Now It's Officially Halloween - Another Money-Making Spree.......

We used to get asked for cash too - the same as Christmas. Now we just turn off the lights on Halloween and concentrate on Bonfire Night. We used to buy big tins of Quality Street too, and let them help themselves. Some took one or too, a few huge handfuls. We backed out once they turned down the sweets and started asking for cash.

The thing is, you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to - there’s no obligation to do so. You don’t have to answer a knock at your door.
It’s very quiet where I live, so we don’t get any trick or treaters, but I have no objection to little ones having a bit of fun. I would object to threatening behaviour, but, really, I think the vast majority are young children enjoying themselves with their parents in tow.

I’ve never had anyone asking for cash! But they’d get short shrift if they did.

I think it's horrible.
People feel under seige being menacing in their own homes.
And out of them.
Boys throwing stones at passing cars.
It's alarming and could cause an accident.
And damage to the car.
Dustbins being overturned.
Groups of menacing youths roaming about.
I hate it all.

Why is this thread in Pedants’ Corner?
Mods please move it!

Gosh wellbeck I don’t know where you live but this evening has been joyous here, lots of family groups with dressed up small children, houses decorated and a few fireworks, possibly for Diwali. Our local FB praising the polite, well behaved and happy visitors to their houses.

No-one around here at all! Although the pub where we went for lunch was decorated

Haribo, anyone?

welbeck

I think it's horrible.
People feel under seige being menacing in their own homes.
And out of them.
Boys throwing stones at passing cars.
It's alarming and could cause an accident.
And damage to the car.
Dustbins being overturned.
Groups of menacing youths roaming about.
I hate it all.

That sounds more like Mischief Night (4 November) than Hallowe’en! We used to get away with all sorts then that I blush to think about now. I think it was dropped years ago (thank goodness).

Hallowe’en’s just a night for young ‘uns to dress up and knock for a few sweets round here - I keep mine in a little cauldron by the door. The little ones enjoy it and I like to see them having fun. Like Esmay, I never know how many are going to turn up. We’d so few this year it was hardly worth getting my pointy hat and star-spangled cloak on. Still, all the more leftover lollies for me.

While I do feel sorry for those faced with teeneages demanding money and doing damage, this thread does show that this is the exception not the rule.

For the vast majority of people Halloween means children dressing up and knocking on doors for sweets and no more, and in many places only going to houses who have lit pumpkins to say that they want to participate.

Because we have both been down with respiratory infections, I didn't take part this year. I heard and could see young trick or treaters out last night, but none rang our door bell because there was no pumpkin.

I live in a really rough area, but have never had any problems with teens demanding money, or getting up to no good.

What a depressing post, Mae13. I'm just pleased to see that the vast majority of rejoinders welcome Trick or Treaters with sweets etc (not money) and have fond memories of their own childhoods as well as their children's. Same with Bonfire Night too.

I always think of my little family (as it was) on Halloween.

It was quite a tradition that my daughter, and the children, and the dog (!) all came round, dressed up.

It was never trick or treating for sweets before the American habit was adopted. Same with pumpkins, how many can remember carving a pumpkin when young? Also, buying outfits for dressing up, never. The outfits were home made from eg bits and pieces of old clothing, cardboard. Turnips were scraped out for lanterns. Children did a "turn" eg a verse from a song, poem, told a joke or two, something to warrant reward, which was, Money!

We weren't allowed to do anything like that, in case we enjoyed it, I presume

Round our way - Wigan - they only knock on your door if your house is decorated . They only expect sweets and are accompanied by an adult who kind of stays on the path while they knock . They look lovely in their face paints and outfits and obviously really enjoy it . Was great to see them this year .

When we were childreb back in the 1940s/early 50s it was bob apple, great fun.

I was quite sad that we only had one lot of half a dozen (all very polite and said thank you) though admittedly I wouldn’t have been surprised if there had been none at all - there are few families with young children around here.

Still, at least my pumpkin in the window wasn’t entirely wasted.

Tradition? I don't remember Halloween being a 'thing' when I was a child. My first experience of it was early 1980's when the teenagers next door let my Dad's car tyres down while he was visiting, they left rotten tomatoes on our driveway too. I never celebrated Halloween and my children never did either, they showed no interest in it. Fast forward to 2002 my next experience, living in a 1st floor flat I had eggs thrown at my windows. This year some local children came round and visited the houses that had pumpkins outside but one elderly neighbour, a nice lady who lives with her grown up disabled son had eggs thrown at her windows. I hate Halloween.

When we were little my DM didn’t approve of us going round peoples houses asking for a trick or a treat, she felt it was akin to begging. But she did help us get dressed up and we had dooking for apples, the basin was filled with water and apples dropped in, you could choose which way you want to try and get an apple, the first was to kneel in front of the basin, put your hands behind your back and immerse your face int the water to try and get an apple very messy, or we could kneel on a chair again arms behind your back and you had to drop a fork from your mouth into the water to try and spear the apple. Simple pleasures but great fun.

We only had two little boys at the door. I'm annoyed that I bought two big bags of sweets in anticipation. In my youth my dad forbid me to knock on doors. He said it was begging!

RosiesMaw2

Pedants’ corner?
Or Moaning Miseries’ United?
Never mind, saw my first Christmas Ad on TV recently, once Hallowe’en is over, we can moan about that.

🧙‍♀️ 🎃 👻 💀

Reality is not quite your thing, is it?

mae13

RosiesMaw2

Pedants’ corner?
Or Moaning Miseries’ United?
Never mind, saw my first Christmas Ad on TV recently, once Hallowe’en is over, we can moan about that.

🧙‍♀️ 🎃 👻 💀

Reality is not quite your thing, is it?

Your reality may be different from that of others mae13.

I'm sorry if yours is not good and you have scroungers coming round demanding money.
It must be quite frightening.

Where I used to live had one little girl who came every year with Mum then with little sister! Because I always left my china pumpkin out with a tea light in they called me the Pumpkin Lady! Said it was ok to come to mine! Must have spread the word as got lots of happy little ones till the night some miserable ratbags stole my Pumpkin! Hope they burned their fingers as it was lit when they came in my gate grabbed it & ran! Teenagers who were only out for ruining everyone’s evening! They came back later with duck eggs & covered my & my neighbours fronts in eggs! Never bothered after that as it was no longer any fun!

Three of my grandchildren go trick or treating with their mums, they have a lovely time. I'm a curmudgeonly old bat and turn off the lights that show from the street so nobody else calls.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-971147-42222651-d010-4969-826b-688904c14674.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-872876-b196bb42-b1c2-4338-bd54-08ce8078a39c.jpeg

mae13

RosiesMaw2

Pedants’ corner?
Or Moaning Miseries’ United?
Never mind, saw my first Christmas Ad on TV recently, once Hallowe’en is over, we can moan about that.

🧙‍♀️ 🎃 👻 💀

Reality is not quite your thing, is it?

No need to be personally offensive.
My “reality” included a Halloween tea with my grandchldren, some harmless dressing up, rather a lot of Haribos/Rocky Road and a fun evening.
No scrounging, money-making spree, or hard cash involved.

Why “Pedants’ corner” anyway? It’s not exclusively for moans