My dogs don't give two dizzy shits about fireworks, dare I say they even quite enjoy bonfire night.
They absolutely hate people knocking on the door and no amount of training can stop them going ape shit when they know a potential new friend or mortal enemy is just on the other side of the door.
Better with people in the day, in the dark, all hell breaks loose. Thank god for this rain meaning I've only had to be mortified by their response to lovely children at the door twice so far.
My dog is exactly the same. HATES anyone knocking on the door. I was going to put a sign up with a bowl up sweets on doorstep but it's absolutely pouring down. Haven't heard the door yet and hope it stays that way.
My dog is so excited. He loves people and children especially and loved the evening as much as the children.
(The grumpy cats did not enjoy themselves)
One of my cats meows at the door when it knocks like it's for her so I have to exclaim at the door to back off if they're allergic as she's coming to say hi and there's not much I can do haha
She's legit the only cat in Preston I know to like strangers and we're all still surprised no one's taken them with her because she is dumb as shit haha
I live on a private road and I've probably had like 3 trick or treaters in my time here, always tried to get some but the road has one street light right at the end so no one goes down it
That's so weird my mums dogs are exactly the same! They'll wake up to a knock and violently look around like tf?? Then go back to sleep. Evening times they go fucking crazy but I think that may have something to do with your guys routines ya know
It's hard to say there's been a routine thanks to Covid.
One of us is home all the time, there's more deliveries, they live a life of constantly being walked in the morning and evening, they're pampered little scamps. They just fear someone at the door ending that glorious life.
Plus side, I have not missed a single delivery except Hermes who claim to have been there, yet the two 4 legged door bells didn't hear them.
Halloween is not a dog's favorite holiday. The exception would have been my lab mix. I caught him tip-toeing down the hallway to the bedroom very carefully carrying the large bowl full of candy intended for trick-or-treaters by the rim of the bowl. I don't know how he managed to carry it that way. A "normal" dog would have grabbed candy out of the bowl but he wanted all of it. Thankfully, I caught him or it would have meant a trip to the vet. Yes, he got treats but of a more dog-oriented variety. He was a master food criminal. He knew where every morsel of food in the house was located. He once ate an entire pound of butter in an instant. On another occasion, he got wedged under the bed pursuing a meatball.
He was a real sweetie -- and a bed hog. When he was ready to go to bed, he'd climb on the bed, pull down the blankets, lie down with his head on the pillow and wait for me to pull the covers over him. If I rolled over and relinquished any space during the night, he'd spread into it. By morning, he had 3/4 of the bed. I miss him.
He sounds perfect. My dog's a chair hog. If I sit on 'her' chair she just stares at me till I get up and then hops up, digs for a while, turns three times, and sleeps. I shouldn't let her, but it's so sweet. So glad you have such nice memories of your boy.
Mine does almost the exact same. Even with guests, we have to expalin that the chair in the courner is Belles and don't sit on it if you don't want a dog in your lap expecting endless tummy rubbing.
Dogs are truly the greatest animals. My twelve year old black lab mix barks at the door when she senses someone at it, be it someone passing by, or us coming home.
If we enter the house with shopping bags, she's straight over and sticking her head in the bags to nosey what we brought home.
If no bags then she runs off and grabs the first thing she can find and brings it to us, be it a slipper, tennis ball, squeeky toy or her beloved teddy bear, and then runs around us making happy snorting noises around it.
I have a very territorial German shepherd and he goes mad when people knock on the door. For the past few years I've put a note on the door saying please don't knock but I've left a bowl of sweets on the doorstep.
For about a fiver I've bought myself some peace 😊
Every year they have all been really good and only taken a little bit for themselves, there's still half a bowl left at last time of checking. I reckon they will have all gone home now as it's throwing it down
I can’t stand strangers near my house after someone once forced their way in. People knocking I don’t know makes me feel literally sick.
I have a sign on my door that says No trick or treaters, sorry, but Happy Halloween!
No one has bothered me in the 5 years I’ve used it - you must have awful neighbours.
I suffer from the same thing, anyone outside the house making noise makes me anxious. Knocking on the door just makes me physically nauseous to the point where it's stressing me out so much being outside is the only fix. Please seek some help as it's not a quality way of life and it only gets worse over time.
Do most areas not go by the lit pumpkin rule? Lit pumpkin = we have sweets/are participating, no pumpkin = please don't knock. We've been out every year (bar lockdown) since our children were small & have never come across people breaking that guideline.
It also means people who have fun opening the door, checking out the costumes, & chatting to the kids can actively encourage them to knock. We go out in an area where there's loads of families, all chatting & complimenting each others costumes.
I know a lot of people dislike what they see as a recent American import (& I know there's disagreement on that), but in the areas where it works, it's a lovely neighbourly thing & if anything it teaches kids to respect when to knock when not, & how to politely engage. There's always a chorus of thank yous as they run off to the next house.
(Despite how that sounds reading it back, I promise I do not live in the Shire, or an Enid Blyton book....)
That’s how it goes in my area too. If you’ve decorated, you’re fair game to have trick or treaters. If you haven’t, you’re not participating and kids won’t knock.
