Trick or Treat

[Deleted member 26715]

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night sweating when the realisation you wrote that on a public forum kicks in.

Never going to happen, I unfortunately have to deal with them on a daily basis, Forest's mother had all knowledge of this.

 

[FishFright]

Never going to happen, I unfortunately have to deal with them on a daily basis, Forest's mother had all knowledge of this.

Lol

 

[AndyRM]

I closed the door on someone trick or treating a few years ago, the parent spent several minutes banging on the door and swearing loudly, in the past people have ha their houses egged after closing their doors to trick or treaters.

Like I said, address the kid if you can't be arsed with the parents' nonsense.

I'm aware of the egging thing. TPing is also a popular one. Again, I reckon this is down to where you live/grew up. Never seen it done in the UK, or when I lived in the States.

 

[BoldonLad]

Like I said, address the kid if you can't be arsed with the parents' nonsense.

I'm aware of the egging thing. TPing is also a popular one. Again, I reckon this is down to where you live/grew up. Never seen it done in the UK, or when I lived in the States.

One of my grand-daughters and her partner live in Penshaw, their house was “egged” last year as part of the trick-or-treat “fun”.

 

[AndyRM]

One of my grand-daughters and her partner live in Penshaw, their house was “egged” last year as part of the trick-or-treat “fun”.

From what I understand it's a bit of a pain to get rid of. I'm actually surprised I've never seen it happen, but not that it happened in Penshaw; that's bandit country!

 

[fossyant]

It's popular on our estate - rules are, no decorations, you don't call. The only year's we've missed doing it is due to Covid. I'll get some pumpkins and pop the 'smoking skull' in the porch !

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I'll get some pumpkins and pop the 'smoking gun' in the porch !

FTFY

 

[Alex321]

Velcro?

No it's not it's an invasion of privacy & an enforced & condoned form of begging.

It is certainly not an Iinvasion of privacy, nor enforced begging. Condoned begging, yes.

 

[Oldhippy]

It's a way of getting people to to spend money on tat they don't need and will end up in landfill.

 

[Time Waster]

The first trick-or-treaters were poor children in medieval Europe, who would go door-to-door begging for food and money during the Celtic holiday Samhain — celebrated on October 31. In exchange, they would offer to pray for the souls of their neighbors' recently departed loved ones.

Origins of Trick or Treat. Still begging but you got a service in return. I've also read that the costumes bit is so the souls and spirits don't recognise you or don't harm you or to scare them away (also a service in time people believed in such things).

Now it's seen as an American thing but the truth is the Europeans took it over there for the Americans to make it mainstream and more popular then send it back here. A good thing if done with the support of the community. If there's a problem in your area I wonder if that's just a sign of a bigger pro in your community. Namely there isn't really one with a communal spirit. IMHO that's not good.

It's the joining together of a community in a shared activity that's so positive when it happens. I'm fortunate in living in a community that cares and shares. Apart from the communal halloween activities there's something like 30 families from Ukraine living here in a population of 2000. Complete with raised funds to help support them and a clothes bank because well many fled with nothing. There's been a big volunteer group during covid too. It's a small village that simply helps each other. I particularly like the chatty benches idea too.

 

[AndyRM]

It's a way of getting people to to spend money on tat they don't need and will end up in landfill.

Only if you get throwaway plastic junk. I've had the few decorations I've got for years.

 

[classic33]

Asking for a sweet as part of a hallowe'en tradition is hardly comparable to asking someone in the street for a fiver or a tenner. How often has the latter happened to you? I've been asked for spare change, but never that amount. I guess if you want to be pedantic about it, sure, it's "begging", but that seems like a pretty extreme take on the whole thing.

OK then, rather than close the door, ignore the parent, address the child. It's not rocket science. Anecdotal I know, but I've never experienced this aggressive/pushy parent thing.

Trouble is, sweets aren't what most of them want, it's money. Especially amongst those over the age of ten.

They don't get what they want, there's a very good chance of half a dozen eggs, if not more, ending up on the house and windows. Easy enough hose them off while fresh, dried in overnight is another matter.

 

[AndyRM]

Maybe the OP should add a poll, or start a thread on Nov 1 so we can find out who's house got egged?

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Jesus, what a depressingly curmudgeonly view some have.

I've never experienced these pushy parents, aggressive kids, cash beggars or similar. For the last decade in this house I've only had kids enjoying dressing up a bit and looking for a few sweets. A lit lantern attracts the bell ringers, and a darkened house is respected as not participating. Someone made the point earlier that if there's egging and aggressive parents, maybe Halloween isn't the problem, maybe it's your community.

When I can't be arsed I've been known to leave a bowl of sweets on the doorstep with a lantern to show we're "sort of" participating. No need to even answer or get off the sofa.

Let the kids have some fun for goodness sakes. It's a shitty enough world for them as it is, try to contribute to their lives positively. You might actually smile more yourself.

 

[Jody]

Trouble is, sweets aren't what most of them want, it's money. Especially amongst those over the age of ten.

The offer is sweets and that's it.