[Closed] Do you trick or treat?

Be polite and don't be persistent with knocking/ringing.
Do make an effort to dress up.

Have fun.

That's pretty much it I'd say

round our way people put a pumpkin or something outside to show they're taking part.

I didn't know this the first time I took our kids out so we just knocked on random doors. It turned out alright as at one house they only had a whole fruit cake to give away 🙂

I'm not looking forward to being emotionally blackmailed into this bullshit when mine get to that age.

Actually **** that, the wife can do it.

No, I'm 48 and think it might look a bit menacing if I rocked up at people's front doors wearing a hockey mask and demanding Haribo.

This piece by David Sedaris is brilliant;

[url= http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2004/jun/sedaris/usandthem.html ]http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2004/jun/sedaris/usandthem.html[/url]

can't find a recording of him reading it so you'll have to imagine the voice.

[i]Asking for candy on Halloween was called trick-or-treating, but asking for candy on November first was called begging, and it made people uncomfortable.[/i]

keep 'em healthy when they come a knocking, dish out satsumas and little apples. 😀

Chocolate coated sprouts.

Yes, it's fun. At least round here where most people seem to be into it and lots of people put effort in. Busy resurrecting my RPi powered animatronic skull.

Bloody hell, no pompous anti american diatribe? Is this STW or the tufty club?

We do it, it's ace! Might buy my pumpkins this lunchtime now, make sure I get some good* uns!

*should've gone with smashing

No American crap in this household, and we hollow out turnips, not pumpkins 🙂

Penny-for-the-guy on bommy night ...

Is there an etiquette to it?

As wwaswas...

Around our way if there's Halloween decorations outside a house they are in on trick or treating. We never go to any other houses.

and we hollow out turnips,

...with your bare hands I hope!? 😀

Around our way if there's Halloween decorations outside a house they are in on trick or treating. We never go to any other houses.

But lots of people don't know about this etiquette, especially those without kids.

Knock on whatever door you like. You're unlikely to get beaten up.

Yes we do, in fact our house, the next door neighbours and the family across the road all go out together.

Great laugh and most importantly the kids absolutely love it. Mini Dutch has been changing his mind on what outfit for weeks!!

Etiquette was easier before the kids grew up slightly and now want to knock EVERY door! Usually its the decorated ones.

...with your bare hands I hope!?

Aye, growing my fingernails as we speak ... 🙂
Off to farmers field to steal a tuggy*

*Sunderland speak for turnip.

🙂

and we hollow out turnips,

We did that one year. Left it late and no pumpkins left so we drew straws on a melon, pineapple and turnip. I got the turnip and it was very tricky. I'll see if I can dog out a photo of them.

Not done trick or treat but with a wee chap coming up to three, may get involved this year. He'll enjoy it.

I've never understood the trick bit. Does the person knocking do the trick if they don't get a treat or is the householder meant to trick the knocker?

Didn't do it as a kid and don't live in an area with much potential passing trade so feel trick or treat deprived.

Off to farmers field to steal a tuggy*

Although it's not a phrase I've ever heard before it infers something very different outside of Sunderland, probably involving a restraining order at the very least.

I appreciate this probably makes me sound like a killjoy, but it's never sat comfortably with me.

Getting all dressed up and telling spooky stories I can totally get behind. But the concept of extracting treats from strangers by threatening them with having "tricks" played on them always struck me as a poor life lesson to be teaching kids. You want treats you can wash my car.

Checks above for mentions - no, @Cougar, it was 'guising (as in, I assume, going in disguise) round our way and threats weren't part of that (that was knock-a-doory night), turn up dressed up, do a turn, get some pennies / sweets / fruit..

Still got the little bag somewhere I used to take round..

Yay kids, it's international wash the miserable bastards car day, that sounds FUN!

I've never understood the trick bit.

Chocolate covered sprouts!

Although it's not a phrase I've ever heard before it infers something very different outside of Sunderland, probably involving a restraining order at the very least.