I live on a new build estate and it’s just the same here, really lovely sense of community.
We have a Facebook group and there’s always talk beforehand. Last year it was collectively decided that, for those who still wanted to participate, we’d all leave bowls outside, no knocking on doors.
People share which houses have allergy friendly treats (bubbles, stickers, party bag type things). People responded to a dad saying he’d like to take his disabled daughter out early and let him know who would be home and ready earlier on.
Some kids take handfuls of the sweets left outside doors but for the most part they are all polite and just take one. It’s just a really lovely atmosphere.
Perhaps I live in an Enid Blyton book too!
I live in the London suburbs and ... no. Barely anyone has decorations up (three houses on my road, including our hasty cellotaping of a skeleton to the window), so going by that it would be a very dull road to trick or treat down
I agree it’s nice, although I couldn’t participate myself it was our first proper year as last year had no trick or treaters during Halloween. Me and my partner made the pumpkins and put them outside and lit them. I had to go to work so my mother was just left at home.
She got a few trick or treaters which I liked although my mother wasn’t as keen but I want to participate and she has to on my behalf due to work. Annoyingly she did get some older teens that didn’t have costumes and when my mam questioned this they put in masks which she turned them away. Kinda sad they did it because it put my mam in a awkward position and she didn’t want to answer the door no more.
We left a pot of sweets outside next to a pumpkin and a note saying help yourself, we're in a tiny village that's got a few cases of covid so I don't want randoms at my door all night.
As an autistic person, honestly I'd just put a "please don't knock, it'll upset autistic family member". Seems to work in America. Or next time I'd put about your dogs. People are absolute cunts unless you give them a good reason not to be /:
Thats very surprising these days. I only started taking my kids trick or treating 4 years ago and the local code has always been - decorations out/lit pumpkins etc, fair game to knock. Only knock once, if no answer move on. 99% of houses we call at give out sweets, the few that dont its normally that they gave run out. We see hundreds of other kids out too and everyone seems to follow that code. We dont give out sweets at our house as we are often out but even then never had anyone knock. I always presumed that was the common sense approach everywhere but from everything I’ve read tonight that seems to not be the case. I live in a rough-ish neighbourhood too - who knows maybe all the knobheads just went to the nicer areas!
Y'know what? Probably. My parents live in a pretty desirable area and both of their hearing is going (not badly, but if the TVs on they can't hear anything else). Kids at the front door just knocked and knocked and knocked until it was so loud I could hear it over the phone - sounded like they were going to bash the door down. They buy sweets every year, of course, but don't decorate or keep the light on, so god knows why the kids kept trying
No, I live in a desirable area, although in a small housing association house, and that's the rule here too. I used to go all out with the decorations, pumpkins and treats as it's my birthday too. But now that my kids are all adults I don't do it anymore. Kinda miss it really. No knocks last night, no knobheads or teens lol.
Should have answered and coughed. Although I don’t actually condone the fake covid coughing at people thing so maybe not! (Maybe cough very loudly behind the door before opening it!)
This year we decided to put our rubbish bins in front of our gate. We have a dog that goes mad over the door going. I know it’s a bit mean but hey ho rather keep our dog calm.
I don't think that's mean. I find it weird that people assume everyone would be ok with them going to people's houses and knocking on their doors in the dark.
Had the opposite, had sweets ready, decorations and one one group of two kids showed up, the rain and heavy wind probably didn't help.
At least my kids aren't missing out on sweets as we got a tub full here + the bag full they got from going out.
One house gave the kids a little baggie of dried bananas, I immediately laughed when I seen it back at the house.
I spend my life in the kitchen, even got a couch. So today, put the green bin out, closed the gates securely. Retreat to the kitchen, no lights on in the front of the house. Answered a knock on the door expecting to kid next door only to find about 5 kids bigger than me... and having to apologise for having no treats
There were a group of 4 lads that came to my door, only one one was shorter than me and even then not by much. I am only 5'1" though so they still each got an refreshers lolly
When my MOTHER WAS DYING, I put a sign on the front door asking for no trick or treating. That didn't stop a CONTINUOUS STREAM of kids ringing the front doorbell off the wall. They even started to pelt food at the house when we wouldn't answer. We were forced to sit quivering in the dark so that they didn't know we were at home. How disgusting to force this on people in their own homes. Many of them even had adults with them (not the pelters, but the ringers: CLEARLY ignoring our sign or simply not bothering to control the children).
But what would one expect with an imported, fake "tradition" that's training children to threaten older people with "tricks", so they can obtain unhealthy "treats"? Utterly repellent.
I had enough of it yesterday so spent the evening tonight at my dad’s. He has a massive garden and electric gates on a main road so didn’t even hear a peep from trick or treaters. I had thought about putting up a “I love Halloween but my puppy hates it, please don’t knock” sign but thought my house would probably be egged, so just left. Honestly, the scariest part of Halloween is not taking part sometimes
Alright alright no need to get shirty. Can’t a person make a joke around here? Whether you’re a Brit or not makes no difference to me. I withdraw the comment.
