HALLOWEEN - MNHQ WANT YOUR TOP TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE 31ST

[AbbyMumsnet]

Hi all, we're putting together a Halloween guide and, as ever, would like to enlist your invaluable support. Please place your top tips here.

The sort of things we want to cover include:

What to do if you hate Halloween. Hide and turn the lights out?
How to make the most of it - decorating tips/costume tips etc etc
If you stay in but want to partake, how can you make things more fun for visiting kids? Scary music and Scream masks?
What are your fave party games?
Party food - got any good recipes?
Best way to carve a pumpkin.
What to do with the pumpkin you have just carved out.
Acceptable tricks to play - are there any?
* Top tips for safe and successful trick or treating: Do you only go to houses that have a pumpkin outside? Should you always aim for the posh houses owned by Americans - or just the road leading up towards school?

Over to you, oh wise ones...

What are soul cakes? (Is Marvin Gaye involved, in spirit form obviously?)

Bit like a hot cross bun Abby.

Pre-reformation tradition to leave them on the doorstep for beggars. Sometimes people would go 'souling' - in exchange for the soul cakes they would say prayers for the dead.

I hate it.

Dish out apples. The word gets ropuond if you do this every year - after 3 years nobody bothers any more

bumping again - thanks for all your help so far.

Have a" please don't ring bell - baby asleep" sign on door

BUMP

Disconnect door bell, pull curtain across door and ignore. Or do what DH did when asked "Trick or treat?" He replied "trick", went upstairs and threw a bucketful of water out of the window.
Otherwise, collect all mouldy old sweets and boxes of raisins, toys from out of cereal packets etc, and offer them to the trick or treaters in semi darkness.

if you live in an area where you get teens coming for sweets - and then they come back again later wearing a different mask becuae they think your as thick as shit....then only give out tangerines - guarenteed for young ones to say "thank - you" and put in bag - fairly pleased - and mums should be pleased too ( if they have anyhting about them - and if they dont fuck'em)
THE BIGGEST BONUS is that the teenagers dont bother knocking again.

i have another becuase i and JUST that good.

hollow out a pumpkin

put jelly inside to set

take out when gets gloopy/mushy - add lollypops ( sugar free from the chemist)

put inside

when the kids come to the door - you tell them to root inside the pumkin BRAINS for the lolly.

they love it - did it last year they thought twas fabola extreme

wonderful stuff purpleduck and custy ... love ANYTHING like that - although all I usually end up doing is a jackolantern!

I may have to make an effort this year (or earmark this thread for future years when dd etc older!)

Any tips about staying safe, areas to avoid etc? Party games? Acceptable tricks?

take your kids to the posh houses - they give more money

Don't go to Chair of PTA's house for a 12.30 meeting about Xmas Bazaar when she is having a 1.30 Halloween party organising meeting. You will not be able to leave and WILL end up roped in to decorate school on the night before and help out at the party on the day. Sigh.

Pumpkin is reportedly a tremendous aphrodisiac, I remember reading every year.

Or was that red wine?? Ithink it was the pumpkin thing.

go elsewhere

unscrew doorbell

screw crucifix to door

Well, I think we have enough deterrents now... what about some positive advice

ok.

Pumpkin is reportedly a tremendous aphrodisiac, I remember reading every year.

Your top tips in the times yesterday

Damn it, the first (and probably only) time I get quoted in The Times and they aren't attributed to our names

All trick or treaters welcome at mine, we will decorate the house with rats, spiders, cobwebs, ghosts, skeletons, and a whole host of other things.
This afternoon we are going to carve pumpkins, (Halloween party tomorrow) and we will dress up.

I am a church going Christian, but I do not see the harm in a few kids dressing as witches and knocking on my door.

My two do go trick of treating with some friends and daddy and the rules are, never eat anything till mum and dad have "inspected it" and only sweets in wrappers.

I did give 'em your names, honest! Thanks all for all your help

My top tip is;

dont open your door after school leaving time and deny all knowledge to your children that there is such thing as Halloween.

I promise that your name was all over the copy sent over - but they had to cut everything back to fit, hence no name check Sorry!