Trick or treaters and those who dont partake in it

looksee

Whats with all the judgment of how people do halloween? Some do, some don't, doesn't mean anyone else has to have an opinion on it.

I had sweets ready but no kids called. I did not have decorations up, but I never do and kids have called other years. Just no kids around this area, this year.

Wizard!

I am from Greece. We do not have Halloween, but we have a similar custom on Christmas eve and New Years eve. Kids knock on our doors, singing songs accompanied by tubular bells. In older days we used to give them homemade traditional treats, nowadays most of us giving cash (and we have many incidents of thieves attacking kids during this period! :mad: )

I love this custom, since it reminds us of our childhood and if you have been walking for 3-4 hours singing songs to get some treats (or your new Playmobil Pirate Ship), we really understand the effort those kids are giving for their reward. Since our cities our overpopulated, and nothing like the estates here, we do not know where those kids are coming from but we really do not care.

We moved in Ireland 4 months ago, so no more Christmas callers for us. So, even though we weren't home on Saturday, we left a basket full of treats outside our door and a note saying "take your treats...". Me and my wife were anxious to see if the treats were gone, because we wanted some kids to be happy. Fortunately, by the time we returned home, the basket was empty. I do not know if this action was appreciated, or some kids thought "free treats, yeah! let's get them all", but we did our part and we liked it. Some customs need to live throughout the years, cause they are part of each country's culture and since Halloween is of Irish origin, I think is very important to keep doing it.

Just my 2c.

1hnr79jr65

Don't have kids, don't want other peoples kids calling to door.

Door knocker was removed 4 years ago and i disable the door bell the night before halloween and put it back together a week later, i like my quiet time.

smash

valoren wrote: »

You can't be answering the door with no sweeties left

Time to start turning tricks then!



Oh, wait...

_Kaiser_

Grandeeod wrote: »

THIS.

Witnessed it on Saturday night. Cars parked all over the friggin place as the assault from outside the area began. Mammies and large groups of kids racing to get ahead of the next group. My missus and daughter went around the estate with other local kids, so I stayed at home to answer the door. I ran out of stuff within 40 odd minutes. Then I just stood on the doorstep smoking a ciggie. I think it unintentionally gave the impression I was some weirdo as the Mammies ushered their kids onto the next house.:D

Mr Eastwood, I'm a big fan!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lza9umRPuF1qlconpo1_500.gif

Milly33

I always end up so disappointed at Halloween I love it and decorate the house ever year like all out. Put a sign out the first year to say trick r treaters welcome and still I only got about three. Done nothing this year decorating wise as we didn't have time but got sweets in and not one caller.. I saw all the kids passing...

spurious

We (well, herself) bought supplies this year and not one little beggar came. I've just finished the fifteenth little Haribo bag. I feel a bit ill.

Milly33

see you go to the effort and the little buggers don't call then.. I always feel so sad after even after eating all the sugar

Dirty Dingus McGee

allibastor wrote: »

Hey all,

A quick thing I would like to ask ( and rant) about.

I noticed a lot of kids out on Saturday doing the trick or treating, but many of the kids I saw are from houses that are blacked out on the night, and don't answer the door to other kids.
I brought my own young ones out and it was shocking the amount of houses whose kids were out trick or treating but didn't have a decoration up or give out anything!

Any one else experience this?

Perhaps some people don't want strange children scrounging at their house.

Surely a better idea for people who's children want to go trick or treating is for the parents in the area to organise for the children involved to go around to their houses only and not be annoying people who don't give a toss about Halloween.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

More Americanized stuff making it's way in rabble rabble

Not really.The tradition originated in Ireland.

It used to be called the hughadas (Irish spelling completely wrong) in our area.

allibastor

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Perhaps some people don't want strange children scrounging at their house.

Surely a better idea for people who's children want to go trick or treating is for the parents in the area to organise for the children involved to go around to their houses only and not be annoying people who don't give a toss about Halloween.

What?

I am not sure you even got my point, I was asking about parents who actively get their kids dressed up and bring them out trick or treating, obviously in full celebration of Halloween but whom then make no effort on their own houses and who refuse to answer the door to other children.
Oh, and in some cases you do see movement in the house from the people who had been out trick or treating earlier, to answer that question.

Badly Drunk Boy

pwurple wrote: »

Our house was dark and undecorated, because we were out with the kids in their costumes. Not knocking on doors, but at a halloween party with bopping for apples, the pile of flour, that kind of thing.

"Shocking" stuff indeed.

My house was dark and un-decorated, because I don't believe in telling kids to go around, getting sweets from strangers while telling them not to take strangers for the rest of the year.


Actually, I just hate people coming to my door and any time of the year. And I tense up when my phone rings. And I don't believe in Hallowe'en decorations. We never had them in my day. I haven't put up Christmas decorations in over 10 years. (I'm a very cheery chap!)

In the past, I usually haven't been home or I only have a few callers, even though I'm in an estate. This year, I didn't have anything in (after I finished the third box of Ferrero Rocher) so I didn't bother answering.

