# An early Trick or Treat rant. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087 "2012-10-28T00:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spotthegerbil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@spotthegerbil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spotthegerbil)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/1 "2012-10-28T00:52:41Z")
It is Saturday 27th October around 7.30pm. There’s a knock at the door. Opening the door I am met with two children disguised as witches, aged 9 or 10ish, on my doorstep, with an accompanying parent at the end of the path. “Trick or Treat!” they exclaim, holding out a plastic bag. I’m assuming I was meant to put something in here, but as politley as I could, said no thanks and closed the door. A few points. 1. First of all, it’s not sweets you want, but a diary. It’s the 27th. Halloween is the 31st. 2. Trick or Treat? I don’t think so. This is Scotland, it’s called Guising. Let’s try to keep our own tradition going. For that matter, where’s your tumshie lamp?\* 3 Isn’t the USA trick or treat custom to only go to the houses with pumpkin lanterns? No pumpkin on my doorstep means don’t intrude. If there was to be a pumpkin on my doorstep, it probaby wouldn’t get carved until the 31st. 1. Isn’t dressing up as a stereotypical witch a bit un-PC these days? The last witch I knew tended to wear jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Come here again and your weight will be tested against a duck. 2. You’ve got to perform for your supper round here. Back in my day (and we’re not talking centuries here) you had to sing a song, tell a joke, or do something entertaining to get a handfull of sweets. If you don’t work for your keep then it’s not guising, it’s begging. And let us not forget the parent. I don’t care if the 31st is a school night. The 31st and only the 31st is halloween. No exceptions. In the spirit of the season I invite you to drive a stake through your own heart, chop off your head and bury your body at a crossroads. …and you can do that on the 31st. \*tumshie=turnip. the neaps part of haggis, neaps and tatties. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/2 "2012-10-28T01:25:05Z")
Pumkin lanterns?, no any light will do to indicate you are participating. witches will always be in style saying the magic words “trick or treat” is all that is required, but little ones get away with just holding out a bag. Yep, 31st is the big day unless the entire community changes it for some reason. Mine used to be on the 30th if the 31st fell on a Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/3 "2012-10-28T01:26:26Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > 3 Isn’t the USA trick or treat custom to only go to the houses with pumpkin lanterns? No pumpkin on my doorstep means don’t intrude. If there was to be a pumpkin on my doorstep, it probaby wouldn’t get carved until the 31st. It’s usually that or a porch light on with maybe some kind of Halloween decoration. No outside light definitely means no treats here. Certain communities here will occasionally “reschedule” Halloween for whatever reason, but it definitely sounds like that’s not the case by you! ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/4 "2012-10-28T01:55:42Z")
Christ, they’re trick or treating here in Scotland now? Jeez. I, as a fellow Scot, support this Pitting. You show up on the 31st and not any other day, and you sing for your fucking supper. If you really must. I mean, I’d rather you just fucked off and left me alone, but if you want nuts, candy or money, at least _try_ to entertain me. I realise you’re 5, my standards are not high, but honestly, is it too much effort to learn a silly song or something? Next up - the bastards who let off fireworks more than a week ahead of the 5th November. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/5 "2012-10-28T02:25:23Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Yep, 31st is the big day unless the entire community changes it for some reason. Mine used to be on the 30th if the 31st fell on a Sunday. There are communities in central Ohio where it’s never ever the 31st. (It was traditionally the 30th in my area, but now seems to always be done on the Thursday before the 31st, which means that this year the kids were out begging a full 6 days before Halloween.) ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/6 "2012-10-28T02:37:18Z")
What pisses me off is the trick or treating while it’s still daylight. I don’t care what day it is, as long as the neighborhood has all agreed, but my light doesn’t go on until it’s dark enough to tell the difference. If that’s too scary, then you can just sit at home and wait for the Easter Bunny. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/7 "2012-10-28T02:45:49Z")
