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As it's trick or treat tomorrow night I'm in two minds as what to offer the little darlings when they knock MY DOOR

What do you think? Toffee onions or chocolate covered sprouts?

Tell them to sod off as you're not American and to come back in a few weeks to do "penny for the Guy"


..... though I am taken by your approach ....

The Yanks got it off the Irish and the Scots

Kwackerz wrote:The Yanks got it off the Irish and the Scots

I knew it would be Ligs fault !

Oooh yer gonna go straight to Hell fer that one!





I can hear the broomsticks being started up already....

I've been doing the bah humbug thing for years and putting up a notice saying "No trick or treat or police will be called" - now the police have caught on and are issuing official notices to put on the door.

I started doing it the year my brick porch was daubed with flour and water paste - sounds innocuous but it wouldn't wash off, took years to get rid of it, and some cars in the street had eggs thrown at them.

Anyway I feel strongly about it - as far as I'm concerned, encouraging children to do Trick or Treat is teaching them to demand a reward with menaces - ie, give us some sweets or we'll play a trick on you. Late they may develop it into gimme some money or I'll bash you.

When I were a lad, growing up in Dewsbury (W. Yorks) in the '60's, Halloween wan't such a big thing as it is now.

Instead, we had Mischief Night - the night before Bonfire Night. This was a bit like Trick or Treat, but without the option of the Treat. Usual things included leaning purloined clothes props, garden implements etc. against a door, knocking on the door and buggering off; tying door-knobs of opposing houses (narrow streets, little traffic then) together with a knicked clothes-line, 2 mates knock on both doors together, then cut the clothes line whilst occupants struggled to open doors.

Occasionally, worse - e.g. bangers through the letter-boxes of particularly reviled, child-hating neighbours. Sometimes nasty - sellotape a drawing-pin to a front door-knob, then smear it with dog-poo, wait for occupant to come home in the dark, prick thumb etc, and bingo! - lick said thumb (my dad taught me that one).

At the time (aged 9 -12), we regarded these activities as a bit of a lark, with no concept of the harm we might have caused - but we genuinely enjoyed the annoyance we caused. We knew we'd get a thraiping if we were caught, but that just added an extra frisson to the night's activities. Some residents kept buckets of water by their doors, in the hope of giving us a pre-emptive soaking - rarely worked.

So, I can understand the excitement today's kids get from Trick or Treat. But, (donning hypocrite's hat) I can't stand the little buggers!

They just 'demand' round our way. I offered 'trick' last time and kid stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do (whilst holding his large tub of sweets)

Missus sets up stalls and everything, apple dunking, worms in flour, blood jelly and everything.

Saying that its the only day a year she can relax and be normal, the bloody Witch.

Oi! Careful what you say about witches!

In Scotland (and I think in Ireland too) it was a completely different event. When we knocked on doors, we were invited in (or told to bu**er of) and expected to recite a poem, sing a song or play a musical instrument. In return we received money or sweets (or fruit maybe - yuk). We wouldn't have dared do trick or treat or we'd have received a clip round the ears for our trouble (and another from mum if she found out).

We're talking early 1960's here. Just wanted to put the "got it from the Scots" straight.

Cheers all.

It was called 'duck apple' when I was a kid, no begging involved.

We had apples in a bowl of water and apples dangling from sting stretched across the room, wearing a blindfold we had to grab 'em with our teeth.

ahh - many of the members here remember having teeth....

Glad (?) to see they're keeping up the old traditions :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/nov/02/2

I just sprayed a pair of wellies silver & left them outside the front door.





Little buggers thought it was Gary Glitter's house & scarpered