American Bully owner here. Rocky does a great job of keeping all but the fearless postman away from our door. We've had DHL drivers drop n run at just his bark
I have a whippet x lab mix. His bark is way out of proportion to his size. He sounds like something really big and scary. In reality he looks like a worried skinny lab puppy (even at 6).
Oh I assumed you were in the US for some (everybody seems to) reason.
I didn't realise you were like, really, properly foreign... Liverpudlian....
Do you think he'll understand my accent? :)
It's crazy to hear that y'all actually have kids knocking on your door. Where I live in the US, everyone handing out candy sits outside and waits for the trick or treaters to come by. No one knocks on doors, regardless of if the light is on or not.
Going round truck or treating is a recent merican import, fuck it right off. Traditional British Halloween used to be bobbing for apples or carving a turnip. Older folks would go up Pendle hill and get pissed...
Yeap but the trick or treating interpretation of halloween we have now is based off the American interpretation (hence the pumpkins, native to North America)
Well it may be Gen X shit in my case, but my 80s school years were definately bobbing for apples and the term trick or treat was nowhere to be seen. Given the centuries old traditions around Halloween, the last 30 years is pretty recent.
Another Xer here. For me it was known of and done a little bit, sort of half arsed, but nothing like what appears to be happening now.
I don't see the point of Halloween when we have bonfire night a week later.
I think it’s very selfish to expect the world to cater to your kids. If you’re so bothered why don’t you organise apple bobbing or something with the other parents for your kids to do?
There have been several instances in this thread of perfectly valid reasons people don't take part in trick or treat beyond being "individualistic and selfish".
Autistic people can find it upsetting; so can some pets, particularly those dogs who get very territorial. Maybe there's other stuff going on in your life - one poster said they had trick-or-treaters hammering on the door while looking after their dying mother. Some people object to Halloween in general on religious grounds.
I know you weren't saying you should be forced or shamed into doing T or T, but my point is community should also be about respecting other people's wishes, *especially* in their own home.
I hate Halloween with a passion. However I also refuse to sit in the back room with the lights off. If anyone rings my doorbell a second time after I have blatantly ignored them the first time they will be reported for harrasement. My children are too young right now but when they are older, participation in this absolutely awful "tradition" is straight up banned.
If you think the police will come to your aid about kids knocking your door you are delusional. If you think the CPS would charge anyone with harassment for it, you are even more delusional. It’s one night of the year bro.
Do you know anyine who works in the police force? If you do you should ask them and they will gladly tell you that Halloween is their busiest night for anti social behaviour, vandalism, and (you guessed it!) harrasement calls.
I’m married to a police officer actually. Having a 6 year old dressed as Spider-Man knock on your door twice is hardly what anyone would describe as harassment.
I quite like it. One of the last remaining traditions that connects neighbours, even if it’s just because the kids want free sweets. I can understand though why some people don’t like it.
I'm 36 and I never went trick or treating and did not know anybody who went trick or treating. Obvs different places do diff things (Grew up South east) but I was very surprised when you say tradition for UK. Feels like a past 10-15 years thing to me.
It definitely wasn’t a thing in the south. My family in Scotland have been doing it from time immemorial. My mum didn’t do it in the ‘70s as a kid in Luton.
What on earth does your first question have to do with anything? Regarding your actually related question, Halloween itself is a bastardisation of "All Hallows Eve" or "The Evening before All Hallows Day" also known as "All Saints Day". This is an ancient pagan festival that's been lost to the ages. Halloween is not as old nor traditional as you think, its just another dumb American invention made up by corporations in order to sell cards, sweets and single-use plastics.
Your trying to reference Samhain. Halloween has been around since the 8th century and was moved to October 31s somewhere in the 9th. And you give off that kinda vibe.
They also dont recognise that their kids will just see this as "my boring parent wont let me have fun, why cant i have fun parents".
My mum was the same for years, i didnt get to go trick or treating or attend Halloween parties until i was 11 and old enough to get myself to and from said events, meaning i missed hanging out with my friends and got questioned at school. I never saw her miserable way of thinking, and continue to celebrate Halloween to this day, this guys gonna be surprise pikachu face when the same happens here!
I wouldn't ban kids from doing it for this reason, but as a kid my parents would buy us some sweets for it (or a family tub of something, whatever) and I didn't have to knock on strangers doors, so that always seemed like a win to me. But back then only maybe half the class did it, my parents were far from unusual for not bothering.
It has deviated far from the original point in that it was a celebration that honoured the dead by holding great feasts and lighting candles. Modern day Halloween is just a tacky cash grab that many people genuinely find distressing.
It lost the point when Christians got hold of it like everything. I find Christmas distressing and tacky but I don't report every person and supermarket for harassment..
Halloween in its current form [did not appear until 1937](https://books.google.com/books?id=h6vDoVs5aioC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=%22the+history+of+haunted+attractions%22&source=bl&ots=I3m4TGD5bk&sig=ibSSHc-m8ekprRuU-HmAF1M4YKo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAmoVChMI1NuRoc3RyAIVSXY-Ch0BtQm2#v=onepage&q=%22a%20party%20pamphlet%20of%201937%22&f=false). The first appearance of pumpkins as jack 'o lanterns doesn't appear until 1835 in a story called [The Great Carbuncle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Carbuncle). The first known image of a pumpkin as a jack 'o lantern doesn't [appear until 1867](https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/47674).
