Post # 1
Member
10589 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I’ve come across a few posts where people say things like no lights, no decorations = don’t go trick or treating at that house.
Most houses would have the light on at least, but there were still a few who had it all decorated instead and had nothing outside, including the light. Some of them were going for an abandoned house feel.
I don’t have kids of my own though, and this will be the first year that we’ll have trick or treaters in a while.
Is this a newer rule, or was it something you followed when you were a kid?
I have found that the decorations are way more elaborate and are out much earlier.
Post # 3
Member
1676 posts
Bumble bee
If the lights weren’t on, we didn’t go to that house.
Post # 4
Member
8483 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I’ve never been trick or treating, so uh, I have no clue.
But if people only go to houses with decorations, then they wont be going to very many houses around here. I think theres maybe 4 houses on the surrounding streats with decorations.
Post # 5
Member
10589 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@allyfally: I am including jack o laterns. There were quite a few of those when I was trick or treating aged, although were often only put out for one night. Do they at least do that in your area?
Post # 6
Member
5371 posts
Bee Keeper
- Wedding: June 2014 - Ontario, Canada ♥ EDD- April 2016
We only went to houses with the porch light or some sort of outside light on. Sometimes the older people on our street wouldn’t decorate, but they still handed out candy (: I think when we have kids and take them out trick or treating we’ll go by whether or not the houses have lights on.
Post # 7
Member
8483 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@AB Bride: Not very many of them, no.
Post # 8
Member
4047 posts
Honey bee
No decorations but the porch light was on? Definitely still hit that house. I’ve never come across a house that had no lights but had decorations.
No lights and no decorations? Not going to knock on their door because they clearly don’t wish to participate.
Post # 9
Member
5189 posts
Bee Keeper
When I was a kid we hit up every house, lights on or off. None of this ending before sunset bullshit either. We started after dinner and went on until we had hit every house in the neighborhood. I used to come home with pillow cases full of candy.
Post # 10
Member
10589 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
Maybe we were just rude teenagers harassing people who weren’t handing out candy. lol Not on purpose, but I could see being told the rule at one point and then forgetting when we were out without an adult.
We skipped the houses that had signs on the door saying the neighbour would give candy and that was it!
Post # 11
Member
9916 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@allyfally: Why have you never been trick or treating?
In my neighborhood, we only went to the houses with lights on. It was the rule — if the lights weren’t on, you don’t go to the house. That was both from our parents and from other kids.
Post # 12
Member
10589 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@Aquaria: End before sunset? That’s just crazy-talk here. This year here that would be 6:01pm. We weren’t allowed to go out under after dinner, so it would have given us an hour, tops, and probably more like 30 min.
Post # 13
Member
8483 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@peachacid: We were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Post # 14
Member
1814 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: May 2013 - Pavilion overlooking golf course scenery, reception at banquet hall
We did not pay attention to decorations as “no candy here” but we did not knock at houses without their porchlights on. I mean, we tried sometimes, but usually no one answered. Eventually “trying” cut into our bottom line so we skipped them the following years.
Post # 15
Member
124 posts
Blushing bee
Back then when I used to trick or treat I would skip the scary houses and the ones with no lights on. The ones with the Halloween decorations were assumed to be candy friendly places.
Post # 16
Member
10589 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
We would skip them if we saw other kids try and no one came to the door.