Milly33 wrote: »

I always end up so disappointed at Halloween I love it and decorate the house ever year like all out. Put a sign out the first year to say trick r treaters welcome and still I only got about three. Done nothing this year decorating wise as we didn't have time but got sweets in and not one caller.. I saw all the kids passing...

They obvious heard the stories of you trying too hard. Verrrry suspicious! Or they just heard stories... :pac:

Dirty Dingus McGee

allibastor wrote: »

What?

I am not sure you even got my point, I was asking about parents who actively get their kids dressed up and bring them out trick or treating, obviously in full celebration of Halloween but whom then make no effort on their own houses and who refuse to answer the door to other children.
Oh, and in some cases you do see movement in the house from the people who had been out trick or treating earlier, to answer that question.

I read the post more carefully this time.I see the point you are making.

Best response to that is not hand out any stuff to the families who are sending their children out trick or treating but aren't bothering with it themselves.

allibastor

looksee wrote: »

Whats with all the judgment of how people do halloween? Some do, some don't, doesn't mean anyone else has to have an opinion on it.

I had sweets ready but no kids called. I did not have decorations up, but I never do and kids have called other years. Just no kids around this area, this year.

The " judgement" is the people who do Halloween outside the home, to bring their kids out to get sweets, but who then refuse to do it in their own home.

It is not a judgement to be fair, I just think it is poor form, if you want to bring your kids out trick or treating, you should make a bit of effort at home!

And having an opinion is what boards is all about I thought, no?

iguana

eviltwin wrote: »

I don't decorate the house, I've no interest, the kids have no interest. We still buy in sweets but we didn't get any callers this year. Maybe people think the lack of decorations is a subtle way of saying you don't want people calling. The decorations thing is a relatively new too, very American and nothing wrong with it but not doing it doesn't make you a miserable b@stard.

Where I lived in London the neighbourhood association sent around a newsletter in mid-November with a picture of a pumpkin in it. If you were happy to have callers you stuck the picture on your front door (or otherwise decorated). I thought it was a great idea as those who wanted to participate did and those who didn't were left alone (a lot of people in England just hate Halloween). The kids had fun seeking out the doors with pumpkins on them, you could hear them outside get super excited each time they found one. But we all just had little London Victorian front gardens that are about 3ft deep, so it was easy to see a picture from the pavement.

I definitely think it's more and more common to just go to the decorated houses. You know you will get a good welcome and aren't going to bother anyone else. The two estate near me are full of young children so a lot of houses went all out with fake graves in the front gardens, light shows and lots of fireworks displays. It was amazing.

keithclancy

iguana wrote: »

Where I lived in London the neighbourhood association sent around a newsletter in mid-November with a picture of a pumpkin in it. If you were happy to have callers you stuck the picture on your front door (or otherwise decorated). I thought it was a great idea as those who wanted to participate did and those who didn't were left alone (a lot of people in England just hate Halloween). The kids had fun seeking out the doors with pumpkins on them, you could hear them outside get super excited each time they found one. But we all just had little London Victorian front gardens that are about 3ft deep, so it was easy to see a picture from the pavement.

I definitely think it's more and more common to just go to the decorated houses. You know you will get a good welcome and aren't going to bother anyone else. The two estate near me are full of young children so a lot of houses went all out with fake graves in the front gardens, light shows and lots of fireworks displays. It was amazing.

That's what our neighborhood association does as well.
This year I didn't put it out, nobody called to the door.

Walter Bishop

We went out to dinner to avoid the pesky kids. Got back about 8.45, settled on the couch and some ****er knocks on the door at 9.10. Probably some bollix of a teenager looking for money, that was ignored anyway.

iguana

Walter Bishop wrote: »

We went out to dinner to avoid the pesky kids. Got back about 8.45, settled on the couch and some ****er knocks on the door at 9.10. Probably some bollix of a teenager looking for money, that was ignored anyway.

You should have given them some of your red liquorice.:mad:

eviltwin

allibastor wrote: »

The " judgement" is the people who do Halloween outside the home, to bring their kids out to get sweets, but who then refuse to do it in their own home.

It is not a judgement to be fair, I just think it is poor form, if you want to bring your kids out trick or treating, you should make a bit of effort at home!

And having an opinion is what boards is all about I thought, no?

So if my kids go out and I don't do up my house with plastic crap in the windows that is bad form now?

oppenheimer1

iguana wrote: »

Where I lived in London the neighbourhood association sent around a newsletter in mid-November with a picture of a pumpkin in it. If you were happy to have callers you stuck the picture on your front door (or otherwise decorated). I thought it was a great idea as those who wanted to participate did and those who didn't were left alone (a lot of people in England just hate Halloween). The kids had fun seeking out the doors with pumpkins on them, you could hear them outside get super excited each time they found one. But we all just had little London Victorian front gardens that are about 3ft deep, so it was easy to see a picture from the pavement.

I definitely think it's more and more common to just go to the decorated houses. You know you will get a good welcome and aren't going to bother anyone else. The two estate near me are full of young children so a lot of houses went all out with fake graves in the front gardens, light shows and lots of fireworks displays. It was amazing.

