No Trick or Treat signs?

When kids are told to only go to pumpkin houses... people who don't want trick or treaters shouldn't be using pumpkins for a no trick or treat sign!

In the dark at first glance..

nota the ones you have seen are different to the ones we were offered. Ours are like a no entry sign with a red ring, no pumpkins.

Well that at least makes them clear.
The ones I shared are from the police's official facebook page. Maybe they should have given it more thought and shared the same ones as in your area

I agree notnan that yours look like an invitation. I still think though that children should only knock on doors which make it clear they are welcome. I know I may be a killjoy but I just don't like the idea of children going asking for sweets at all.

Well the people who put pumpkins out love seeing the kids dressed up and would be disappointed if no one knocked so I don't know what anyone who doesn't join in has to object about.

What became of duck-apple and the smelly old turnip lantern ?

I know most of the local children who knock when I put out my lit pumpkin. I am pleased to note that 'trick or treat' is not mentioned these days. I now get a cheery 'happy hallowe'en'. I enjoy baking and buying treats including some healthy ones which are always left over at the end of the evening! I clock up about 50 children most years, starting with tiny tots and parents at about 5.30 and finishing around 8.30.

Our two always enjoyed it, so I put a small-ish lit-up pumpkin in the window (usually gets turned into a Thai style soup next day) and we get a lot of mostly young children round. I have already stocked up with lots of mini packs of Smarties, and am hoping there'll be a few left over for me!

In my former life as a teacher I opened my door to Trick-Treaters, and recognised the thinly-disguised local children. To test them out, I said "trick" not knowing what to expect. They looked completely deflated and said "oh, Miss, you're supposed to say "treat" ! I gave them treats anyway

It has always been only visit those with pumpkins etc in our area.

Local street knowledge amongst 3-11 & their parents is it is ok to knock if a house is acknowledging Halloween.eg.via a pumpkin lantern.

EllanVannin Agree 100percent.T

Ellan we tried turnips last year..I always had them as a kid..but it took forever! I might do apples and then hang them.up for the birds!

Have got sweets ready, but forgotten the pumpkin, better get that out fast.

We live close to armed forces married quarters. Sailors hide in dustbins, soldiers are ready to spring out, dressed amusingly. It is huge fun and all the little kids go round with parents and the bigger ones in wee gangs. I love to see them at my door. But we do make it very clear that they are very welcome with pumpkins etc on show

I think signage discouraging guisers may set people up for egging or worse.
In my neighbourhood we have online forum where neighbours can buy and sell things, advertise for tradesmen required etc. This week they have asked people to add themselves as happy to receive guisers or not happy. While I think saying you're happy to receive guisers, I wouldn't be advertising that I wasn't, for whatever reason.

Someone stole my pumpkin a couple of years ago but I just went & bought another & it will be outside, with candle lit, to welcome any little ones. Bowl of treats ready. Love the Little Ones all dressed up & enjoying themselves!

Another unwelcome (Imo ) import from the USA. like Mother's Day instead of Mothering Sunday.
We never celebrated Halloween but used to have a big bonfire and fireworks on 5th November.
Bonfire Night was for one night only .
Having said that if we get trick or treaters I always give them a treat -usually the soft centred Quality Stxreet Chocolates we don't like.

When I lived in the north of Scotland for a few years my children did exactly what Paddyanns children did/do. It was very entertaining in as much as they used to sing a song, recite a funny poem, or tell a couple of jokes. All the children knew one another and went round together in a group just in the road we lived in. I used to make toffee apples and Scottish tablet and small cakes to give out. No-one had pumpkins in the windows in those days,
Children seemed to actually earn those sweets then. Once we returned to Somerset it was completely different, don't knock unless there is either a pumpkin or other Halloween displays showing from the house. Then kids would knock and say trick or treat just expecting to be handed something without any of the sweets being earned as in Scotland.
As I understand it this tradition started off in Scotland centuries ago, and was taken to America by people who emigrated ....it then took on the Americanisation of becoming trick or treat.

When living in the US the practice was that children only knocked on doors when a porch light was left on, they were always with adults who mostly filmed the encounters. In 'my' part of California there were also adverts on the TV to detail which hospitals you could take sweets to be X-rayed to check for any contamination! Not sure if this was every year or just because of particular problems at that time.

I had trick or treaters last night. (I dont have a sign but I also dont have a punkin either and it was not the right night .) There were 3 small kids I said you are too early in the sweetiest voice I could muster. Their parents where at my gate and called over we are going to a party on the day so we dont want them to miss out on treats so we doing it tonight so they can go to the party too. If you dont have sweets money will do . I just said sorry and shut my door. It seems too me a lot of people have a feeling of entitment in society today and haloween is just an example of this in some people. Last year my neighbour had a sign which was lit up people still knocked and said things like money will do . I also think all this goes against encouraging heathy eating. The problem with these signs is that they can encouage ticks from older children I have heard of people having eggs at the windows when they have had a sign .

lancslass1 there are a lot of longstanding British Halloween traditions including asking for treats.
They have, like so much else, been appropriated by the world of commerce, keen to increase profits wherever they can!

I must be extremely lucky. In the 10 years I've lived here, I've never had a single Halloween trick or treater call and be anything other than pleasant, funny and sweet when theyveknocked on my door. All of the little ones are accompanied by a parent who hovers close by and they all say "thank you very much, Happy Halloween" as they leave. The teenagers are polite and friendly too.
I won't be here this Halloween and I'll be sorry to miss my usual callers because I really enjoy seeing them, especially the little ones.

My 3 older girls went trick or treating and when they said it to an elderly couple they replied ooh a treat please. I was proud that the girls gave them some of their goodies