AIBU to think it's fine to switch the lights off on Halloween?

[bigred26]

Saw a survey this week saying 53% of us use some sort of tactic to avoid trick-or-treaters. 27% pretend not to be home, 26% turn the lights off and sit in the dark, and 29% just leave sweets outside. Nearly half said they get "doorstep dread", and in London 48% feel under pressure to hand out sweets. Yet 73% say they love the spooky season.

One side says nobody has to open the door to strangers, especially with repeated knocking or nervous pets. The other says it's one night a year and the kids love it.

Answer the door, hide, or bowl on the step?

Round here, if your house isn't decorated, no one knocks. No need to sit in the dark.

Same as pp, if there's no decorations nobody knocks so no need to turn off the lights. We happily decorate and answer the door but on years where it hasn't suited us we just don't put a pumpkin out.

Yeah everywhere I have lived the code is pumpkin out want visitors no pumpkin don’t knock.

Some councils advertise that children should only knock on doors that have a pumpkin outside. It would be nice if that worked everywhere. Especially when "trick or treat" traditionally means "give me something nice or I'll play a trick on you". I know older people who live alone who get quite nervous on 31st October.

I like to decorate the house like most neighbours do but I don't deal with all those children travelling here for sweets. You can have +300 and so many cars ferrying children in. It's not local kids anymore.

We go and enjoy a meal out on Halloween night.

Same where I live.

I’m not a fan of Halloween, or the whole concept of trick or treat, so I don’t give out sweets and I don’t let my kids go out trick or treating either.

Around here if you don’t have a pumpkin out you generally get left alone, but if you left a bowl of sweets outside the whole lot, and the bowl, would be nicked within twenty minutes.

No decorations means no knocks here.
Last year was the first, in 23 years, that I didn't decorate. It was bliss not answering the door every 2 minutes (I live on an estate where the kids come in car loads).
However, I really want to decorate. I think I've just had enough of the callers.
DS is 15 and would choose decorations but not if it means callers.
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Never had a problem around here with trick or treaters, we live in a highly competitive seasonal decoration area and the kids know not to waste time knocking on undecorated houses when there are so many OTT decorated houses that are guaranteed to be handing out sweets (and some putting on little shows etc 🤣 it’s very Americanised but the kids love it)

I love having small excitable children knocking on my door dressed as ghosts and witches.

But we’re not all the same and that’s allowed.

Also not known it to happen unless there’s a pumpkin/ decorations. I equally wouldn’t let DC knock on doors without.
Love Halloween - love decorating & love the whole getting up every 2 minutes. I underestimated how many kids would come and ran out of sweets. I live in a cul de sac with mainly old people but the kids somehow make their way round which is lovely! Definitely stocking up on more sweets this year.

I never answer my door on hallowe’en because it’s not something I have ever celebrated, but I certainly wouldn’t sit in the dark 🤣🤣

Not if it’s dark and you want to see.

Sit in the dark in my own home rather than just not answer the door?

Yeah right 🤣

Of course you can opt out if participating.
Round here it used to be lovely, organised by the neighbourhood for the kids living here, between 5-7 on the Saturday nearest to Halloween. Nicely decorated houses, you knew the kids who’d come round, nothing g outside designated time. Then some idiot posted it as “Something free to do with kids in London” and then it became absolutely horrendous with too many children, queues to get to a house, parents who think it’s ok to rush children to the front, film house owners, and be rude.
We dont even turn off the lights. We just don’t decorate or open the door…

I also adhere to the ‘if the house isn’t decorated then don’t knock,’ school of thought.

We don’t really have any close neighbours and, sadly, not many children around here either.

Trick or treating isn’t an issue. I rather wish it was.

I have a whole Halloween scene with music outside in my front garden, it's my way of returning the favour to the community that was generous and cheerful when it was our time to be trick or treating. I actually look forward to planning what my skeleton crew will be up to each year.

We live in a nice area that isn't subject to thievery in general so I don't have any worries about anything getting stolen or eggs thrown at the house or shenanigans like that. If I didn't want to participate then I'd just not decorate the front garden, that would do it. When it was our turn we certainly didn't bother anyone that clearly wasn't taking part, that would be pointless and a waste of our time as well as being "not in the spirit" <boom tish>

You title suggests that you've been told that you can't sit in the dark, why would anyone say that. No one cares if you want to do that but everyone knows that no pumpkins no knockee

Seems like a non issue to me

But I enjoy decorating the house and I did enhoy the local children visit.

Now we aren't at home. A nice meal out is our answer to the chaos.

We don’t celebrate Halloween so no lights no pumpkin . We deliberately keep the hall lights off and luckily can sit in a comfy room at the back of the house as the inevitable knocking is annoying to the dogs if we leave the lights on.

no interest in it do make it very clear we are not participating but usually still get a few knocks which we ignore.

each to their own but not our thing.

Same here

With us it’s « no pumpkin, no knocking «

No decorations and no outside light on. We don't sit in the dark though

I think people who say they feel pressure need to maybe get a grip a bit. Don’t decorate, don’t answer the door. That’s what I always did, it’s a non-issue.