In mid-November??

endacl

If it can't be avoided, simply give out apples and nuts. They won't be back next year.

allibastor

You would be surprised, my young one got 33 cent in coppers in a bag!!-

Diamond Doll

pwurple wrote: »

Our house was dark and undecorated, because we were out with the kids in their costumes. Not knocking on doors, but at a halloween party with bopping for apples, the pile of flour, that kind of thing.

"Shocking" stuff indeed.

allibastor wrote: »

It is a bit if you have no decorations up at all!!!

Actually I think it would be a wee bit mean to go putting up decorations if you know you're not going to be home to give out sweets! Plenty of parents only let their children call to the decorated houses - if you have decorations up, it's generally taken as a sign that you'll be there and happy to get Trick or Treaters on the night.

I wasn't home this year for it ... if I had been, I probably wouldn't have bothered with decorations, but would have bought bags of sweets to hand out. I'm not really bothered with the whole night, but I went Trick or Treating every Halloween when I was a kid, so I guess it feels like good karma or something to participate in it now!

iguana

Diamond Doll wrote: »

Actually I think it would be a wee bit mean to go putting up decorations if you know you're not going to be home to give out sweets! Plenty of parents only let their children call to the decorated houses - if you have decorations up, it's generally taken as a sign that you'll be there and happy to get Trick or Treaters on the night.

I saw some people on another forum complaining that having decorations up never used to be a sign that you accepted trick or treaters!!! They were incensed because they wanted to decorate for Halloween but hate the whole idea of trick or treating. I thought that was really weird as Halloween decorations haven't been around as long as trick or treating (or guising - as the posters complaining were Scottish). If you really want to decorate but don't want to welcome trick or treaters, maybe because you are having a party, it's not that hard to keep your decorations away from the front door and windows/ or close the curtains so they aren't visible from the street. Because a house decorated to celebrate a holiday which for the last couple of hundred years has been primarily about children calling from door to door collecting treats, makes it appear as if you are participating in the tradition.

allibastor

iguana wrote: »

I saw some people on another forum complaining that having decorations up never used to be a sign that you accepted trick or treaters!!! They were incensed because they wanted to decorate for Halloween but hate the whole idea of trick or treating. I thought that was really weird as Halloween decorations haven't been around as long as trick or treating (or guising - as the posters complaining were Scottish). If you really want to decorate but don't want to welcome trick or treaters, maybe because you are having a party, it's not that hard to keep your decorations away from the front door and windows/ or close the curtains so they aren't visible from the street. Because a house decorated to celebrate a holiday which for the last couple of hundred years has been primarily about children calling from door to door collecting treats, makes it appear as if you are participating in the tradition.

Well said!

allibastor

Diamond Doll wrote: »

Actually I think it would be a wee bit mean to go putting up decorations if you know you're not going to be home to give out sweets! Plenty of parents only let their children call to the decorated houses - if you have decorations up, it's generally taken as a sign that you'll be there and happy to get Trick or Treaters on the night.

I wasn't home this year for it ... if I had been, I probably wouldn't have bothered with decorations, but would have bought bags of sweets to hand out. I'm not really bothered with the whole night, but I went Trick or Treating every Halloween when I was a kid, so I guess it feels like good karma or something to participate in it now!

Again, my point was for those who do partake in all that is Halloween, but only outside their own house!

If your not doing it, that is fine, there is no expectation on anyone to do it. What I was asking about was those who bring their kids out to get treats from other houses, but then completely ignore those who call ( not because they are out, but because they ignore the door) and whom dont make any attempt to show they celebrate it at home.

It is why I do a big effort every year, not just for kids now, but as you said, when we were all young we all went out and did trick or treating, why deprive kids now of it?

The King of Moo

I really don't get people who get so annoyed by children trick or treating, to the extent of disconnecting the doorbell!

The doorbell rings. You answer and there's three little children there mumbling "Hallowe'en/Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, please put mmm mmm..." and they hold their hand out. You say "Ooh, what a scary ghost/mummy/pirate etc." and give them sweets. You close the door and twenty minutes later repeat the same brief interaction with human beings which brings some happiness to children with minimal cost in terms of time, money or effort.

How hard is that?

acb121

Here is what I don't get.

Kids are told from a very young age not to accept sweets from strange men.

Then, one night a year they ring the doorbells of peadophiles and actually ask for sweets ?

OldNotWIse

acb121 wrote: »

Here is what I don't get.

Kids are told from a very young age not to accept sweets from strange men.

Then, one night a year they ring the doorbells of peadophiles and actually ask for sweets ?

And at Christmas it is acceptable for a man to let himself into the house while you are sleeping and deposit presents at the foot of your bed while you sleep :eek:

Ghost Buster

allibastor wrote: »

Hey all,

A quick thing I would like to ask ( and rant) about.

I noticed a lot of kids out on Saturday doing the trick or treating, but many of the kids I saw are from houses that are blacked out on the night, and don't answer the door to other kids.
I brought my own young ones out and it was shocking the amount of houses whose kids were out trick or treating but didn't have a decoration up or give out anything!

Any one else experience this?

Any other newly adopted American customs you feel we should all observe.