Dreading Halloween...

tea_lover

Those of us that hate it can sit in the back of our houses, lit only by the glow of MSE and chat to each other till it's all over

poppycracker

I've never 'done' Halloween. Words cant describe how much I dislike the whole 'custom'. We never went guising when we were young, and dont encourage visitors now either. Luckily I will be working, DH is so deaf that he has the TV up too high to hear knocking, and the doorbell died a while ago and we haven't got round to replacing the batteries . So thats the little darlings scuppered.

mrcow

I absolutely hate trick or treating too.

There is no way I'd let my kids go round knocking on doors of strangers asking for sweets.

I also think it's an extremely intimidating time for thousands of householders up and down the country. I used to be a neighbourhood watch coordinator and it's eye opening to hear how frightened some people get that week.

I go out. Turn all the light off and don't come back until after 9pm. We'll probably go out for some food, but the cinema sounds good if you're alone. Watch two films back to back!

Prothet_of_Doom

Last year was the first year in 20 that I didn't escort some child around our estate, be it my own or thier cousins.
Unfortunately that meant it was the first year I was in, to have the local kids come knocking. I dressed up as a zombie and opened the door with a high pitched scream, yelling that I'd drink thier blood if they were not in costume. Most burst into tears and ran off. Those that didn't got a single boiled sweet. Wurthers originals I think.

Make-it-3

If its little ones properly dressed up, being polite and with parents its fine. But unfortunately you don't know who you are going to get when you answer the door.

I stopped answering/giving sweets a couple of years ago after some older thugs who had about one mask between them decided they didn't want a chocolate bar each, threw them back at us and then when we had shut the door decided to throw large stones at the windows. We were lucky nothing broke, but it shook me up and decided that was it.

I don't turn the lights out and sit in fear though, plenty of people leave their lights on even if they aren't at home. Just ignore the doorbell/knocking, even in the past when I did answer the door I often found that groups ring on a door then disappear off to ring on the next one already, I guess they expect that many people won't bother answering.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

We've got a band rehearsal at my house on Halloween night. I'll have a couple of bags of sweets and don't mind teenagers - they love Halloween and trick or treating as well, but if they don't have little brothers or sisters, they miss out until they're 18 and can go to bars or clubs.

Mind you, with the size of our drummer, the odds on anybody getting lairy are fairly slim...

adouglasmhor

Caroline_a wrote: »

I hate Halloween too - nasty American import. Trick or treat indeed.... (bah, humbug)...

My solution. 2 large dogs whose outline you can see through the door when you knock. Works every time...

Halloween went to America from Scotland, Ireland and the North of England, it had just about died out when I was a kid then it got brought back again, though when I was a kid you didn't do trick or treat you went "guising" and you had to sing a song or do a joke to get your treats, none of this extorsrion carry on.

chelseablue

Im not too keen on Haloween either but I live in a flat at the moment so dont have to worry about it yet.

I never did it when I was young as my parents wouldnt let us, and if people came knocking they didnt answer. Nobody ever egged our house

I agree with whoever said above how you teach your kids not to accept things from strangers but on 31st October its suddenly ok

Im currently pregnant with my 1st baby and me and other half are both in agreement that we dont like Haloween and wont be taking our son/daughter trick or treating. I can hear them moaning about us already!

aileth

Well, here's to hoping it absolutely p*sses it down on the 31st. That'll dissuade them I bet.

mrcow

chelseablue wrote: »

I can hear them moaning about us already!

My kids have never moaned. They don't have to go round knocking on the doors of strangers in order to get sweets. I can buy them sweets myself if they need them.

It's the other parents who are the general problem. Those who just don't understand the word "no".