What do you give to the trick or treaters?

HariboJunkie

thriftlady wrote: »

Nothing! 'cos I'm a mean old witch and think it is organised begging I do make my kids halloween cupcakes or muffins with lurid orange and purple icing and halloween sweets to decorate. I carve a pumpkin too and we generally make some decorations.

What's the Halloween equivalent of Bah Humbug? Oh, I know...It's Boo Humbug!!:p;):D

We are very lucky where we live in that we only get young children with their parents coming round here and likewise I take my girls round to 3 or 4 of the neighbours who are always delighted to see them. They always make up their own little performance/poem to recite. (the children not the elderly neighbours )

I couldn't give two hoots if it's not an authentic British tradition as, as far as I am concerned I am letting my children have a bit of harmless fun.
If we ignored every tradition that had been adopted over the years we'd all be erecting standing stones in our garden and worshipping the moon. No offence intended to those who DO worship the moon. :silenced:

Edinburghlass_2

It is indeed very much a Scottish tradition, called guising in Scotland and nothing to do with trick or treating and all to do with as Haribo says the kids singing or reciting a poem.

http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_halloween.htm

A turnip latern in the window signifies callers are welcome, no American pumpkins for us!

HariboJunkie

Edinburghlass wrote: »

It is indeed very much a Scottish tradition, called guising in Scotland and nothing to do with trick or treating and all to do with as Haribo says the kids singing or reciting a poem.

http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_halloween.htm

A turnip latern in the window signifies callers are welcome, no American pumpkins for us!

I'm Irish so I like to do potato lanterns.

I always do lanterns (pumpkin...but my excuse is that OH was born in the USA) on the gateposts and decorate the porch with cobwebs and spiders to welcome the guisers. I LOVE Halloween.

LameWolf

HariboJunkie wrote: »

No offence intended to those who DO worship the moon. :silenced:

None taken.:o

delain

I got given a loose weetabix once but we lived in a road of 48 houses in an otherwise very isolated area so it was a lot of kids going round a small road, think they were new to the street and did not realise they would get cleaned out

I've bought sweets, I always do. I'm a big softie!

HariboJunkie

LameWolf wrote: »

None taken.:o

;):D:kisses3:...................

KittyBoo_2

MrsE wrote: »

Freezer even:D

I chipped a tooth eating a frozen Mars bar.:o

miss_independent

Edinburghlass wrote: »

A turnip latern in the window signifies callers are welcome, no American pumpkins for us!

So this is why my Scottish mum bought me a turnip to carve when I was little!

I thought she was just being stingy! When I was little (25 now) my friend and I got dressed up and no one opened there door to us - we weren't begging we were just two seven year olds wanting to do our party piece for people. I'll never forget how sad I was that I'd dressed up and practiced and no one wanted to know. When I was 10 we went to America and I was out at the shops on Halloween night, no costume because I didn't think anyone would bother, and I'll never forget the kindness of the people to me. They made such a fuss of me, giving me sweets and saying lovely things. I think they thought my parents didn't love me though because I wasn't dressed up and I didn't have a trick or treat bag lol! And I was so quiet and shy unlike the American kids - I remember saying "I'm sorry its very kind of you but I'm not allowed to accept sweets from strangers." and they were like "its Halloween. Do you not dress up and get candy at Halloween?" They honestly thought it was the saddest thing they had heard. I'll never forget how special they made me feel and so I always give sweets to the kids at Halloween who knock on the door (I make up bags from haribo and milky way stars and put them in a pumpkin basket). Last year I put a sign up saying " No Trick or Treaters after 8pm please". I just think that its something kids will remember when they grow up as a fun and special time so I like to get in the spirit of things.

piglet6

We always get some mini fun-size chocolate bars in (I saw an Asda advert on TV earlier today saying that they are selling 3 bags for £3, so will try and get some of those later - before they sell out towards the end of the week!!). We have lived here for 12 years, and bought chocolates for the first couple of years and nobody turned up. The third year we didn't bother...and of course, kids knocked the door all night. :rotfl: Felt so bad (some of them had really made a lot of effort with their costumes and were so sweet and polite!) that we ended up giving out all our change - cost a fortune!!! :rolleyes:

Since then, I have always bought things in - if they don't get used, I give them to the neighbouring kids or take them into work the next day (and eat a few myself because I'm not a saint! ).

We do get a huge age range (from a toddler last year who was in a decorated pushchair being pushed by his parents - who looked to be in their teens themselves) up to larger groups of 14-15yr old boys (I admit I do find some of these a bit intimidating... :eek:), and I find that the funsize chocolate bars are always well received by everybody, so for £3 for peace of mind, I think that's what I'll stick with!

Piglet

nopot2pin

Asda have got boxes of Walkers crips for £3 - I think there's 32 packs in the box.
I have given out crisps before, and they are always greatly received.