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?

Same for us. And if you’re undecorated and someone knocks you can simply ignore it.
No need for any fuss. Everything has to be such a drama these days!

The etiquette around here is if you’ve got a lit pumpkin outside your house then you’re welcoming Trick r Treaters. I usually have around 50 kids. When the treats run out I bring in the pumpkin and turn off the living room lights. I think it might be busier with chancers this year because it’s a Saturday night and half term.
(edited to fix spellings)

We have no children living in our house but love Halloween. We decorate the front of the house and hide an outdoor speaker under my car. We watch out the front window for them coming up the drive then I play “scary sounds” I downloaded from Apple Music. Great fun!

Where we are, no pumpkin outside means ‘don’t knock’. It’s never been an issue.

Same here

I really miss when we lived on an estate and had loads of excited little kids to see, but if you don't want to join in, just don't! Bit daft to sit in the dark to avoid them.
I don't understand the stats given though, how can 73% say they love the spooky season, yet 53% use tactics to avoid it? Unless we are working on 126% that means some people must love it while also using methods of avoidance!

That's great, but how do you enjoy it if you're watching out the window for hours. We use to have a fake doorbell, you'd ring it and it would blast out scary sounds, scared quite a few! The little ones loved it.

That’s why we enjoy it! Peeking through the blinds like two excited children waiting for them to come down the drive! 🤣 also “testing” the treats while we wait 😉 It only lasts a couple of hours round here so not all night.

When DS was young, we only knocked on neighbours doors where the house was decorated. We also used to decorate our house (well, we put lit pumpkins outside) to signal that we were happy for the trick or treaters.

Now DS is 20, we shut the blinds and curtains, no need to sit in the dark as you cant tell whether we’re in or not

Tbh, it’s fizzled off in our area, I did buy sweets, even after DS was too cool for trick or treating, but being in a cul de sac, we tended not to get the footfall. Easier to sack it off as I tended to eat the leftovers!