Yep, standing in field to have a tuggy before turning a few tricks with the kids. All good healthy stuff.

Although it's not a phrase I've ever heard before it infers something very different outside of Sunderland, probably involving a restraining order at the very least.

Yeah, now that you mention it!
Tuggy - [i]tug, as in pull[/i]

It'll make me think next time I use regional words ...

But the concept of extracting treats from strangers by threatening them with having "tricks" played on them always struck me as a poor life lesson to be teaching kids.

That's how i remember it from when i was a kid. Was quite horrible really, if you didn't get a treat kids would egg and flour your car, etc. Then quite sensibly the schools and police got involved, asked shopkeepers not to sell eggs and flour to kids (bastard if you genuinely wanted pancakes that night) and the (I thought) widely known convention of putting a pumpkin outside or decorating the house began. The schools pushed that when I was still at school, and my kids school pushes it now.

So now, the concept of 'tricks' is essentially redundant, because you only go to houses that have already indicated they're going to treat and the unsavoury side is out.

Whether it's another example of american culture taking over or not, around my way it's harmless fun. The littl'uns dress up, a few houses round my way go to town with decorating their front porches, and you get to speak to your neighbours which is no bad thing in my book.

Or you could sit in all night with your lights off being a right grumbleduke.

Ive just spent the last couple of weekends making a mock hogwarts castle including smoke machines and projector lights. Its a fairly big thing round us where all the kids congregate with their parents and everyone dresses up. Its not so much about the trick or treat thing but a social thing where all the kids in the village meet up and have a bit of fun running around. There is certainly no sinister element to it and if people don't want to be involved that's fine, it usually finishes by 8pm and unlike bonfire night doesn't include asshats firing rocket to the wee hours. bring it on.... 8)

Or you could sit in all night with your lights off being a right grumbleduke.

^^^ ME 🙂

Lit pumpkin / decorations = happy to accept trick or treaters on our road. We live on a long avenue, Halloween is a ruddy nightmare, it's like all the kids in the town are bussed into one end of the road and picked up at the other. It's the kids that go for a full hand grab of sweets or find it acceptable to walk right into the the house that are the worst. But I have 2 young kids too who love it, so am duty bound to join in with the fun (mum takes takes them out, I hand out the sweets).

Fortunately this year it's on a weekend and we've been invited to a party so are having a year off.

I lived in Houston for a bit and as you can imagine people take it very seriously. Maybe a bit to seriously, the year before one of the neighbours buried himself in the garden and when the first lot of kids knocked on the door came flying out of the earth and scared no traumatized them. One of the parents got mad and a bit of fisticuffs happened and the police were called. The subdivision was leafleted the next year reminding people that it was a "fun holiday"

I went to a great party and had fun with a lady dressed as a cat, Texan girls 😯

You're a killjoy Cougar. As already mentioned, the trick bit fundamentally no longer exists.

Last year we had a bowl of sweets to give out as treats but also put some tins of anchovies in there as well. Poor kids who picked them out!

Last year I got home from work unseen, hid in the garage in my £5 Tesco mummy costume , and waited for the first set of trick or treaters to arrive. Before they rang the door I nipped out and joined the back of their queue then when my kids and friends came to the door from their hallowe'en tea party inside, i joined in with some convincing ghost noises (i became aware at that point that I didn't know what noises mummies made)

I was obviously quite convincing because my kids and friends commented that the mummy was quite freaky; even more so when the Trick or treaters left and I continued in true mummy style into the house. At which point my kids sussed who the mummy was (helped by the dog giving me her usual welcome, she seemed to work it out quite easily) and i got the full enjoyment of inflicting the sort of embarrassment on them that only dads with daughters will truly know.

Just debating whether to go for a double this year........

Whether it's another example of american culture taking over or not, around my way it's harmless fun. The littl'uns dress up, a few houses round my way go to town with decorating their front porches, and you get to speak to your neighbours which is no bad thing in my book.