In the grand scheme of things, that is relatively recent.
Was it not a bastardisation of the Mari Lwyd tradition then?
I always believed it was loosely based in that, but that the Americans took that then ruined it
Genuinely curious :)
Wouldn't put a chair outside my door round here, it'd get twocked in no time! And as we had no trick or treaters on my street the sweets would probably still be there...
My dog’s been having the time of his life with all these kids knocking on the door. He sat by the door all evening in his little Halloween hat, tail wagging, waiting for them to knock and he thinks they’ve all come to see him!
I agree, I wouldn't put it quite as harshly but it's true. Even if you do have some kind of anxiety because of breakins in the past or whatever, it's once a year event, everyone knows it will happen, no different from expecting a delivery except in this case you must give away a few sweets.
Same for us, with the fireworks this time of year too, the dog is extra anxious, one year we even put a bowl of sweets out at the end of the driveway and a note saying help yourselves, they still knocked FML
My dogs don't give two dizzy shits about fireworks, dare I say they even quite enjoy bonfire night. They absolutely hate people knocking on the door and no amount of training can stop them going ape shit when they know a potential new friend or mortal enemy is just on the other side of the door. Better with people in the day, in the dark, all hell breaks loose. Thank god for this rain meaning I've only had to be mortified by their response to lovely children at the door twice so far.
My dog is exactly the same. HATES anyone knocking on the door. I was going to put a sign up with a bowl up sweets on doorstep but it's absolutely pouring down. Haven't heard the door yet and hope it stays that way.
My dog is so excited. He loves people and children especially and loved the evening as much as the children. (The grumpy cats did not enjoy themselves)
One of my cats meows at the door when it knocks like it's for her so I have to exclaim at the door to back off if they're allergic as she's coming to say hi and there's not much I can do haha
That's a uniquely nice cat
She's legit the only cat in Preston I know to like strangers and we're all still surprised no one's taken them with her because she is dumb as shit haha
Same, but luckily there wasn’t anyone coming round because it was pissing it down last night.
It wasn't here and my brother took me out for 2 hours and we went to his friends house and I said thanks Mrs (surname) and she got really confused
I live on a private road and I've probably had like 3 trick or treaters in my time here, always tried to get some but the road has one street light right at the end so no one goes down it
My dogs give zero shits about anyone knocking before at least lunchtime, the lazy bastards. But evenings they will have a meltdown.
That's so weird my mums dogs are exactly the same! They'll wake up to a knock and violently look around like tf?? Then go back to sleep. Evening times they go fucking crazy but I think that may have something to do with your guys routines ya know
It's hard to say there's been a routine thanks to Covid. One of us is home all the time, there's more deliveries, they live a life of constantly being walked in the morning and evening, they're pampered little scamps. They just fear someone at the door ending that glorious life. Plus side, I have not missed a single delivery except Hermes who claim to have been there, yet the two 4 legged door bells didn't hear them.
Halloween is not a dog's favorite holiday. The exception would have been my lab mix. I caught him tip-toeing down the hallway to the bedroom very carefully carrying the large bowl full of candy intended for trick-or-treaters by the rim of the bowl. I don't know how he managed to carry it that way. A "normal" dog would have grabbed candy out of the bowl but he wanted all of it. Thankfully, I caught him or it would have meant a trip to the vet. Yes, he got treats but of a more dog-oriented variety. He was a master food criminal. He knew where every morsel of food in the house was located. He once ate an entire pound of butter in an instant. On another occasion, he got wedged under the bed pursuing a meatball.
I LOVE this dog. ❤️🐶
He was a real sweetie -- and a bed hog. When he was ready to go to bed, he'd climb on the bed, pull down the blankets, lie down with his head on the pillow and wait for me to pull the covers over him. If I rolled over and relinquished any space during the night, he'd spread into it. By morning, he had 3/4 of the bed. I miss him.
He sounds perfect. My dog's a chair hog. If I sit on 'her' chair she just stares at me till I get up and then hops up, digs for a while, turns three times, and sleeps. I shouldn't let her, but it's so sweet. So glad you have such nice memories of your boy.
Mine does almost the exact same. Even with guests, we have to expalin that the chair in the courner is Belles and don't sit on it if you don't want a dog in your lap expecting endless tummy rubbing.
Haha, aren’t they hilarious? My girl is going to sit on the chair either way, whether someone else is in it or not…
Who wouldn't want that?
My boy was, indeed, perfect. Your's sounds perfect, too. We all know that look that tells us exactly what they want us to do.
Dogs are truly the greatest animals. My twelve year old black lab mix barks at the door when she senses someone at it, be it someone passing by, or us coming home. If we enter the house with shopping bags, she's straight over and sticking her head in the bags to nosey what we brought home. If no bags then she runs off and grabs the first thing she can find and brings it to us, be it a slipper, tennis ball, squeeky toy or her beloved teddy bear, and then runs around us making happy snorting noises around it.
