Disaster!

We didn't have any either. I too was well-prepared.

Nope none here either so we gave in and started on the treats - so much for the diet! I've heard others saying there were no callers last night too - the weather was fine so I wonder why?

My husband insisted on getting sweets in (this is the man who has Bah Humbug off to a fine art) and we weren’t bothered by the little blighters darlings all night. He’s now making a huge deal of having to eat chocolate before it goes off.....

We just ran out of candy right before the typical ending time for our neighbourhood. Thankfully my kid had just got home from trick-or-treating with her friends and shut things down, giving out the last of the candy right after she got in the door.

That said, I do plan to make a quick stop at Walmart on the way home to pick up some nice half-price candy

In my defense, Hubby is a chocolate monster. I think he would just about live on chocolate if it were possible to do so.

Those who claim they had no trick or treaters - I presume you do know the etiquette is that if there are no Halloween decorations outside, then no one won't call.

I think that's possibly a regional / disposable income thing. It's the other way around here. I live on an inner city estate and I've never put up Halloween decorations. If you have a sign saying 'No trick or treating please' they won't knock but otherwise they will. I don't ever have a 'no costume, no treat' policy either. Most people round here are skint. Spooky noises are required though.

It has tailed off over the last few years though, I must say. I used to get at least half a dozen little bands of kids.

Witzend I always buy sweets that I don't like (those Horribos for instance!)

The DGD will have to help me out, but daddy said they have too many sweets already

Goodness, how iron-willed of you, Callistemon!
I've just had two of the leftover Twixes. And some Smarties earlier. ?

No trick or treaters here, and there are three families with youngsters in our close. I had the treats in all ready, but no-one came. Never mind, the DGDs will enjoy them!

Some of it might be an increase in children going to parties and other events instead of going house to house. I can't speak to the UK, but I know that in our area, some of the malls have trick-or-treat events, too.

We had at least 30 children calling in groups of 4 or 5 with their parents. We get them to show us their outfits before we hand over a small bag of Choc buttons each.

We know a lot of the local children as they play on the field in front of our house. ?

I'm not iron-willed, Witzend, the only way I can resist is by not buying twixes, Germany chocolate in the first place.
Sweets like haribos, fruit gums, etc I can resist!

I have no idea where Germany came from!
I typed 'or any chocolate'
Auto-correct also changed haribos to 'hairdos' but I noticed that before I posted!

There is a long road very near to me where Halloween is celebrated by almost every household and is usually teeming with families in fancy dress etc. visiting the decorated houses. My son's parents-in-law live there and spent the day planning for it. Today I learned that 197 children called at their house, which they said was 30 children fewer than last year!

It could be that 'don't take sweets from strangers' and 'don't go door to door begging' is having its effect.

Schools here include Haloween practices in their talks about 'Staying Safe', pointing out what a dangerous practice it is to go to the house of a complete stranger at night and ask for sweets.

Why does it need to be pointed out, isn't it obvious to adults, if not to children who only have vision of sugar plums dancing in their heads?

A compromise is, "if you must do it, go with an adult" and sometimes that happens but in the end, don't children consume too much crap sugar ?

I long ago realised I was encouraging this extremely dangerous and dubious "tradition" by offering goodies, so no longer do so.

We have lived in this house 34 yrs and have never had them call. We are on the very edge of town though.
It is definitely a case of "no decorations, don't knock" in our town. There are a couple of streets that are renowned for decorations including light shows and amazing special effects in the way some are for Christmas lights.

I live in a small village, an email was sent asking which people would like children to call. I replied saying I would - no-one came! I will now have to eat it myself - it's a tough job but someone has to do it

In recent years I have provided mainly non-edible treats such as fruit scented pens, erasers, glow sticks and hair accessories. They come in cheap multi-packs from Poundland or on line. I therefore don't have the temptaion of left-over sweets to be used up. I love chatting to the children who politely wish me Happy Hallowe'en, no mention of trick or treat. Last year I counted 69 individuals but this time only 51, mostly accompanied by parents.

We only had one ring of the doorbell this year - the first time in several years.

two lots of two children, I think most of them went to an organised party, however, I have a large bowl of sweets left that I don't like!

My neighbour said that they don't always come to the door. He didn't know that you have to display something (pumpkin, spider in web, ghost, etc.) to indicate that they're welcome!

My sweets were all gone by 6.30 pm so I took in the decorations and turned off the porch light - no more callers!

Where I live it’s mostly the younger children who knock on doors and always with their parents or in a group supervised by an adult.

Children of junior school age and older go either to a brilliant ‘bright and light’ party run by one of the local churches or to something very similar run by the local youth centre. Both of the organised events are incredibly well resourced and the children have a whale of a time.

My door remained firmly locked !

Reading the local newspaper this morning it reported that a man in an ugly mask along with two other thugs entered a woman's house and burgled the place.