to think that Trick or Treating is wrong - full stop

[curlyaqa]

I intensely dislike the new(ish) custom, it is American is it not?
I wouldn't let my dc do it and I confess I ignore the doorbell on the night ().
It wouldn't be so bad if they just wanted sweets, but it's also money they're after, I believe.
Isn't it essentially begging too? It frightens some of the old folks and where I live they can get free signs to place on their doors to say they are not partcipating (or something along similar lines).
So aibu do you think?

i've never received money as a child. and never even heard of it before i came on here. only sweets.or when they ran out. you would get some weird and wonderful tins of shite from my mums neighbours.

Agree with solidgoldbrass - there is a code.

Young DC's in cute costume knocking on doors of decorated houses - with parents at end of path - acceptable.

Teenagers in a bin bag and fright mask harassing every household and asking for money - not acceptable

yabu, its just fun and I love it. I think there are much worse things in the world.

YABU

The kids love it, they love the sweets, knocking at the neighbours doors and dressing up.

It's 1 day a year FGS, stop being so miserable (said in the nicest possible way)!

DS is 5 and has never shown an interest in going so I get to stay home where its warm He prefers to answer the door and hand out the candy.

We live in a small village and children only knock if there is a pumpkin in the window and we have only ever had small children and no older ones.

I think if its small children having fun being dressed up and getting treats (from houses that want to participate) then its fine, older ones asking for money I wouldnt be happy with.

it's actually a pagan/Celtic relic from Britain.

do you think Americans just developed customs out of nowhere?

most were brought from a mother country somewhere.

STILL September.

Yep, it's September. I plan for Christmas all year, too. Keeps the bills down.

LOVE Halloween, FWIW.

Bought the girls their plastic pumkin thingies in Tesco yesterday for 'guising', as it's called around here.

It is Celtic. My Scottish grandad called it 'guising' - as in being in disguise - and they used turnip lanterns and went about causing mischief. I love the smoky autumn night spookiness of it all.

Actually it is Christian too - and like most of our old folk festivals a conflation of Christian and pagan. All Hallows Eve is the night before All Saint's Day, when, I was told as a child, the angels fly through all the homes to chase away the evil spirits and make the houses ready for Christmastide. Autumn up to Christmas is my favourite time of year so for me there is a deliciousness to it all.

But am always disappointed here in London - mostly a few kids wanting money. As a child I loved the scene in ET where all the children are in the street in their outfits and wished it could be like that here. BUt now I am much into the old pagan stuff - the veil between the dead and the living being at it's thinnest etc - a nice chill. And I know so many dead people now it's quite appealing.

Trick or Treating - the term - is American - the idea ain't.

YABU

Misery guts.

It is not that new. It was done when I was young, a good 20-25 years ago at age.

My mum never allowed us to do it, as she considered it begging. I followed this view too, as to be honest I never had any reason not to, as I had no child.

But now I have a child and DH and I have discussed this. I have changed my mind.

We, for example, have money, enough money to live on anyway, so if DD goes trick or treating with her daddy, it is for fun, and she will be just as happy with a trick than a treat, as this is what she will be told is fun about it.

The 'treats' given are so minimal, how could it be begging? Begging for what? For their sweets? Many of them have spent hours on their costumes, and parents have paid money for the outfits. If they were begging, they could just not bother with the costumes and use that money for treats!

I think part of my mother's issues with it, was that we were poor, so she considered anything given to us as a handout, so I think that is why she thought it was begging.

At Halloween - we buy sweets/snacks and we now look forward to children knocking on our door for treats/tricks. This year, we are going to do some tricks too! They are never rude, always with parents, and if they are on the blag with no costume, they get sent on their way.

Its just a bit of fun, ffs.

Stewiesmum
Me Too!! I was going to write that bit about UNICEF

Many children are frightened of monsters ghosts, etc - halloween is one night when they are scary (kinda )
I think its empowering.

And its just FUN!!!!!!

I dont like it, and dont allow my kids to do it. But I do let them go to Halloween parties, and dress up however they wish

YABU

It is not American it is Celtic and it is called guising. They stole it off us - I am 35 and we used to go guising. No plastic tat involved.

I forgot to buy sweets last year and was giving the kids stuff out of my fruit bowl. They were not impressed.

YABU......the children love dressing up. The rule here is that if the portch light is on then you may visit, if it isn't then we don't knock on the doors. My children would certainly not expect money, just a nice comment about how well they have done with their costume is good enough for them. We go out with them not expecting anything from anyone, but if they do recieve then they are grateful.

We alwasy have a halloween party-it's all a bit of fun here.

I do know that teenagers can cause problems though, but the police are alwasy about on the bigger areas to control it.

It is nice to see all ages of the community coming out and enjoying it, the older people love to see the children. Of course this dosen't go for everyone but that is fine.

{costumes in woollies right now! )

The way they do trick or treat in the UK is not the way they do it in the USA. It is done quite badly in the UK.

When I was growing up trick or treat was done on a designated night, different in each borough. And we knew before we knocked on the door whether or not the people who lived their wanted to participate.

Not wrong as long as few simple rules are followed. Only go to houses where there's something to indicate willingness to play the game. And LOs not out on their own, and not after a certain time.

We have no problems round here. Good fun had by all.

I think the police gave out posters last year to say 'have fun but please don't knock on our door' or something like that.

hate it hate it hate it

And we import plenty of non-UK customs. Christmas trees being one. THink it's irrelevant TbH.

yabu

YANBU.

I don't have a problem with children dressing up in costumes, I don't have a problem with Halloween parties, I don't have a problem with children eating sweets, and I do participate though and buy sweets for the kids who do come round.

I am undecided yet as to whether the DS will ever participate themselves (4 and 1)....I have a problem with children knocking on strangers' doors at night when it's dark (which is what we essentially are in our street, it is probably different in yours).

If all that makes me a kill-joy or misery guts so be it.

I'm an American raising my DC over here and I don't take them trick-or-treating because of the way so many of you feel. I always have a bowl of sweets to give away to anyone who does come trick-or-treating at my house and am always delighted so see any little darlings in costumes, although I find it strange that it's often teens that come. In the US, teens don't trick-or-treat, only children do. I certainly don't give out money though.

It makes me sad that my DC are missing out on such a fun holiday -- I have such fond memories of Halloween costumes and trick or treating from my childhood. We also used to collect pennies for UNICEF as children, and people would save their pennies to put in all the children's little orange boxes that went out trick or treating with them.

I think it would help if local councils could do something more proactive. Not just saying who doesn't want to participate, but indicating who does. A more formal method of the pumpkin in the window thing.

I love things that get people out and about, interacting with each other. Shows that we can actually be a community, not just a series of little units.

Round here it's a busy time of year. Big fair at end of sept, street carnival from beginning of November, huge free fireworks display. Halloween is part of all that for my DCs.