Archived on 6/5/2022

Hallowe’en

Oddbob
28 Oct '20

Got to ask, as the kids keep asking, what’s everyone thinking with Hallowe’en? Seems to me it is perfectly feasible with a few precautions:

Mask - check
Groups of 6 or less- check
Outdoors - check
Wash hands - check.

We’ve got everything ready to go trick or treating, and offer treats ourselves.

How about others?

Emak5
28 Oct '20

I can give you 61,469 reasons why we can go without trick or treating this year.

oakr
28 Oct '20

We’re not doing it this year but some of my children’s classmates (and I think this sort of thing is common) will follow a map to each other’s homes - I’m unclear as we are not doing it whether they are just viewing a poster in a house window (which has been shared a few times I think) and getting a treat off their parents for each poster seen, or actually collecting some sweets, or a combination. So essentially doing it in the class bubbles I guess.

I think it’s reasonably low risk, but if it’s very busy maybe not so, and we are passing on that basis and a few other reasons. We going to instead effectively hide some things around the house for the kids to find, in addition to cutting some pumpkins.

No opening the door to trick or treaters this year though…

NandM
28 Oct '20

Stocked up on sweets as per usual, the children be wearing masks no doubt and keeping a distance , sweets are individually wrapped. Looking forward to it. :jack_o_lantern:

Daffodil
28 Oct '20

People I know are doing ‘Spooky Walks’ this year rather than trick or treating.
We are going to walk around and look at the decorated houses during the day but not knock on any doors, I don’t feel comfortable doing that this year.

Clair
29 Oct '20

I personally feel

  1. Many people wouldn’t want strangers knocking/ringing at doors during these worrying times.
  2. Cross contamination possibly of treats given to children from different households.
  3. If letting kids dip their own treats, other hands would of dipped in them too.

I would have a fun Halloween indoors, Halloween treat hunt, spooky music dancing, creative making, I’m sure children would understand our current circumstances & the safety around it.
I feel less people will want to answer their doors this year. Which can be disappointing for the kids. Or might display more clearly if they want trick or treater’s.
Either do a local walk non knocking, unless friends of yours, and plant your own treats about places and give clues or directions for your children to safely find.
Or arrange with classmates and knock on each other’s doors.

I’m normally all for Halloween fun for little ones. But sadly this year’s not normal.

Beige
29 Oct '20

Do you have a plan for ensuring the sweets you give out have not been touched by many little pairs of hands? Or ensuring the same for the sweets you receive?

Oddbob
29 Oct '20

Yes, but obviously we can only control how we handle the treats we give out, and the treats we collect.

Interesting that people feel uncomfortable opening their doors “at this time”. Surely a little perspective, common sense, and precaution is more than enough to stay safe?

Completely accept the concern for vulnerable people, but others that are generally out and about? What’s going to happen if you open your front door and have a 5 second, socially distanced interaction with someone?

Beige
29 Oct '20

I would worry about how the sweets you collect have been handled beforehand more than the interaction. The idea that kids will be wearing beneficial masks and distancing is also an interesting one.

We were planning to do some kind of trail here, where children dress up and go out are given sweets by their parents, but now my little one has been told to isolate (not go out) for 14 days due to positive test from one of her close contacts at school, so we are dressing up at home and doing a treat hunt. She will miss a week of school and her parents miss a week of work.

Sgc
29 Oct '20

How do you know who is vulnerable prior to knocking?

This applies even pre covid I know my grandparents would spend all evening sat in the kitchen in the back of the house, with minimal lights, to avoid knocks on the door. They weren’t great on their feet.
I know in general the code should be only knocking on houses who are clearly partaking with decorations etc.

So think some of the above suggestions are a great way of keeping everyone safe and happy.

Londondrz
29 Oct '20

Typically these days, people who are happy for trick or treaters have a carved pumpkin on a doorstep or prominent area. That’s what we did on Waldenshaw Road.

Fran_487
29 Oct '20

I agree. And a cold, rain-soaked trawl round streets where next to no people want to open their doors to strangers – however small and sweet those strangers – doesn’t sound like the magical Halloween kids are looking for.

Sad, but so many things are sadder this year.

Holly_Bardrick
29 Oct '20

Hi! We are offering a set menu for Halloween at The Dartmouth Arms allowing parents and children to get out in fancy dress if they wish. We also have lots of sweets ready and waiting if anyone is trick or treating, feel free to pop into us for some sweeties :jack_o_lantern: :candy:

Clair
29 Oct '20

We may have knocked on yours many years ago then :rofl: thank you!

Clair
29 Oct '20

Wandering off but one year with our son. We walked up the little close off Manor Mount. And our boy received a beautiful cellophane cone full of sweets! We thought oh WOW how lovely, & our son thought it was amazing & very kind. Only when we got home it was well out of date & had to be binned. That must of been the trick :joy: in the treat!

ForestHull
29 Oct '20

If anyone is opting for the walk-and-spot-things type of Halloween this year, there are a few spookily dressed houses at the start of Woolstone.

This one is pretty fantastic:

Londondrz
29 Oct '20

Sadly our road was very quiet for Halloween. Our kids used to go over to Westwood Park Road. I was left behind with a bowl of sweets :grin:

Beige
30 Oct '20

Although we don’t expect anyone will be trick or treating this year

Oddbob
30 Oct '20

Thanks @Beige

Glad some communication has finally come out but have to say I find all the negativity a bit overblown. I mean, have we really come to the point that a knock at the door from some kids dressed up in fun costumes is distressing?

Furthermore, the unwritten rule of only knocking on doors that are decorated up for Hallowe’en, should mean any unwanted knocks will be by exception.

That said, judging by the comments on this thread, very few houses are likely to be pimped up.

Personally, I think that’s a shame.

marymck
31 Oct '20

I usually put out a pumpkin, decorate the window and door, and buy lots of treats. Last year I didn’t get a single trick or treater - not one - I sat there like some sad sack, wearing my witch’s hat and Bad Jelly tee shirt and getting more and more despondent. It took us till Christmas to get through all the choccies.

This year I’m shielding. No pumpkin. Curtains drawn, watching the lockdown press conference.And the doorbell’s working overtime. I’m not answering the door and I havent disinfected the doorbell for days … but I shall be tomorrow.

robin.orton
31 Oct '20

We haven’t had a single knock yet. All the specially baked rockbuns going to waste.

system
31 Dec '20

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