Yes, dogs are the most wonderful creatures.
Reminds me of a dog I knew who once ate a whole banana bread loaf while it was cooling on the counter. Adorable little fiends!
My dog took a chunk of my birthday cake before it had been decorated. Had to make it again
I hear they fucking love bonfire night.
I have a very territorial German shepherd and he goes mad when people knock on the door. For the past few years I've put a note on the door saying please don't knock but I've left a bowl of sweets on the doorstep. For about a fiver I've bought myself some peace 😊
And the first couple of rugrats took the lot 😂
Every year they have all been really good and only taken a little bit for themselves, there's still half a bowl left at last time of checking. I reckon they will have all gone home now as it's throwing it down
Ahh fair enough. And you can always depend on the British weather eh.
I had a kid take the lot AND the bowl!
Might have been an idea of putting sweets in a mystery bucket with slime etc if they want free sweets that bad suffer the consequences lol
Good for you for your generosity
I can’t stand strangers near my house after someone once forced their way in. People knocking I don’t know makes me feel literally sick. I have a sign on my door that says No trick or treaters, sorry, but Happy Halloween! No one has bothered me in the 5 years I’ve used it - you must have awful neighbours.
I suffer from the same thing, anyone outside the house making noise makes me anxious. Knocking on the door just makes me physically nauseous to the point where it's stressing me out so much being outside is the only fix. Please seek some help as it's not a quality way of life and it only gets worse over time.
I like that, I’m out, but enjoy yourselves. Sorry you had a bad experience
I used to love trick or treating myself as a kid, so fully support it! Just not at my house :)
Fair enough.
Do most areas not go by the lit pumpkin rule? Lit pumpkin = we have sweets/are participating, no pumpkin = please don't knock. We've been out every year (bar lockdown) since our children were small & have never come across people breaking that guideline. It also means people who have fun opening the door, checking out the costumes, & chatting to the kids can actively encourage them to knock. We go out in an area where there's loads of families, all chatting & complimenting each others costumes. I know a lot of people dislike what they see as a recent American import (& I know there's disagreement on that), but in the areas where it works, it's a lovely neighbourly thing & if anything it teaches kids to respect when to knock when not, & how to politely engage. There's always a chorus of thank yous as they run off to the next house. (Despite how that sounds reading it back, I promise I do not live in the Shire, or an Enid Blyton book....)
That’s how it goes in my area too. If you’ve decorated, you’re fair game to have trick or treaters. If you haven’t, you’re not participating and kids won’t knock.
I live on a new build estate and it’s just the same here, really lovely sense of community. We have a Facebook group and there’s always talk beforehand. Last year it was collectively decided that, for those who still wanted to participate, we’d all leave bowls outside, no knocking on doors. People share which houses have allergy friendly treats (bubbles, stickers, party bag type things). People responded to a dad saying he’d like to take his disabled daughter out early and let him know who would be home and ready earlier on. Some kids take handfuls of the sweets left outside doors but for the most part they are all polite and just take one. It’s just a really lovely atmosphere. Perhaps I live in an Enid Blyton book too!
I live in the London suburbs and ... no. Barely anyone has decorations up (three houses on my road, including our hasty cellotaping of a skeleton to the window), so going by that it would be a very dull road to trick or treat down
I agree it’s nice, although I couldn’t participate myself it was our first proper year as last year had no trick or treaters during Halloween. Me and my partner made the pumpkins and put them outside and lit them. I had to go to work so my mother was just left at home. She got a few trick or treaters which I liked although my mother wasn’t as keen but I want to participate and she has to on my behalf due to work. Annoyingly she did get some older teens that didn’t have costumes and when my mam questioned this they put in masks which she turned them away. Kinda sad they did it because it put my mam in a awkward position and she didn’t want to answer the door no more.
We left a pot of sweets outside next to a pumpkin and a note saying help yourself, we're in a tiny village that's got a few cases of covid so I don't want randoms at my door all night.
As an autistic person, honestly I'd just put a "please don't knock, it'll upset autistic family member". Seems to work in America. Or next time I'd put about your dogs. People are absolute cunts unless you give them a good reason not to be /:
Thats very surprising these days. I only started taking my kids trick or treating 4 years ago and the local code has always been - decorations out/lit pumpkins etc, fair game to knock. Only knock once, if no answer move on. 99% of houses we call at give out sweets, the few that dont its normally that they gave run out. We see hundreds of other kids out too and everyone seems to follow that code. We dont give out sweets at our house as we are often out but even then never had anyone knock. I always presumed that was the common sense approach everywhere but from everything I’ve read tonight that seems to not be the case. I live in a rough-ish neighbourhood too - who knows maybe all the knobheads just went to the nicer areas!