Or you could sit in all night with your lights off being a right grumbleduke.

This. The parents are usually pretty good with checking that it's ok, and the miserablists who don't want to take part put up signs on the front doors.

the decorated house thing appears to be working, slowly.

parents be warned tho, calling the householder names for answering the door, but clearly not getting involved, may well result in the kind of language you didnt want your loved ones to hear at that age.

i dont like your kids the rest of the year, what on earth makes you think that a random dark evening is a good time to bang on my door?

a random dark evening is a good time to bang on my door?

If it was random we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?

But don't worry, I'm sure the neighbours all know what a joyless arse you are already.

Trick or treat was introduced to me by my kids, who seemed to know what to do in the face of my disapproval.

There's always an unaccompanied group of kids who are a bit too old, and go on a bit too late carrying massive carrier bags full of sugary booty. Might get some sprouts in...

On which note, does mischievous night still exist? In Leeds kids would head out the night before bonfire night. There were no treats involved, only tricks, sometimes unpleasant (bangers through letter box, burning bag with dogturd etc), and minor acts of vandalism and criminal damage (swapping garden gates etc)? Parents were not involved.

I just go out killing

Yup, well the kids do and we escort them.

Kids have their costumes ready, there's a huge pumpkin in the garage but it's rotten now so it's going to have to be slung.

I'l stock up on sweets for the ones knocking here and decorate the house. Of course it helps as it's my youngest's birthday too.

Not sure why we took on the 'trick or treat' title though seemed to come in about 20 years ago or so but that's not an issue.

Oh and it's a Swede we used as kids but everyone call them turnips.

It makes me sad that all culture around bonfire night has died off and the crap around Halloween has come from nowhere in the last 10 years or so. In my kids eyes Halloween is up there with Easter and Christmas and I'm utterly baffled.

yep Love Halloween, its like christmas and birthdays all rolled into one for old goths 😀

My lad has decided he wants to go for full chainsaw wielding psycho for trick or treating, so its been full on sticky back plastic in a blue peter stylee

[img] ?oh=509b2ab8971e7ddcfb269f41277daa21&oe=56BC307A[/img]

[img] ?oh=7f9ee4fc134873e419d895ba7b7c983a&oe=56C60351[/img]

just got finish painting the bugger and cover it in blood!

[i]all culture around bonfire night has died off[/i]

Not round here 🙂

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

You're a killjoy Cougar. As already mentioned, the trick bit fundamentally no longer exists.

TBH, if it was renamed / repackaged I'd be happy. The only issue I have with it is the implied threat; why can't they just go out "Halloween Treating" rather than "Trick or Treating"?

Jesus!!! there are some miserable bastards on here. I thought I was a cantankerous arsey **** but I can't hold a candle to some of you lot!

The kids get to dress up and have a bit of harmless fun? We can't be having that now, can we?

[img] [/img]

Oh.... and tazzymtb - that is ace. Hats off to you sir 😀

Penny-for-the-guy on bommy night ...

It makes me sad that all culture around bonfire night has died off

Has it?

The kids up here haven't been told that.

Halloween has come from nowhere in the last 10 years or so.

It's bigger now but hardly come from nowhere.

I'm not looking forward to being emotionally blackmailed into this bullshit when mine get to that age.

Actually **** that, the wife can do it.

Wow I'm glad you're not my dad 😯

[quote=eddie11 ]It makes me sad that all culture around bonfire night has died off and the crap around Halloween has come from nowhere in the last 10 years or so. In my kids eyes Halloween is up there with Easter and Christmas and I'm utterly baffled.

We still have bonfire night. I'm not sure what's so unhealthy about an occasion where kids dress up, people put out decorations, everybody has fun, nobody gets hurt now has greater prominence than an occasion where we set fire to things.

[b]I'm[/b] looking forward to it, and just trying to find inspiration for something more scary to do with my skull.

It makes me sad that all culture around bonfire night has died off...

