So I have a Halloween MN name - but what do people do on halloween? Apart from trick or treating, which I HATE?

[bloodysideup]

DS is four and is really into the whole Halooween scene, loves all the ghoulish costumes/skeletons etc.

But how do people mark Halloween? I refuse to take him trick or treating as I can't abide the idea; what else do people do?

Since he's been born we used to go to a Halloween party at a friend's but we have moved areas and can't go this year, haven't quite got such a good group in new area so no party invites forthcoming...

just wondered if anyone has creative ideas for how we could mark the day with DS?

i dont go trick/treating but we are all dressing up at home and havin a buffet and playing a few games like apple bobbing,unlucky raffle etc...we put up halloween posters and balloons,just got some ghost lights from aldi today.we ask a few family members round so its more relaxed.the kids love it.mine are 4 and 2.they are dressing as pumpkins.asda have cheap halloween stuff so do tesco.

What food do you make for your buffet, any scary food ideas?

we used to always celebrate halloween at home in a low key way (30 years ago this was before trick or treating was heard of ) - apple bobbing definitely, eating doughnuts hanging on a string, made a pumpkin lamp but we never had a pumpkin so my Mum used to make it out of a Swede which must have been really tricky! and one year one of their friends dressed up as a witch and scared the living daylights out of us all

nowt.

might get some apples out this year though if the kids are lucky.

I dont agree with trick or treating but i still like to do something for the dd's so we will have an evening pretty much like mummy115 ,with a buffet and the dd's dressing up.
dd1 is a witch and dd2 is her cat
The costumes were from the Birthdays shop and were half price.
We have m&S halloween themed cakes and stuff for the buffet and some decorations from tesco just for a bit of atmosphere.
Great, typing 'atmosphere 'has made me get Russ Abbotts song stuck in my head.

I love halloween and ds will be missing out on the nursery halloween party so we will be making a jack-o-lantern to put in the window, doing some 'scary' paintings and making fairy cakes with green icing!!

I've 'done' a pumpkin with DS this year and last year (he's only just 3) but apart from that I don't really want to go into the whole 'oooh let's be scared tonight' saga as he's in the phase of asking questions about everything and I'm worried that I'll say something that will inadvertently give him nightmares. He's away at his dad's anyway so I'll just stop in with a giant tub of funsize chocolate bars and wait up till stupid o'clock (9pm in my book!) being held hostage in my own house by prepubescent schoolkids who threaten to egg my windows unless I give them sweets!

We have 2 reception friends and their younger sibs joining my DCs aged 2, 3 & 5 for pumpkin carving, Halloween tattoos (BakerRoss), some halloween sticker craft-things and dressing-up (ofcourse). If it's not raining we'll have a bonfire, put the pumpkins outside as it'll be dark by about 5pm (sorry ) and cook some sausages for tea. We won't be bothering the neighbours or throwing eggs (just as well, neighbour is a judge)!

Oh yes, and I'll be rounding it off by reading Room on the Broom and Winnie-the-Witch in front of the fire (indoors).

Well I'll be dressing up as Jake the Peg.

i am a total misery at halloween I HATE IT! I lock my door and dont answer it to anyone at halloween. Ive got kids but dont think it is right to take them round doors trick or treating.

oh thanks everyone for these ideas; Glad to hear it isn't just me who hates trick or treating. I find it totally pointless, just kids knocking on the door to be given a sweet - wtf? If it was a good chance for neighbours to get to know eachother then maybe there's a point but I've never had a trick or treater who came with a parent, usually they have been older kids...and I know older people can find this makes them very nervous actually.

I will go along with many of you who keep it basically as something within the house, just decorate the place a bit and let DS dress up basically! Some great ideas, thanks again.

We do nothing. I think it is a ridiculous thing to celebrate. Really gets up my nose that it has been turned into some massive commercial venture these days.
Sorry, I'm not usually a misery about such matters but I really, really dislike it.

harrumph Malory. We are the local family-no-mates obviously as haven't been invited anywhere.

Can we come with you?

Bugsy, I do know where you are coming from about it being a commercial thing mainly...in our last home we used to turn all the lights off and pretend to be out as the local yoofs would use it as a chance to stand menacingly at the door asking for sweets - there isn't much joy and celebration when you're cowering in a darkened room is there!!! However we are in a much more genteel area now so we'll see what happens......

I always make a tea breac cake for Halloween into which I put money and a ring and various other bits and pieces so we can tell what the year ahead is going to be like.

Ring means you are going to marry
Money means you are going to be rich
rag mean poverty
sick indicate a fight

erm cant remember any more. Must go look it up

put a spoonful of icecream in cola or dandelion/burdoch it foams up and looks great.cakes with green icing or blue.sausages whatever.games...everyone gets a raffle ticket with a number at end of night one picked and they have to put hand in cold porridge to find a prize.luck dip with sweets hidden in cold spaghetti.spooky disco.have fun....

Why not have your own little party - maybe meet some new people?