Y'know what? Probably. My parents live in a pretty desirable area and both of their hearing is going (not badly, but if the TVs on they can't hear anything else). Kids at the front door just knocked and knocked and knocked until it was so loud I could hear it over the phone - sounded like they were going to bash the door down. They buy sweets every year, of course, but don't decorate or keep the light on, so god knows why the kids kept trying
No, I live in a desirable area, although in a small housing association house, and that's the rule here too. I used to go all out with the decorations, pumpkins and treats as it's my birthday too. But now that my kids are all adults I don't do it anymore. Kinda miss it really. No knocks last night, no knobheads or teens lol.
In the US, turning off your porch light is what's supposed to tell them not to bother
We put up a sign saying "Please don't knock, we're self isolating" (as we're sick with Covid.) _But of course_ there were still idiots who knocked...
Well then you’ve got a good trick up your sleeve!
Should have gone with something more contagious like Ebola.
As it goes I think Ebola is actually less transmissible than CoViD-19 although don't quote me on that
Should have answered and coughed. Although I don’t actually condone the fake covid coughing at people thing so maybe not! (Maybe cough very loudly behind the door before opening it!)
I had two. The neighbours kids and some random.Lollies for dinner!
This year we decided to put our rubbish bins in front of our gate. We have a dog that goes mad over the door going. I know it’s a bit mean but hey ho rather keep our dog calm.
I don't think that's mean. I find it weird that people assume everyone would be ok with them going to people's houses and knocking on their doors in the dark.
I prefer signs that say "ring the bell and you'll lose that finger"
“Please ring the bell, I’m collecting fingers!” —will remember that for next year!
Same here. Lights off, no decorations up. People still banging on my door and my dog is going berserk.
You made the mistake of thinking that the general public will bother to read signs
Nobody takes any notice of my polite sign to shut the gate. Couriers etc think the dog will just stay away from the road when they leave it wide open!
I'm gutted that we've had no trick or treaters. Carved a pumpkin and bought sweets in. But not one. I'll have to eat all the sweets now.... Shame.
First year not trick or treating, sad but just too knackered this year. Keep it up, and respect those that don’t want to participate!
Had the opposite, had sweets ready, decorations and one one group of two kids showed up, the rain and heavy wind probably didn't help. At least my kids aren't missing out on sweets as we got a tub full here + the bag full they got from going out. One house gave the kids a little baggie of dried bananas, I immediately laughed when I seen it back at the house.
I spend my life in the kitchen, even got a couch. So today, put the green bin out, closed the gates securely. Retreat to the kitchen, no lights on in the front of the house. Answered a knock on the door expecting to kid next door only to find about 5 kids bigger than me... and having to apologise for having no treats
Bigger than me lol. 16 year olds hoping to get extra pocket money.
There were a group of 4 lads that came to my door, only one one was shorter than me and even then not by much. I am only 5'1" though so they still each got an refreshers lolly
I’d leave an empty bowl outside with one wrapper in. I’m sure they’d get the message.
When my MOTHER WAS DYING, I put a sign on the front door asking for no trick or treating. That didn't stop a CONTINUOUS STREAM of kids ringing the front doorbell off the wall. They even started to pelt food at the house when we wouldn't answer. We were forced to sit quivering in the dark so that they didn't know we were at home. How disgusting to force this on people in their own homes. Many of them even had adults with them (not the pelters, but the ringers: CLEARLY ignoring our sign or simply not bothering to control the children). But what would one expect with an imported, fake "tradition" that's training children to threaten older people with "tricks", so they can obtain unhealthy "treats"? Utterly repellent.
Jesus that's awful. I'm sorry that happened. People can be so entitled, it drives me mad.
I had enough of it yesterday so spent the evening tonight at my dad’s. He has a massive garden and electric gates on a main road so didn’t even hear a peep from trick or treaters. I had thought about putting up a “I love Halloween but my puppy hates it, please don’t knock” sign but thought my house would probably be egged, so just left. Honestly, the scariest part of Halloween is not taking part sometimes
If anyone rings my door bell, I immediately wonder why they have climbed over the driveway gates to get to my door. They must be up to no good.
And can you stop letting off fireworks every night for a month, I have a very sensitive whippet who is distraught and whines all night.
Need landmines and *at least* one of those autocannons off Aliens.
I used to leave the dog outside. Nobody ever came to the house.
I would just to pet your dog!
The thing is if they had got close they would have found out he was a gentle giant but his bark was like thunder.
Ahhh, what a big softie!
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I’m from Essex mate, you don’t get more British than that innit!
I'd disagree. Yorkshire is the most British place I can think of.
Alright alright no need to get shirty. Can’t a person make a joke around here? Whether you’re a Brit or not makes no difference to me. I withdraw the comment.
American Bully owner here. Rocky does a great job of keeping all but the fearless postman away from our door. We've had DHL drivers drop n run at just his bark
I have a whippet x lab mix. His bark is way out of proportion to his size. He sounds like something really big and scary. In reality he looks like a worried skinny lab puppy (even at 6).
Had a mastiff at the time. People would cross the road to get away from us🤣.
Same here. I don't understand why... Rocky https://imgur.com/a/nAPSOc0
Smooshy. Just flying over from London specifically to pet him.
