Do I have to be ready for trick-or-treaters all day tomorrow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question - what do you have to do to be ready other than open up a bag of candy and put it by the front door? If someone came to my house tomorrow at 3 and I was home to answer the door, I'd give them candy.

I'm wondering the same thing.

Bell rings, answer door, give out candy. What kind of readiness preparation do you need for this???

Find the candy of course. Am I the only one who hides it somewhere and then forgets where

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me when trick or treating changed?

People question the date and time constantly.

Its ON Halloween (that was a different thread) but NO its NOT all day. It starts right around when it gets dark out.

I truly do not understand why this is so difficult.

Because everyone came from different places that had different rules and expectations. Where I grew up, the towns decided the dates and times. I find the whole "when it gets dark" to be confusing. Just a bit dark? Totally dark? And then you have the people that live in neighborhoods that seem to accept early trick or treaters.

Lots of people are actually from here. It seems crazy to us for there to be one official hour, on the wrong night! (really, Ohio?), trick or treating after school, or an official time designation (says who?).

[Anonymous]

I'm from NJ and we never had official trick or treating hours either. We would get people ringing the door for candy between about 4:30 and 9. We turned off the porch light and didn't answer if people came for candy after 9.

[Anonymous]

In my neighborhood there are set times to Trick or Treat. 6 to 8 pm.

[Anonymous]

I'll answer the door for costumed kids any time after 5:30 and before 9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: You people do realize that it's not a Whenever you want thing, right? Each town/jurisdiction has their own hours.

This is the first I've heard that jurisdictions actually get involved in setting "official" hours. Someone on my listserv sent around a question the other day asking about the official hours and I thought that was odd. As far as I'm aware in the midwestern town I grew up in, kids went out whenever they wanted, usually right after dusk for young kids and an hour or two later for older ones. And people decided when they wanted to turn off their lights and no longer give out candy. No officials getting involved.

I just googled my own town and the only thing that popped up was a press release with safety tips. No official hours listed.

I also grew up in the Midwest, and we had official hours. In fact, hours for the towns in the area were listed either on the local news, or the newspaper.

I am a nanny state-loving liberal - and this seems utterly absurd to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: You people do realize that it's not a Whenever you want thing, right? Each town/jurisdiction has their own hours.

This is the first I've heard that jurisdictions actually get involved in setting "official" hours. Someone on my listserv sent around a question the other day asking about the official hours and I thought that was odd. As far as I'm aware in the midwestern town I grew up in, kids went out whenever they wanted, usually right after dusk for young kids and an hour or two later for older ones. And people decided when they wanted to turn off their lights and no longer give out candy. No officials getting involved.

I just googled my own town and the only thing that popped up was a press release with safety tips. No official hours listed.

I also grew up in the Midwest, and we had official hours. In fact, hours for the towns in the area were listed either on the local news, or the newspaper.

I am a nanny state-loving liberal - and this seems utterly absurd to me.

Why? People know what time to be home/plan dinner etc. posting the neighboring town's hours meant you could beg your parents to go to other areas that stated earlier or ran later (while going to your own, of course).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about being prepared until about an hour or so before darkness hits.

However I live in CA, perhaps on the East Coast people do it differently.

I have never seen anyone in costume, ringing doorbells during the day though.

What about on the movie E.T.?

I remember being so very bewildered about those kids all out in the daylight in their costumes. And to this day I STILL think about it when anybody mentions t or t before dusk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: You people do realize that it's not a Whenever you want thing, right? Each town/jurisdiction has their own hours.

This is the first I've heard that jurisdictions actually get involved in setting "official" hours. Someone on my listserv sent around a question the other day asking about the official hours and I thought that was odd. As far as I'm aware in the midwestern town I grew up in, kids went out whenever they wanted, usually right after dusk for young kids and an hour or two later for older ones. And people decided when they wanted to turn off their lights and no longer give out candy. No officials getting involved.

I just googled my own town and the only thing that popped up was a press release with safety tips. No official hours listed.

I also grew up in the Midwest, and we had official hours. In fact, hours for the towns in the area were listed either on the local news, or the newspaper.

I am a nanny state-loving liberal - and this seems utterly absurd to me.

Midwesterner here. Never ever heard about designated times. I think people were generally ready at dusk in our neighborhood. You went to the doors who had their lights on. Halloween has never been a city sponsored event. If you want to leave your light on until 11pm, expect to get some teenagers at 11pm. If you want to hand out candy until 7pm, do it. I think most places are like that

[Anonymous]

Jesus people. If you're cool with handing out candy just hand it out when people knock.

If you're too grinchy to get up from your serious dinner time or think 5pm is too early or 9:01 is too late, then don't.

My daughter is 7 but her costume is all dark colors. I'm trying to get her out the door around 5:15 so she's safer when walking around. My neighbors are of the same mind. So if we hit your house at 5:18 and that's upsetting to you please don't feel the need to get up from your carefully prepared gourmet meal!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus people. If you're cool with handing out candy just hand it out when people knock.

If you're too grinchy to get up from your serious dinner time or think 5pm is too early or 9:01 is too late, then don't.

My daughter is 7 but her costume is all dark colors. I'm trying to get her out the door around 5:15 so she's safer when walking around. My neighbors are of the same mind. So if we hit your house at 5:18 and that's upsetting to you please don't feel the need to get up from your carefully prepared gourmet meal!

Poor kid. Part of the fun of Halloween is going out in the dark. And not getting rejected from houses who aren't accepting trick-or-treaters. We looked for an outside light (porch, garage). No lights during the day! Hope that costume has magical powers to determine who not to bother!

[Anonymous]

We got our first trick or treaters just after 4:00...

[Anonymous]

If we are out anytime from 4:30 on I leave out some candy in a bowl with a note that says "please take some candy" until we return. We are usually done trick or treating by 7. I answer the door until 9 and then leave any candy left with a note since I don't want my kids waking up to the doorbell.

[Anonymous]

Alright kids, my first ToTer was after six.