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

Had lots of little visitors last night & really enjoyed their happy little faces. Much better than last year when 'yobs' egged my front door & stole my pumpkin with his candle lit that I had put out for a few years to let the Littlies know that they were welcome. Bought another pumpkin & was pleased to see lots of polite children with their parents all enjoying themselves. Prefer Halloween to bonfire night when my cats are scared silly with the noisy fireworks!

I hate it but made a pumpkin lantern and bought sweets as usual. This year no takers unless they came before 6pm when we were out.

It is lovely that via the dressing up, from the littlest ones on children get to understand ceremony and effort . We do not have to give sweets, a packet of crisps, 20 pence pieces are another option, not much from one but if others gave it adds up. For special effort 50p? In my 70s, do not consider it 'begging' for did not many of us go Carol singing? Fight off the fear and curmudgeon creeping in, love life we only get one chance.

Last night we had friends over for a meal, because they live in a cul de sac and find all the "trick or treating" to be too much. (We're on a main road so rarely get a caller.) We were in our dining room at the back, no callers, lots of chat and a happy time. Problem solved!

Never had a single Halloween trick or treater in the 10 years I‘ve lived here. It’s semi rural and not well lit. Just as well really I detest the modern goriness.

Here in rural France the trick part of Halloween is not in evidence

I can't say I've ever seen it here either. Our Mischief Night back in the day was much more threatening in my experience and we did some awful things, to which our parents for that one night only turned a complete blind eye. I'd hate to see that come back (ditto the ruddy turnip lanterns - pumpkins are so much easier and so much more effective )

We took the children to a Halloween event at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, during half term last week. It was brilliant. Set in a very dark maze the children were given a torch and real actors were spread around the maze jumping out or reaching out at various points (but never touching), the children were squealing with fright and delight in equal measures. There was a disclaimer at the entrance advising no one of a timid nature, pregnant women, heart patients etc. to enter.

I love it but live on a main road, so no visitors for me.

I did however, go to the most inspiring meditation at the Glastonbury Chalice Well Gardens, it was sublime, there were a few small children dressed up there.

Many blessings and Happy New Year, from us folk from the old religion.

Our village observes the “candle/ pumpkin” rule and there are only ever tiny trick and treaters. Because of helping Paw to bed etc I forgot to leave a candle in the window and we were left undisturbed (just as well as I was halfway down the Haribo bag by the time Bake Off came on! )

GrandmaMoira’ I echo everything you say. It never used to be like this.

Where did all these violent images come from? Is it American? It should about the souls of the dead, if anything. Ghosts perhaps, but not dreadful, frightening blood-stained monsters. Terrible for sensitive children.

I'm not usually a killjoy but I really don't like it. I don't like the messages it sends out to children. However, every year I buy some sweats just in case any of them come to our door because I cannot blame a child for doing something all the other children are doing and their parents encouraging.

Our drive is very dark and not at all enticing and we don't have anything to indicate that we would like trick or treaters to come but for the first time ever 4 children and one mother arrived. DH went to the door and invited them in. I didn't have a clue what to say or do. Each one came up to me and told me what they were dressed as. The older boy said "this is a nice house, a very nice house" which made me wonder where they were from as I think all the houses round here are very nice. They were nice children but I do wonder where they were from.

Maryeliza54 that’s the rule in our street and it seems to work well. We don’t have any small people now but enjoy putting out a couple of pumpkins and stocking up on sweets for the neighbors children.

I hate trick or treating. No-one did it when I was a child, nor when my DC were young. I think it's quite dangerous with small children knocking on strangers' doors - only some kids have adults with them. I have also been frightened by older kids (bigger than me) being threatening and wanting money, not sweets.

So you equate this sort of stuff with "looking at the stars" do you?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3284407/Parents-outrage-terrifying-Tesco-Halloween-displays.html

Love the sound of your party food Anya bet you all had a great time. Not many young children in our village now so only a few visitors. Here in rural France the trick part of Halloween is not in evidence just happy dressed up children pleased with their treats.

I had a lovely evening opening the door multiple times to some really lovely polite children. I covered the front door in an orange spiders web with little spiders all over it. After that we went down to the park and I judged the fancy dress competition and picked out one small lady pirate, one very small Dracula and a bride of Frankenstein. the fireworks and bonfire were fabulous and the whole thing really lifted my miserable October mood.

Love your quote, Annie!

We had a spooky party on Friday at DS’s and a small procession of excited littlies knocking at the door till around 7 last night. Each with a parent standing in the shadows hissing “What do you say to the lady?”, “What do you say?”.

yes, I like that one Annie, it sounds like one of the bits of wisdom our mother handed to us x

A few yrs ago (well maybe 5/6) I opened the door to little ones on Halloween....later on in the evening I opened the door to a 6ft hooded possibly 16 yrs old!!! I have never answered the door on a halloween night again, in fact once gone dark unless I'm expecting some one I don't answer the door.

I bought the treats, no visitors, I now have a bag of skull lollies to enjoy

Like that Annie

two men looked out of prison bars, one saw mud , one saw stars .?

I think it's gruesome and horrible and I put up a polite poster asking trick or treaters not to visit.

Where we live, there are far fewer children trick or treating than there used to be even though there are many young families in the area.

We took our grandchildren to a holiday camp over the half term and it put on Halloween fancy dress competitions, treasure hunts, etc, but ours weren't that bothered because there were more interesting things to do. They don't go trick or treating but they did go to a Halloween party tonight.

I see it as yet another opportunity for businesses to market a lot of ghastly tat.

we dont call it trick or Treating,its guising or the gloshes in this neck of the woods and the children have to sing asong or recite a poem or do a wee dance before they get any swag .Its been this way since long before I was born ,my parents and grandparents all guised too...then back to the house for dooking for apples,trying to take bites out of a giant scone smothered in treacle that hung from the pulley and was "operated" by granny ,meaning treacley faces all round.then lights out and sat round the fire to listen to ghost stories .We loved hallowe'en .Long may it continue this way and not the awful American version that some have adopted

Ive never been a fan but this evening went to spend time with our daughter in law and the children in their village. What an atmosphere. The children only went to houses showing a pumpkin or some other Halloween light. They all looked wonderful in their outfits and such truly happy faces. Much joy counting ‘the loot’ on their return. Think I’m converted. Sorry for those disappointed ones who missed out. Think I’m back to that village next year.