To be honest there never really was much of a Bonfire night culture, not in the way Halloween is now. Build a Guy, eat some toffee apples, watch some shite Standard fireworks (apart from the Jack-in-the-Box!).

The main culture surrounding bonfire night when we were kids (early 80's) was to buy loads of Airbombs and Bangers and go around the village causing mahem, and trying to blow each other up!

We still have bonfire night.

...which is a celebration of religious persecution, terrorism, state-sanctioned torture and public executions.

But yes, let's get worked up about small children in costumes asking for sweets.

Most of the kids around here seem dissapointed with sweets, they're hoping for cash.

when I was at uni in manc the scallies would start wheeling the guy around in September

haha yeah i lived in Salford in the late 90's. Halloween started mid-September and there would be kids shouting 'Open the door or we'll put a firework through yer letterbox' for most of October (we gaffa-taped the letterbox shut and just hoped they tried).

i hate halloween because i pay no attention to it and sometimes unwittingly answer the door to see some happy kids who are inevitably disappointed when the most exciting thing i can offer is a tomato or possibly an apple 😆

Back in Pontywaun fireworks went on from now till New Year, it was like Fallujah sometimes, the dog was miserable when the house 4 doors across from you starts letting off air bombs at 2 in the morning and it all kicks off that is not much of a celebration

Jesus!!! there are some miserable bastards on here. I thought I was a cantankerous arsey **** but I can't hold a candle to some of you lot!

The kids get to dress up and have a bit of harmless fun? We can't be having that now, can we?

But, I'm not really interested in it myself. What's wrong with that? I'm not going to go out on the streets haranguing people out doing it. We won't have any decorations out, so there's no need for anyone to come to my door. Everyone's happy, right?

Except the fun police apparently.

Even the straw man is happy

[img] [/img]

I was sick of getting hassled on Halloween so I started spreading rumours locally that I was a sex offender. Haven't had any kids turn up at the house since.

The constant bricks through the window have been a small price to pay.

all culture around bonfire night has died off

Not round here

This makes me very happy.

When I was a kid, not long after E.T. brought this idea into our cultral landscape, it was considered by my dad that 'trick or treat' meant give us a trick or a treat, and was a gamble on the part of the kid.

I thought that was a decent idea. One year he wrapped up a load of treats and some onions, stones and such, but some local little kids were distraught when they didn't get sweets.

So now it's just 'give us treats'. Which works out reasonbly because our kids come back with the same amount that we bought in the first place. Given that the kids from the street all go to each others' houses the sweets just get moved around.

Ok, question for the parents.
I'm planning on decorating my back garden with lit pumpkins, candles, spooky decorations/lights etc & having a few drinks/food around the fire that evening & I won't be able to hear anyone knocking at the front door.
So, I was thinking of making a trail of signs around the side of the house to where we will be & I can then distribute sweets to any liitle monsters that turn up.
Around here they are always with parents, but would you be comfortable taking your kids onto a property and following signs?

Ok, question for the parents.
I'm planning on decorating my back garden with lit pumpkins, candles, spooky decorations/lights etc & having a few drinks/food around the fire that evening & I won't be able to hear anyone knocking at the front door.
So, I was thinking of making a trail of signs around the side of the house to where we will be & I can then distribute sweets to any liitle monsters that turn up.
Around here they are always with parents, but would you be comfortable taking your kids onto a property and following signs?

to be fair, trying to persuade the kids to go to a place where you're cooking and eating meat could be a bit unsettling for them.

I'd suggest you add some additional signage along the lines of WE PROMISE WE WON'T BARBECUE YOU AND EAT YOU, HONEST, WE HAVE SOME DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE TO GIVE YOU to set their minds at rest 🙂

The local churches (various denominations) have been giving out cards, to put on your door, saying "Halloween is not celebrated at this house. No trick or treaters, please".
:/

So, I was thinking of making a trail of signs around the side of the house to where we will

Lol.

