trick or treating etiquette...

Hey guys,

for those of you who plan on taking your kids trick or treating in your neighborhood, I was just wondering what time is appropriate to start. It's always been on a weekday with the girls so we generally waited til people got home from work and went then. But on a Saturday what's the deal?

Also, we are giving out candy but it would drive me crazy if people planned on trick or treating from 1pm until 8pm. So what's the deal? When can I start my girls trick or treating. I will have to leave a note to trick or treaters to come back at a certain time. We have so much candy to give a way. It would suck to be stuck with all of it.

 

Traditionally you wait until dark to start. That was easier, of course, before Bush changed daylight savings and made the daylight last longer at Halloween. This isn't a big deal on a Saturday, but it's a pain on weeknights. My kids go to bed at 7:30, after all.

 

I've always gone when it starts to get dark out. I've never gone before dinner time. I would say between 5:30/6pm or so should be safe. It's whoever has their porch light on-those are the house ppl go to.

 

We have trick or treat hours in hour town, so we go from 5-8. But usually we are home well before the time is over.

 

I was thinking 6-7ish

 

Don't you have set hours? Ours is 5-8 & the neighboring town is 6-8. You never go to a house without a porch light on...

 

Trick or treating here is 6-8 pm.

 

We go around 6:30ish.

 

No, not everyone has set trick-or-treating days/hours, only weirdos do! Just being silly, but I had never heard of that until I moved to MA. The towns would have T-or-T on different days, usually on a Friday or Saturday, even if Halloween proper was on a different day, and with set hours. I grew up with you T-or-T on actual Halloween, and roughly at dusk or after dinner. I would say start around 5:30-6:00. We're only hitting a few houses anyway.

 

Our neighborhood sets the time of 6-8pm. I personally would not start before 6pm anyway.

 

I wish we had set hours! My parents want to take the girls around their neighborhood around 1 or 2ish, then we have t-or-t at a local village center from 2-5, and then I figured I'd take them around our neighborhood (like 6 houses) after 5. I want to be in before it gets dark (here around 6ish) since it will just be me and the girlies because my DH is out of town.

 

I have NEVER heard of set hours! Wow...you learn something new everyday on TS!!

I would say 5p-8p. We will probably be hitting the neighborhoods around 6ish. We plan on trunk-or-treating at 2 different churches in the neighborhood first and they both start at 5pm.

 

What is trunk or treating? Do you go around to people's trunks? This is truly an educational Topic for me; I had never heard of set hours either!

And since I'm so clueless... what if you don't live in a neighborhood? Do you go to someone else's?

 

Yeah, at a church, the parking lot is full of people giving candy out of their trunks. And I'm going to our friend's neighborhood.

 

Our city has set hours (6-8)---it is nice that way you 'know' when to be ready and when to politely shut your lights off. In a big neighboring city, they had trouble with older trick or treaters going around until past midnight---and pranking people.

 

some towns have posted times for trick or treat so you might check with city hall. our local park trick or treating starts at 4

 

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I live in an apartment complex and everyone has been emailed (or can pick up in the office) a picture of a pumpkin for people to put on their door if they are participating and giving out candy. There are probably about 500 apts. here so obviously we will just hit the units closest to us.

I will stop by the office tomorrow and ask them if the complex has specific times for trick or treating. I was thinking around 5:30 so from what many of you said, sounds like I'm right within reason.

Thanks all, and have a fabulous Halloween!

 

That's cool that people can post a pumpkin if they are handing out candy. :good:

I was going to ditto a bunch of people above. Our town doesn't set times but generally people come between 6:30-8. I warned our neighbors that we're coming out at 5:30 to do a few houses and get home so we can see everyone else dressed up when they stop by.