Trick or treating?

[julesapple]

Come on Wendy surely you don't consider little kids dressed up as witches and ghosts and fairies as beggars?

I remember doing a course in feng shui a few years ago and chatting to the woman who ran it, she had a very simple belief that in life the more we give the more we receive, I've always tried to follow this philosophy. Only the other day I was leaving a local hardware store and a lady was struggling to strap an assembled pond onto her roof rack. As I have a van I offered to take it home for her, I may never see her again but I'm sure the gesture will have left her feeling happier.

So spread a little happiness to the next generation get a pack of sweets and answer your doors on Thursday.

Mikey, on Saturday we bought our pumpkins. I carried two and the BH carried two. I took the heavier pair and struggled (I tried balancing one on my hip, but waistline & hip are not in pumpkin balancing proportions any more) and was rescued by a very elderly but sprightly lady who offered to carry one pumpkin back to the car. As it was quite a few minutes away we started chatting and I told her I was planning to do Minions on my pumpkins. She knew what I was talking about because she has great grandchildren - and she thought the idea was fabulous! I ended up giving her my address and she's bringing her great grandchildren and grandchildren out to see us on Thursday evening!!

And something else I've just thought of - this year will be my own daughter's first Halloween in her own house and she will be carrying on the traditions she grew up with. I'm quite proud of that!

[julesapple]

Whilst I can respect the wishes of people who don't want to take part - it's absolutely your choice - I cannot see Guising or Trick or Treat as begging. Sure, there are those who take it too far; I can remember the American teenagers who egg & floured cars, threw eggs at windows etc, even forty years ago when I was wee (and I can remember the trouble they got into because no one is anonymous in military quarters ) but for the most part, it's pure fun and something to look forward to in the darkening, cold, drear days of the year.

Surely, if we encourage the little ones to make an effort, be polite and have fun, it can turn into a great tradition? Anything community based, that gets you out there being sociable with your neighbours has got to be a good thing?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Me a real bah humbug to the extent I am trying to source some Haribo Sugarless Gummy Bears.

Famous for producing the sugarless cleanse in rapid time.

Potty

[Mikey]

Come on Wendy surely you don't consider little kids dressed up as witches and ghosts and fairies as beggars?

I remember doing a course in feng shui a few years ago and chatting to the woman who ran it, she had a very simple belief that in life the more we give the more we receive, I've always tried to follow this philosophy. Only the other day I was leaving a local hardware store and a lady was struggling to strap an assembled pond onto her roof rack. As I have a van I offered to take it home for her, I may never see her again but I'm sure the gesture will have left her feeling happier.

So spread a little happiness to the next generation get a pack of sweets and answer your doors on Thursday.

[Kirk]

Not really keen on it over here. It is a more "family" thing in the States and something that the kids do. Over here I can see it reverting to extortion too easily. With bonfire night being close I cannot get rid of the idea that eventually it will be a case of give something or a firework comes through the letter box.

As said it seems a different event in the US compared to what I suspect it could become here.

[Bren In Pots]

The last couple of years I've had my lit pumpkin in the window but no callers so the sweets went into our grandkids sweetie jar. Yet in previous years we've had a fair few polite little ones with their parents hovering around on the pavement.

[WendyC]

Sorry I do mean trick or treating by children. Surely tricking is "give me sweets or I'll do something unpleasant to you" Treat is "give me sweets" = begging. I do accept that collecting for charity as Jules has described is a completely different matter. Fortunately as we are in a quiet cul-de-sac and most of the children, including my own, have grown up, we are rarely bothered.

[Sheneval]

When else is knocking on people's doors begging or threatening them acceptable?

I take it you are not talking about children?

That type of behaviour is never acceptable - must be a new thing - I grew up in the Gorbals and can never remember hearing about people threatening people at Halloween - rest of the year maybe but not at Halloween

Seriously though, I suppose times have changed - we had little, our neighbours had little and you can't get blood out of a stone. I suspect your experience reveals that 'The Have Nots' are now living in close proximity to 'The Haves' - never a good idea.

More fortunate here - there are very few bad apples in the immediate area so we all live in relative peace and quiet.

[WendyC]

I don't mind the Halloween itself, apple bobbing, pumpkin carving etc, but trick or treating I can't bear. When else is knocking on people's doors begging or threatening them acceptable? We put a polite " No trick or treating, thank you" sign on the door. We'd like to put a more "Victor Meldrew" type notice up but don't want to offend anyone too much!
Warning the neighbours is a good idea then at least they can opt in or out, as we do.

[julesapple]

I, too, grew up with Americans so do I Halloween big time. Coming back from life on a USAF Airbase, in the mid seventies, to a UK that didn't use any wee excuse for a hoolie was a total shock.

One of the advantages to being an old village with a lot of new builds is that we don't have unruly teenagers - it's mostly little children carefully supervised by watchful parents. I give away loads of sweets but not for nothing; as I do a (fairly) spectacular display of pumpkins we have a charity collecting box and people can make a voluntary donation if they've enjoyed the display.

[shirlthegirl43]

I grew up in Scotland and used to dress up at Halloween to go 'guisin. We had to 'do a turn' sing a song, recite a rhyme, do a dance or suchlike and usually got a tangerine and a handful of monkey nuts. If lucky, you got a coin. Any funds raised through this and the following week's venture of taking your prepared 'guy' round for 'penny for the guy' was put towards sparklers and fireworks for Guy Fawkes night.

When we lived in Atlanta a few years ago, we were there for Halloween and really enjoyed it. The standard where we were was that if people accepted 'trick or treaters' they would have a pumpkin carved and lit. If the pumpkin was not lit, the people were out themselves and no pumpkin meant no callers.

[Mikey]

I'm a humbug too. I don't so much mind the little ones dressing up and going to neighbours, but the gangs of teenagers with flour and eggs are a menace.

Perhaps its where I live, but I've never had any aggressive teenagers call at the door. You get the chancers who make no effort but they get short change from me. I tell them to go and get dressed up and come back.

One year I had someone knock about 4 days before the day to be told he was going to be away on halloween. I said don't they have houses where you are going?

[WPG]

I've got a pile of sweets ready by the door, and like to make a fuss of any halloween callers. I guess I look at it from the childrens point of view - it's only one night a year and they get all dressed up, all excited, and then find people closing the door in their faces. It must be disheartening.

I do wish there was a better way of 'advertising' if you want callers or not though, for example a pumpkin on the front step or something else to show you're open to trick or treaters. It'd save the kids and the houseowners a lot of bother.

In the meantime, my own kids are eyeing the pile of sweets and hoping we don't get too many callers..........

[Sheneval]

Always have apple dooking and small or sometimes large bags of goodies plus a few bob for my grandkids plus some for any of their friends who call - the young kids around here don't go out on their own the way we did - their mothers are always with them and they generally know who to go to and who to avoid

A lot different from the old days when we knocked every door and generally got nothing but abuse

[Mikey]

Ok I am a miserable old man.

Well at least you can see it.

You've got to remember its not about you its about the kids and if they have fun then where's the harm in it. In real terms what does it cost you, I remember one year putting fruit in with the sweets and the children knocking all went for the tangerines.

You can very cheaply kit your child out without having to go and buy stuff from the supermarket, I even grow my own pumpkins now especially for carving.