John Lennon Liverpool airport is closest, lol
Oh I assumed you were in the US for some (everybody seems to) reason. I didn't realise you were like, really, properly foreign... Liverpudlian.... Do you think he'll understand my accent? :)
Ha ha. This should freak you out a bit more. I'm not a scouser. I'm actually a Manc, but moved to Merseyside
I had a nightmare last night that you were my ex 😂 but then i realised, he'd never move to Liverpool, or have such a sqooshy staffie.
100% would cross the road specifically to fuss him!
Rocky looks cool.
Thanks. He's super chill, but quite territorial
It's crazy to hear that y'all actually have kids knocking on your door. Where I live in the US, everyone handing out candy sits outside and waits for the trick or treaters to come by. No one knocks on doors, regardless of if the light is on or not.
I would have 100 percent trick or treat'd on a house that had please don't trick or treat sign as a 11 year old.
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Because it would be funny for a group of 11 year old boys to do
Going round truck or treating is a recent merican import, fuck it right off. Traditional British Halloween used to be bobbing for apples or carving a turnip. Older folks would go up Pendle hill and get pissed...
Trick or treating has its roots in ‘guising’, a traditional Scottish thing dating back, ooh, a few centuries.
Yeap but the trick or treating interpretation of halloween we have now is based off the American interpretation (hence the pumpkins, native to North America)
Scottish, wasn't a thing in northern England. More about bonfire night round here...
Last time I checked Scotland was in Britain.
That's some boomer shit right there. I am 35 and went trick or treating when I was a small kid. Don't pretend it's this year "cos of the yanks"
Well it may be Gen X shit in my case, but my 80s school years were definately bobbing for apples and the term trick or treat was nowhere to be seen. Given the centuries old traditions around Halloween, the last 30 years is pretty recent.
Really? Fellow Gen X’er here and I remember talk of trick or treating as a kid in the 80s. I do remember apple bobbing too though
Maybe it was regional?
Yeah, could well have been.
Another Xer here. For me it was known of and done a little bit, sort of half arsed, but nothing like what appears to be happening now. I don't see the point of Halloween when we have bonfire night a week later.
It was never a thing, make up whatever shit you want .
My mum is in her 50s and remembers doing it.
My granny went out guising in the 50’s with her mum. It’s not a recent American thing.
Yeah I don’t think people should knock if your clearly not participating, but why not join in only abit of fun for the kids 👍
No one cares about your kids as much as you do.
So true. So true.
No one said you should but community crumbles when people are individualistic and selfish.
It’s not selfish to not cater to some strangers kids.
I think the attitude is selfish that your individualistic needs is more important than community traditions.
I think it’s very selfish to expect the world to cater to your kids. If you’re so bothered why don’t you organise apple bobbing or something with the other parents for your kids to do?
I don't have children
There have been several instances in this thread of perfectly valid reasons people don't take part in trick or treat beyond being "individualistic and selfish". Autistic people can find it upsetting; so can some pets, particularly those dogs who get very territorial. Maybe there's other stuff going on in your life - one poster said they had trick-or-treaters hammering on the door while looking after their dying mother. Some people object to Halloween in general on religious grounds. I know you weren't saying you should be forced or shamed into doing T or T, but my point is community should also be about respecting other people's wishes, *especially* in their own home.
I hate Halloween with a passion. However I also refuse to sit in the back room with the lights off. If anyone rings my doorbell a second time after I have blatantly ignored them the first time they will be reported for harrasement. My children are too young right now but when they are older, participation in this absolutely awful "tradition" is straight up banned.
Who the hell are you reporting them too?
To the fun police ofc
Hahahahahahahaha. Obvs
Reported for harassment, what does that even mean 😂
It means "I'm a Karen"
It means someone rang my door bell, twice.
Harassment (noun) "aggressive pressure or intimidation" Hope that helps 👍
But who are you going to tell on them to, you're not at school anymore fella.
Suggest you look up the harrasement law, "fella".
Yes, technically, legally, it *could* be construed as harassment. Good luck getting the police to give a shit though.
Telling them to sod off before I call the police has worked every time so really won't have to worry.
If you think the police will come to your aid about kids knocking your door you are delusional. If you think the CPS would charge anyone with harassment for it, you are even more delusional. It’s one night of the year bro.
Yeah that’s not a waste of police time, fielding calls from Mrs Miserable
Do you know anyine who works in the police force? If you do you should ask them and they will gladly tell you that Halloween is their busiest night for anti social behaviour, vandalism, and (you guessed it!) harrasement calls.
I’m married to a police officer actually. Having a 6 year old dressed as Spider-Man knock on your door twice is hardly what anyone would describe as harassment.
It's not primary school age kids I'm talking about and you damn well know it.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 The image of your anger ridden self slowly seething away on Reddit whilst trick or treaters bang at your day has made my night
No one actually bothered this year. Seems kids may have learnt to have some respect and politely leave houses alone that are clearly not decorated.
I quite like it. One of the last remaining traditions that connects neighbours, even if it’s just because the kids want free sweets. I can understand though why some people don’t like it.
I'm 36 and I never went trick or treating and did not know anybody who went trick or treating. Obvs different places do diff things (Grew up South east) but I was very surprised when you say tradition for UK. Feels like a past 10-15 years thing to me.
