Trick or Treating

[Luv Bunnies]

My DS12 has a friend who lives in an apartment complex. Last year, his mom asked if he and his brother could come trick or treating with my boys in our neighborhood and I said sure. Halloween was on a Saturday last year so we didn't really worry about how late the boys would be out.

Yesterday, I saw the mom at a school event and invited her to bring her boys over again to trick or treat. She asked if we were going on Saturday or Sunday. I said, "Well, Halloween is Sunday so that's when we'll go." She asked if we could go Saturday instead since Sunday is a school night. I told her that no one in our neighborhood would be giving out candy on Saturday. She said, "Well, maybe a few people would have their candy ready and not mind if we came a day early? I would rather not take the boys out on Sunday night." I told her we could plan on leaving around 6:30 and only stay out until 7:30 or 8:00. She was still hesitant but said OK.

I have never heard of going trick or treating a day early and her insistence that it would be OK sort of surprised me. On Halloween night, our street will be lit up with pumpkins, a few huge Halloween yard displays and kids running around everywhere in costumes. On Saturday night, porch lights will be off and the street will be dead! I couldn't imagine trying to trick or treat on Saturday. I think I'd be blacklisted from the neighborhood association! Does anyone across the country normally trick or treat on a different night? I've just never heard of it!

 

[mouseforcemom]

I've heard of it when there is like a city wide ordinance and everyone is on the same page as to date and time. But, to not have that in place and just show up the day before does strike me as odd. If she has a problem with later on Sunday, maybe she would like to go earlier in the day?

 

[Ceila]

That's crazy!! I've lived in a couple different parts of the country and have never heard of such a thing.

ETA: I'm referring to just going out on a different date on your own. I do know many towns set a different date for ToT other than Halloween.

 

[ameraumi]

I live in one of those areas where T or T is on Saturday this year. Every year the paper lists the dates and times T or T will be for the towns in the area. Only one town in the county is having T or T on Sunday this year.

 

[plutotek]

There was a thread on this last week, discussing the changing of celebrating Halloween on a different day for whatever reason (football/church/Sunday in general, etc). Our mayor came out and said that Sunday would be the official celebration of Halloween (surprised me as we live in the Bible belt), but people were welcome to go out on Saturday.

 

[Lauralee]

Our city sets Trick or Treat night. It's always the night BEFORE Halloween, 6-8 p.m. The theory is that costumed kids running the dark streets and those partying drinking drivers don't mix well.

 

[okeydokey]

How weird to decide to trick or treat another night unless the town had decreed a day change. If someone came to my house (especially older kids) the night before, I would send them along. (Actually, chances are, we wouldn't even be home).

 

[MushyMushy]

Where do people get such oddball ideas?

Yes, my town is one that organizes ToT on a different day than Halloween, but that's a whole town thing. I can't imagine people just up and saying "Hey, let's try this on a different night than usual! People might have candy."

 

[mickeywho?]

Very strange...

With Halloween on a Sunday this year, I expect many parents/kids to be out earlier since they won't be rushing home from work on a typical work day. So, I'll have candy ready earlier in the day. If they knock on my door on Saturday all I may have to offer is a trick!

 

[mjkacmom]

Our city sets Trick or Treat night. It's always the night BEFORE Halloween, 6-8 p.m. The theory is that costumed kids running the dark streets and those partying drinking drivers don't mix well.

We had a child killed by a drunk driver last Halloween - it was so sad! There is a main residential street at the top of our street, and it's packed with TTers (many who get dropped off). I worry about ds12 and his friends, without grownups. Usually a parent will cross big groups of kids (I wish they'd close it off to traffic).

 

[mtemm]

Our city sets Trick or Treat night. It's always the night BEFORE Halloween, 6-8 p.m. The theory is that costumed kids running the dark streets and those partying drinking drivers don't mix well.

I wonder how that will go this year? I would think more adult halloween parties would be on saturday this year rather than sunday

 

[tvguy]

Very common in the south and in areas with a large fundalmentalist Christian community to move trick or treating when Halloween falls on a Sunday.
I will make a HUGE gross generalization here, but some feel Halloween honors the Devil, and IF they tolerate Halloween, they certainly won't tolerate it on the Sabbath.

 

[TreslovesWDW]

We live in a town where trick or treat will be on Saturday. Whenever Halloween falls on a Sunday they do trick or treat on Saturday. We only lived here 9 years I always thought that was weird Halloween is Halloween how can they just change it. But when this happens my kids are lucky because they get 2 nights of trick or treat since we always go back to where we are from to spend Halloween with their cousins,so its a win win for them..lol Also when we first moved here at school they would celebrate Halloween now they have fall festival parties..ha

 

[Mouse House Mama]

There is no way I would do this. Unless your town changes Halloween every year and it is a known town event I wouldn't even consider it. If some kids rang my doorbell looking for treats on a day that was not Halloween I probably would not even answer the door. Sorry but that is weird and I would never have agreed to something like that.

 

[TheZue]

Weird! I can't imagine having kids show up on a random day, and any day other than Halloween is random here. I make sure I'm home on Halloween and don't drag out the candy until just before I expect them to come to the door.