Halloween, trick or treat?

I’d certainly heard of it as a child, apple bobbing, toffee apples and so on - a few people had Halloween parties but it wasn’t anywhere near as big as Bonfire Night (which I loved!)

However it must have been known for quite a long time - somewhere I have an Agatha Christie entitled (IIRC) Halloween Party - probably written many decades ago - where predictably enough, there is Murder Most Foul - someone getting drowned in the apple-bobbing tub!

We have guizing here in Cornwall too, but we mostly do it at the Montol festival on 21st December each year. On the 31st October we have Kalan Gwav or Allantide, with turnips (known in England as swedes), apple games etc.

I don’t like it. More of an American tradition it seems and a way of making money for shops. The dark side.

Sweeties at the ready, really looking forward to some little ghostie and ghoulie visits

We never heard of t or t when I was young.
It was Bonfire night only.

Became more of a thing for my children.
At first I thought of it in a similar way to Mothers Day, ie encouraged by businesses to divulge us of our dosh.
Which of course it is.
But I've come to enjoy it as a marker of the passing of the year, and use it to celebrate autumn more than anything.
I suppose we used to have Harvest festival for that purpose in the past. I'm not a devout church goer.

As for children knocking, we might get a few. I have sweets at the ready.

I was going to paint my face green and put on a witches hat to answer the door, but my face paint hadsnt arrived.
But with my looks these days I dont really need it😂🧙‍♂️🕸🕷

Cherry tree I was about to post that very point! Halloween was begun in Ireland many centuries ago. It was linked to the end of the year (Celtic) and went to USA with the many Irish immigrants where it then became the trick or treat version which came back across the Atlantic last century. Similar to Ireland it has been around in Scotland for a very long time and known as guising because you disguise yourself. It's a link with mischief night which again is centuries old.

My daughter and her boys (and the dog!) used to trick or treat around here, and everyone really got to look forward to seeing them.

My younger grandson looked adorable dressed up as a fat little pumpkin, with a stalk on his head!

Ps it is not an an American import .
I enjoyed Guising and dooking for apples as a child in Scotland.
As did my parents in their time.
We had a Turnip instead of pumpkins.

Halloween is a big deal in our family.🧙‍♀️👻🎃
At the start of October my grandsons start to plan their Halloween costumes.

Our Conservatory becomes a haunted house. (Decs are are years old)
Pumpkins carved with grandad.

Part one was yesterday with our grandson who lives quite a distance and our other grandsons who live local. Halloween fun and games in the haunted house.

Part two is a family Halloween with local grandchildren.
A quick Halloween tea after school, then their mum and grandad will escort them trick or treating, whilst I don my witches hat and dish out the treats to the local children. 🧙‍♀️
In our local area a pumpkin outside the house, signals Halloween treats are available .
Locally quite a few houses have been decorated for Halloween.

When we run out of treats the pumpkin is removed.

After the couple of covid years,, it nice to see the children out and about enjoying themselves.😀

I never liked this so am pleased to see it has tailed off here over the last 20 years.

It was the run up to religious festivals when I was a girl (Halloween was the night before).
I carved a turnip which we lit till it went on the bonfire at the end of bonfire night.

All saints and all souls days were part of our church calendar - 1st and 2nd November.

I have memories of me and my siblings going carol singing anything could have happened to us! Never did trick or treat with my two not many people did then it was another American import I think late 80s 90s.
We have quite a few new families here now and I leave a box of treats out for them. They know not to knock as our dog is rather nervous so they respect that.

I ignore it and hope everyone else ignores my house.So few children in the village now.

We get lots of trick or treaters but they are mainly very little and accompanied by their parents. I have a window display to show them that they are welcome, then remove the display about 9 o clock. Not had any trouble so far, fingers crossed.

Before I moved it was understood that if your outside light was on then "trick or treaters" could call. If it was off then you were left alone. It was small children dressed in costumes, accompanied by an adult. Yesterday I asked my neighbours what the tradition was here - apparently nothing, no small children dressed up so I suppose I will have to eat all that chocolate myself!

Our road is dark and not safe to walk along so we don’t get anyone. The older grandchildren who live on an estate used to dress up and go round with a parent or in a group. They would receive enough sweets to last them a year! The younger 4 don’t celebrate it . It is their mother’s birthday and so they focus on that. A pity as I have some costumes bought in Tesco a couple of years ago when they were selling them off cheap.

I used to love Halloween parties in Scotland in my childhood.
Dookin ‘ for apples, Treacle Scone, dressing up, ghost stories, that game where you are blindfolded and given things to touch and feel - mince was “brains”, lychees, “eyeballs”
But although “guising “ was what you did round the doors I had never heard of trick and treating!
Tiny witches or ghosties (accompanied by mummies) with their pails ready to receive Haribos are fine by me though.
London GS (6) is going as the Grim Reaper but can’t look fierce if he tries so might be the “Grinning Reaper” when he and little friends go round to their neighbours.

Young Gdcs!

No family anywhere near, so no get-together, not that we’d do it for Halloween anyway.

Young dcs will certainly be out T or T-ing 60 miles away - they were already very excited yesterday, finding costumes out of the dressing up box. (All hand me downs or charity shop BTW).

I will be putting a small pumpkin in the window, and have little packets of sweets ready to dish out. Dds always loved T or T-ing, it, so I’m happy for children to knock.

A bit peeved that I couldn’t find any mini packs of Smarties - I usually buy plenty of those in the hope of there being quite a few left over. 🐷

We have sweets ready for anyone who might call.

I also won’t be answering my door.
When we first moved here, many years ago, we had awful problems with teenagers banging on doors, egging ang flouring windows and cars.
Gradually it stopped and parents would come around with small children beautifully dressed and we would open the door with sweets until about 7pm.
But when my H became ill I stopped that and it is some years since I encouraged it.
Now it seems, that unless you leave porch lights on or have a pumpkin lit the children no longer knock.
A huge relief to this old woman.

We never have trick or treaters or carol singers at our door as our house is rather hidden. Lots of people who have spent all their lives in this town don't know it's here.
We've done our Halloween party already, DGS 3 has his birthday on 30th October so he has a sort of combined celebration.
Anyway, it's Samhain in their house.

Just another day.

No-one,not noon.

I used to have lots of sweets, apples etc to give to any children who called. Gradually it tailed off until noon called. Then I moved house to a street with very few children who have never knocked on the door in four years. I won't be answering my door. My DD will take her two small children round the doors at her street.

tanith
It is any excuse for a get together in my family
Shinamae yes, a lot of people will be working tonight, and it is just another day to them, so to speak.