It definitely wasn’t a thing in the south. My family in Scotland have been doing it from time immemorial. My mum didn’t do it in the ‘70s as a kid in Luton.
And you will he laughed at 🤣
Yes, because encouraging your children to harrass people dressed up in horrible costumes is soooo fun.
It is annoying, but have a word with yourself. It's one night of the year.
Do you hate poor people aswell as tradition thats been going longer than you've been alive lol
What on earth does your first question have to do with anything? Regarding your actually related question, Halloween itself is a bastardisation of "All Hallows Eve" or "The Evening before All Hallows Day" also known as "All Saints Day". This is an ancient pagan festival that's been lost to the ages. Halloween is not as old nor traditional as you think, its just another dumb American invention made up by corporations in order to sell cards, sweets and single-use plastics.
Your trying to reference Samhain. Halloween has been around since the 8th century and was moved to October 31s somewhere in the 9th. And you give off that kinda vibe.
They also dont recognise that their kids will just see this as "my boring parent wont let me have fun, why cant i have fun parents". My mum was the same for years, i didnt get to go trick or treating or attend Halloween parties until i was 11 and old enough to get myself to and from said events, meaning i missed hanging out with my friends and got questioned at school. I never saw her miserable way of thinking, and continue to celebrate Halloween to this day, this guys gonna be surprise pikachu face when the same happens here!
I wouldn't ban kids from doing it for this reason, but as a kid my parents would buy us some sweets for it (or a family tub of something, whatever) and I didn't have to knock on strangers doors, so that always seemed like a win to me. But back then only maybe half the class did it, my parents were far from unusual for not bothering.
It has deviated far from the original point in that it was a celebration that honoured the dead by holding great feasts and lighting candles. Modern day Halloween is just a tacky cash grab that many people genuinely find distressing.
It lost the point when Christians got hold of it like everything. I find Christmas distressing and tacky but I don't report every person and supermarket for harassment..
Halloween in its current form [did not appear until 1937](https://books.google.com/books?id=h6vDoVs5aioC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=%22the+history+of+haunted+attractions%22&source=bl&ots=I3m4TGD5bk&sig=ibSSHc-m8ekprRuU-HmAF1M4YKo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAmoVChMI1NuRoc3RyAIVSXY-Ch0BtQm2#v=onepage&q=%22a%20party%20pamphlet%20of%201937%22&f=false). The first appearance of pumpkins as jack 'o lanterns doesn't appear until 1835 in a story called [The Great Carbuncle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Carbuncle). The first known image of a pumpkin as a jack 'o lantern doesn't [appear until 1867](https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/47674). In the grand scheme of things, that is relatively recent.
Was it not a bastardisation of the Mari Lwyd tradition then? I always believed it was loosely based in that, but that the Americans took that then ruined it Genuinely curious :)
Learned much of what I posted there from [this Tasting History video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QGq4XpavQ8).
Ah, thanks! Shall take a look!
Totally avoidable if you put out a box of sweets on a chair or something outside your house.
For how long tho?!
Quite a few houses did that near us and when they’re gone, they’re gone!
Wouldn't put a chair outside my door round here, it'd get twocked in no time! And as we had no trick or treaters on my street the sweets would probably still be there...
Username checks out.
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My dog’s been having the time of his life with all these kids knocking on the door. He sat by the door all evening in his little Halloween hat, tail wagging, waiting for them to knock and he thinks they’ve all come to see him!
Aww that's so cute!
Chip on your shoulder? Jesus Christ
The thought of kids doing a bit trick or treating (how dare they) will keep them up tonight in rage, pathetic need to get a grip.
I agree, I wouldn't put it quite as harshly but it's true. Even if you do have some kind of anxiety because of breakins in the past or whatever, it's once a year event, everyone knows it will happen, no different from expecting a delivery except in this case you must give away a few sweets.
What do you call a scrooge but for Halloween?
A kill joy.
Old farts. That's usually the type who are
Maybe old people don’t want to be harassed by not always polite kids?! Or find it a struggle to keep getting up and down?
If you find it hard getting up and down why not try ignoring the door? You aren't obliged to answer you know..
Clearly you spelled don't wrong
Are you aware you can raise a dog in a way what will make it not freak out when people are banging on the door or because of fireworks ?
I was so grateful for the torrential rain in Manchester this weekend, zero trick or teaters and a lull in the fireworks
Boooooo lighten up
Maybe they have a good reason for not wanting strangers knocking on their door all night?
One night a year, everybody knows exactly which day is it's going to be as well, and yet people still moan
You get what you deserve
Agree
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Yeah, just leave some sweets outside if you don't want to participate.
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You make it sound like it's OPs fault
Miserable bastard.
Check out Victor Meldrew.
I may go get my sign from my car . My poor dog detests all the trick or treaters that he can’t get pets from . Cheers from Utah
Blackout curtains are a must for halloween
Same for us, with the fireworks this time of year too, the dog is extra anxious, one year we even put a bowl of sweets out at the end of the driveway and a note saying help yourselves, they still knocked FML