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?

In some areas some people can get nasty if you don't open the door and trash the outside of your house

Nowadays, at least where I live, all the children are accompanied by adults apart from a few very polite older children, and nobody goes to any house that doesn’t have a pumpkin outside. I’m always amazed at how sweet and well mannered the children are and I really look forward to it.

In Stoke when I was a child it was like the fucking Wild West 🤣 with gangs of kids including teenagers, no adults supervising, no boundaries around which homes were participating. Tricks were a real thing and could be nasty. I’ve got a really upsetting memory of a very elderly man opening the door in obvious fear and confusion. Unsurprisingly he didn’t have any sweets, so my cow of a sister threw flour in his face. If that sort of behaviour is still happening, I’m not surprised people dread it.

I like to decorate. Why shouldn't I?

But I don't want to feed +300 children ferrying in by car.

As said we go out for the night.

Yes. Eggs through the letterbox 😢. Our local shops had to stop selling flour and eggs in the run-up to 31st.

Our letterbox can be locked. I do this as neighbours no handing out sweets have had the joy of eggs.

Our estate tends to go all out for Halloween, and the kids are pretty good at only knocking on doors if there’s a pumpkin out/decorations. When DC were young enough for Halloween we used to put a lot of decorations out, but I couldn’t be bothered last year at all - I think we went out!

One every minute for over five hours? Really?

Bloody hell, things have really changed in the decades since I was a child.

Do trick or treaters parents/guardians deliberately drop off their children or teenagers in affluent residential areas?

Parents ferry children by car. So many children.

Years ago it was only local children out.

Yes. They do. It's a fun and free activity now.

I’m sorry I fail to believe that you have over 300 trick or treaters…. Why would parents “ferry” kids out of their own areas to yours?

Just don't answer the door. I put on headphones. Also don't decorate.

Your problem. Not mine.

In our area it isn't as popular anymore. People just seem to put bowls of sweets out front and don't answer the door, or they don't bother at all. They're either having halloween parties, sitting in the dark binging movies, or out. Some of them have older kids, and were lucky enough that everybody opened their doors for theirs (us being one of them).

Not really much point, as half the fun is showing off the costumes for the kids. We were away last year, and arranging to have games and fun in the house this year, but youngest wants to go. I cannot bear to see dc stood there in the little costume and nobody answering, or bowls of sweets out front. I am working on making staying at home more convincing!

All of this.

But I'm not sitting in the dark, hiding in my own house

If anyone is rude enough to come begging at my door, they get a lecture. Parents should drum it into their dc it really isn't a good idea to go knocking on strangers' doors. If their parents haven't done that, then I will.

I don’t remember trick or treating ever happening as a child and I never knew anyone who took part. I misunderstood what was involved when I was in my early 20s, when we first started to get occasional trick or treaters. when I opened the door to a couple of children and they said ‘trick or treat’ I said ‘trick’ and squirted them with a water pistol before shutting the door. I thought it was really funny until I saw my friend’s face and she explained that I’d got the concept a bit wrong 🤣🤣

Over 300 alleged trick or treaters is very much your problem, five hours every minute …. So from 6pm-11pm 🤔! Righto!!

Where I am you only go to decorated houses

Both our kids’ primary schools hammered this home - no knocking at undecorated houses. Elderly people in particular do not like it.

and that’s if it’s the bare 300, but you’ve stated more than 300! So maybe midnight?

Same- pumpkin out means please knock. Otherwise you are left alone.

Same here, but we do leave a pumpkin, love them knocking and just take the pumpkin in when the sweets are depleted!

The little ones here just love it, it’s all done by 8 the latest as they need bed by then.

Thanks for replying.
I'm mildly perturbed that is a "thing" now, but will get over it by Halloween 🎃

It’s BS

I put a sign up saying "Sorry, No Trick or Treat". Normally the police have one on their website you can download and print off.

Unfortunately this year were having a Halloween 🎃 party for the grandchildren so I've had to buy extra sweets just in case.