"Come into my garden, little children.. you can have a sweetie.."

Not sinister at all! 😈

Actually that might be fun for our house - but only because the kids all know our garden and it's easily accessible from the cul-de-sac

@muddydwarf - I'd hope you'd also have a surprise set up to scare them. Not a problem at all round here - several houses have stuff set up in back gardens for people to visit. Though the most infamous usually sets up some sort of scary passageway in the garage, complete with sound effects, video screens etc. - too scary for most of the little kids!

It'd be better if you were a real actual little person. Get it looking a bit dantes inferno/chapter of Marqui de Sade, you in a devil suit at the barbeque roasting a whole pig, hedonistic cavortings in the back ground and a cauldron of snakes/nightcrawlers and haribo.

Give the neighbours something to talk about

toxicsoks - Member

The local churches (various denominations) have been giving out cards, to put on your door, saying "Halloween is not celebrated at this house. No trick or treaters, please".
:/

Rather stupid and poorly educated churches then.

I now want a devil costume!
Hmm... I have a Cardinals outfit from a former fancy dress party, could add horns & burn a heretic!

Yep, standing in field to have a tuggy before turning a few tricks with the kids. All good healthy stuff.

Cheers @convert, g/f is very amused.

I actually like seeing kids having fun, I'm not really [i]that[/i] grumpy. But I'll be glad when the door-knocking is over ...

You're right, lets abolish Halloween and replace it with Back To The Future Day instead.

That seems more popular anyway.

The 'candy' aspect of it isn't too bad - I get to eat loads of the stuff myself, which is ok.

when I was a kid, not long after E.T. brought this idea into our cultral landscape, it was considered by my dad that 'trick or treat' meant give us a trick or a treat, and was a gamble on the part of the kid.

We only knew of it through Peanuts cartoons. "Dear Great Pumpkin..."

I keep a bucket of water just inside the door, just in case...

Booby traps are being dreamt up already. If I haven't made at least one five-year-old girl soil herself in sheer terror by 7.30pm, it counts as a failure.

I'm sure some adults have a lot more fun than the kids.

Only in the sense that I wear my slipknot 'corey' mask and leap out of the bin cupboard that's adjacent to my front door. Rarely do I ever give out sweets as the kids usually shit a brick and do a runner. 😆

Bloody hell, no pompous anti american diatribe?

Just park this outside your house 😀 [img] ?1254943371[/img]

Our little ones normally go out around the local estate with the Mrs, as it's a bit of fun. They are going to a party this year though.

MrSalmon - Member
Jesus!!! there are some miserable bastards on here. I thought I was a cantankerous arsey **** but I can't hold a candle to some of you lot!
The kids get to dress up and have a bit of harmless fun? We can't be having that now, can we?

This is the sort of fun fascism that gets on my nerves. The kids are quite welcome to dress up and have a bit of harmless fun- who's saying they shouldn't?
I'm certainly not going to stop anyone having any fun.
But, I'm not really interested in it myself. What's wrong with that? I'm not going to go out on the streets haranguing people out doing it. We won't have any decorations out, so there's no need for anyone to come to my door. Everyone's happy, right?

Except the fun police apparently.

<adds CZ to the killjoy list>

I've never tricked or treated in my puff. Went out of for my halloween though, involved getting dressed up in a back bin bag with cut out stars and moons and chapping people doors to either get a few coppers or a loads of fruit. geerally came back with 2 big bags of fruit and enough penuts to last a lifetime! Occasionally had to tell a joke. or got to dunk for apples.

This was during the early 80s when I was very young, loads of people did it round the scheme. still happens. I never got one bit of "candy" ever.

When I got a bit older we used the same chap door and ask for something trick on a regular basis, used to call it the ganjy run, which involved getting every ones on the streets empty bottles, with 8p each at the time, and trooping round to the shops to buy sweeties.

Most parents would probably have a heart attack if their weans did that these days! 😀