To sit in the dark and pretend I am not in!

Not keen on it myself. The children around here are very good. They only call at houses that display lanterns or decorations. Remember, it’s your front door. You don’t have to open it to anyone unless you want to.

Same here - I kept the front of the house dark, no lanterns or halloween ornaments. None of the scores of children walking our area in full costume knocked at my door. I took my flighty young dog out - he was alarmed by the witches, wizards, ghouls and ghosts we met

I have done the same myself this year.
No porch light on and curtains drawn. I feel like a bit of a grump but I really didn't feel like going to the door all evening.
Now, what to do with 2 bags of Cadburys mini bars and 18 mini bags of Haribos which I bought " just in case".

It has to be up to you whether you open the door and give sweets out. I am visited by the same few children every year and have watched them grow up from diddlies who came with their parents to year 6 who come on their own. The children are very good around here and try to avoid houses that they know have elderly residents. It went quiet about 7.15pm. If there is a knock now (which I don't expect) I will ignore it because it's too late.

My only problem is....what to do with the left over chocolate. Well not a problem really...I've already eaten a fair amount of it

Eat them annsixty that’s what I’m going to do. I never let my children go trick or treating I was uncomfortable with it. We let them dress up and had some friends round for apple dunking and such but that was it.

I have a light that comes on automatically when someone approaches the front door. My drive is very dark and no-one can see the front door from the road. Nevertheless, my doorbell went at twenty to six. I didn’t answer it, but now feel a bit guilty because it may have been the children next door. They’ve never done it, though, and I can’t imagine their parents would let them.

I’m a bit sad, I loved it in our old home . Small cul de sac and very happy children. Here we are too close to the edge of the village with no street lights, so no little visitors .

Luckily our own littles will eat the ‘ just in case sweeties’.

It might be that we live in a smallish village of about 250 houses that Trick and Treating has become such a fun activity. The children only knock at ‘pumpkin’ houses and are usually accompanied by adults. I have been round with my DGCs the last two years and it has been great fun. They love bumping into their classmates and seeing how they are got up. The local pub lays on apple bobbing and other games and provides juice and hot dogs for the children free of charge. It is a real community event. I agree, in a more urban environment, perhaps with random older children knocking, it could be very intimidating and I no doubt would be with the closed curtain brigade!

There are advantages to living a bit "off road" ?

We’ve been out Trick or Treating tonight. Only call at houses that show pumpkins or other signs they are open to visitors. The children love it when the adults open the door and pretend to be scared by their outfits. It’s not about the sweets really.

Had a great party before venturing out too.

My first hallowe'en in this part of town, not one caller, I am so disappointed , I love seeing them .

Good in you Annie just a pity no one called

They try to look so frightening but the dripping blood and fangs cannot hid the young faces ?

They really go to town with it at my daughters village and everything looks wonderful [always makes me think of The Nightmare Before Christmas]. Nothing much happening in my village until the doorbell rang and there was the most delightful looking little girl ghoul with her dad; no sweets so gave her a bag of 5 pence pieces to buy some sweets with, I must admit that this Halloween thing is growing on me.

Well I've been inundated again tonight! DH stays at work extra, extra late so as to avoid the "trick or treaters" but I bought 15 packets of mini bars/packets £20+ worth and at 7.30 I had to turn the lights out as I was empty. I have a ( a now infamous) monster bowl that has hands that thrust out and scare the living day lights out of the kids the parents but the little ones love it !
I love seeing the children having fun.

And the smiles Annie - they just love dressing up. I had 7 children round after school and they ‘helped’ me set out the party and labelled the food
Dragon Bonec (spare ribs)
Werewolf Poo (meat balls)
Swamp Tucker (pea soup)
Toad in the Hole (well you can’t change that)
Frog sandwiches (egg and green food colouring)
Witchs’ Fingers (carved carrots)
Bat Wee (very dilute orange squash)
And that lovely Water Melon in the TESCO recipe book that appears to be vomiting fruit salad.

Then we played ‘Pass the Bag of Bones’ - a variation of pass the parcel except the sack contained a simplified skeleton which had to be reconstructed on the carpet bone by bone; eating apples suspended on strings, sardines and blind man’s buff. Oddly enough there were no ‘prizes’ and no one expected any.

We had about half a dozen groups of well behaved youngsters - a few more than last year. There are plenty of sweeties left but these will be donated to sell at GS’s footie club tuck shop (when I have carefully removed some Love Hearts and mini mars bars - well I was the one who answered the door tonight; I deserve a small reward!).

I had three parties round tonight. All children who live down our road with at least one parent with each group. Best of all was an 18 month old Frankenstein's monster who was very pleased with the eyeballs I gave him . I wanted to keep him!

You are not alone Flaxseed.... I absolutely HATE Halloween. I think its maybe because its not something I ever grew up with?

I certainly don't object to others putting their heart and souls into it all - some of the houses are so impressive but for me I dread it all!!

My C and GC absolutely adore it! Last year I did go out trick or treating with the GC, but that was because DD was giving birth! This year, I took the dog out for a 3 hour walk!!! Left them all to it.... I don't even know what I dislike so much!!! Is it the begging aspect? On my walk I saw lots of 'young kids' all dressed up with MASSIVE carrier bags of sweets, and asking where they could go next? Like: How MANY sweets do you need??? ha ha

But each to their own...... Phew...glad its over for another year..........

I am feeling very unloved , not one witch or vampire , not one came into the Cul-de-sac

We had some vervinpressive werewolves ! Might face to sleep with a light on tonight !

There is s notice at the entrance to my dads close forbidding "callers" so he doesn't get any trick or treaters and he's gutted !

The ‘rule’ here in my part of the world is that if you put a lighted pumpkin outside your house then you’re up for visits and are well stocked up with sweets. It works very well and everyone seems to know the rule