your house will be the only one not celebrating and people may get even more funny with you".

AIBU to lot went to participate or is this the norm if you have kids/ live in area with a lot of kids?

I live in the UK.aibu

I think the problem is largely that because it's August, you going out of your way to say you're not doing it means you're very much doing it on purpose, to spite them all?

Never have, never will celebrate Halloween.

each to their own but not my thing.

When my property was accessible to others, I never answered the door during Halloween.

From my perspective, Halloween is not a celebration.

I can’t stand Halloween, when did this minor one evening event of my childhood turn into a pre cursor to Christmas? Adults who “love Halloween” and whip up kids into a frenzy with all the nonsense need a boot up the arse, IMHO which I appreciate no one cares about.

In my area people only come to the house guising if the house is decorated or there is at least a pumpkin out.

My kids are 20 and nearly 18 so it’s not been a thing we’ve bothered with for years but when they were in primary school they wanted to participate so while I didn’t decorate I did put out a pumpkin at Halloween and bought sweets and took my two out.

It was a great day when my youngest finished primary and I no longer had to bother with all that shite any more.

Neighbour was talking about ordering his decorations early this time from Amazon.

He just asked me in passing what decorations I would be getting and I told him I wouldn't be bothering this year.

Halloween is quite big round here, decorations go up September.

People go to a lot of effort with decorations.

I must have had around 130 people trick or treat last year.

130? Dreadful.

We're still in summer ...

Don't open the door.

Yes some of the twats round here start decorating for Halloween in September too.

My sons are adults now and missed the trend for trick or treating. I wouldn’t have let them disturb the neighbours anyway. I make my home indoors look cosy but I don’t encourage kids knocking on my door. We put up with enough all year round without giving them the green light to pester on a particular evening.

Your kids are not too young to celebrate.

@Mycatisreal This is becoming my mind set now lol.

Do whatever you like for Halloween but ffs it’s AUGUST

I've not done it in several years now. We have an elderly dog who's bothered by the door going so it just makes sense. I don't want to dedicate a whole evening to getting up for the door and needing to settle the dog repeatedly. I'm also past the point of purchasing anything that might be wasteful in general, so plastic tat and decorations or excess sweets we don't want to eat ourselves after the fact,are out.

Writing it down I'm sure I sound like a miserable cow. Last year I took some Halloween themed sweets and cupcakes to the food bank when we did a drop off, as they'd put a post up asking for some and I'm happy to do that again if it's the same this year.

If others want to go ham and they enjoy that then why not, doesn't bother me how early they plan it or execute it if that's what they enjoy. No skin off my nose.

It's August!

My street/estate still has a lot of elderly residents. There are more families moving but not all decorate their houses. Some really go to town. We have no kids. I’m not fussed by halloween so we don’t do anything. I’m often at work anyway. The trick or treaters just go to decorated houses. Works well.

Always individual choice of course. We love Halloween and our local community really comes together for it which is lovely. Of course nowhere near every house participates, maybe 30% do at a guess. I go all out with decorations and we go trick or treating leaving eldest DC to hand out sweets while we’re gone. The rule is no decorations /pumpkin no knocking. I can’t wait!

I hate trick n treating. In the past I have asked trick and kids ask ‘what’s a trick?’ Why say it?

I refuse to answer the door now. Switch off the doorbell.

Teens want money- they can do one.

How much Halloween crap is in the shops? We don’t need Halloween bedding, cushions, place mats, glasses

At least now they know to only go to the ones with a pumpkin in the window, but I think it is a bit sad for the little ones.We used to love trick or treating as children, and have such fond memories of tipping our carrier bags out; it felt much more of a community spirit then compared to now.
It is sad that most with older kids don't even open their doors now despite lots of people having done that for theirs. It is dying out in my area, so we usually decorate indoors, games or go out some where. I keep a bag of sweets in at home just in case. Stopped taking my dcs as nobody does it and it was too upsetting, so filled dc's tiny bucket up (on first trick or treating) myself, and kept costumes on all night at home. The people that didn't participate had their dcs knock on my door afew years when I was childless and I gave their kids loads of sweets and complimented their costumes.

I wish they could have some of my childhood!

Forgot to mention that I don't live in a dangerous area, and teenagers don't participate here, as can completely understand otherwise.

I always used to because I love Halloween even though DS has left home now but after a couple of years of aggressive teenagers and young adults trying to get money out of me and damaging my house and car with rocks/eggs etc when I said no..sweets only...I had to stop doing it.
I have cameras front and back of the house for my own safety and yet this is a nice area supposedly.
I go to bed early and turn all the lights off.

We celebrate Samhain every year but there is no reason to be decorating in September.

Likewise but very privately on the Eve of the occasion.

I think what surprised him is that you were discussing something inconsequential in august. People don’t tend to think about such things until after the kids are back and it cools down (sorry Scotland I am aware you are back and it’s cold!)

YANBU We love it and go all out, but totally get why you wouldn't want to if you have experienced unpleasantness. Every year I say this is the last year.

Last year we went all out with a smoke machine , spooky lights and sound effects.
It seems to be coming round again very quickly and I don’t fancy doing anything this year. Everyone will just walk past without batting an eyelid .
Don't worry about it !

My Dad used to carve ours with a sharpened scoop chisel implement ( woodwork tool) then we'd put in a candle stub( and keep relighting it). The smell of burning turnip 😄. Then they shrivel up like witches faces when you find them ages later .

If you go to The Range, B&M and Home Bargains- you should see how much Halloween crap there is. Plus more crap each year