It gets dark before I get home, so the daylight monsters don’t get in my gate. What ticks me off about this is that its beautiful warm and sunny until 10/30. Then a cold front moves in and all of the monsters I see are all bundled up in with jackets. I want to see the cute costumes, dangit. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/8 "2012-10-28T02:57:08Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > It’s usually that or a porch light on with maybe some kind of Halloween decoration. No outside light definitely means no treats here. > > Certain communities here will occasionally “reschedule” Halloween for whatever reason, but it definitely sounds like that’s not the case by you! In my apartment building, the outside lights are automatic. I do intend to put a decoration on my door, hopefully signaling that yes, there is candy here. 🙂 This will happen on Wednesday, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/9 "2012-10-28T04:41:39Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > What pisses me off is the trick or treating while it’s still daylight. I don’t care what day it is, as long as the neighborhood has all agreed, but my light doesn’t go on until it’s dark enough to tell the difference. If that’s too scary, then you can just sit at home and wait for the Easter Bunny. Yeah, around here all the little ghosts and goblins start appearing around 3 or 4 PM. Sorry, if your kid is too young to stay up until 6 or 7, most likely s/he’s too young to really go trick or treating anyway. Same goes with kids in strollers, without a group of older kids. The parents are just interested in dressing the baby up and showing him/her off. A kid that young shouldn’t be eating candy! BELIEVE me, the baby will find out about candy soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/10 "2012-10-28T15:15:12Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Yeah, around here all the little ghosts and goblins start appearing around 3 or 4 PM. Sorry, if your kid is too young to stay up until 6 or 7, most likely s/he’s too young to really go trick or treating anyway. Same goes with kids in strollers, without a group of older kids. The parents are just interested in dressing the baby up and showing him/her off. A kid that young shouldn’t be eating candy! BELIEVE me, the baby will find out about candy soon enough. Yeah, speaking as a dad whose daughter once trick or treated in a stroller, I don’t think you need to worry about the wee ones eating candy… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/11 "2012-10-28T16:55:11Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > 1. Isn’t dressing up as a stereotypical witch a bit un-PC these days? The last witch I knew tended to wear jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Come here again and your weight will be tested against a duck. There’s nothing at all wrong with dressing like a stereotypical scary witch. If modern “witches” have a problem with it then fuck them. I can totally get behind the rest of your objections though. Trick or treating on the 27th? Fuck that. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/12 "2012-10-28T17:38:01Z")
Scots seem cranky. Perhaps I’ll move there. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/13 "2012-10-28T18:35:58Z")
This Scot seems somewhat righteously cranky, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/14 "2012-10-28T18:55:19Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Next up - the bastards who let off fireworks more than a week ahead of the 5th November. Oh I’m with you on that! We’ve had constant fireworks at night for two weeks now…I hope they lose fucking eyes. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/15 "2012-10-28T21:07:01Z")
I’m handing out candy but I can get behind this. Not many people can afford candy for a week of trick or treating, which almost always fell on a schoolnight as i recall. I’m used to seeing kids in jackets and costumes because i am in Indiana and the weather sucks here sometimes. What I don’t get and don’t like is looking at costumes and not only are they slutty and or tacky, and I want to have fun, not catch a cold. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/16 "2012-10-28T22:25:01Z")
I’ve had ‘kids’ (teens) show up for candy with no costumes! No costume, no candy. And I don’t wish to open my door (or didn’t in the past - now I live way too far out for anyone to ever come to this door) to packs of 30+ teenagers. Nope nope nope. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/17 "2012-10-28T23:05:15Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > Oh I’m with you on that! > > We’ve had constant fireworks at night for two weeks now…I hope they lose fucking eyes. Aye. Little shits were letting them off at about 4am last night. Can you get rectal fireworks? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/18 "2012-10-28T23:17:16Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Aye. Little shits were letting them off at about 4am last night. Can you get rectal fireworks? I understand a lot of them can be fitted rectally, at least if clips I’ve seen on “World’s Dumbest” are anything to go on. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/19 "2012-10-29T00:35:41Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I understand a lot of them can be fitted rectally, at least if clips I’ve seen on “World’s Dumbest” are anything to go on. I guess so, although I was aiming for “lighted end first”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/20 "2012-10-29T01:16:46Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > What pisses me off is the trick or treating while it’s still daylight. I don’t care what day it is, as long as the neighborhood has all agreed, but my light doesn’t go on until it’s dark enough to tell the difference. If that’s too scary, then you can just sit at home and wait for the Easter Bunny. Well, we used to go on Standard Time before Oct 31, so it was dark about 5:30PM. Now, it doesn’t get dark until about 6:30PM, so I have some sympathy for the pre-schools set. I blame it on Obama. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087.md?page=2)