Halloween is like Marmite

It is though, you either love it, or hate it. Me… hate it!



We just don’t “do” Halloween, Kieran doesn’t trick or treat, we don’t open the door to the hoards of teenagers demanding swag “or else” and we don’t decorate. Kieran isn’t right bothered (well he is 4yrs old so we may need to revisit this next year lol) so as a “I will make an effort” concession, I’ve said we’ll do some halloween art and make some biscuits. Activities we would have done anyway but with a spidery twist.


Don’t get me wrong, Xmas – I’m like a wild thing (love it!), Easter Egg decorating… fabulous, I am a very good Mum when it comes to most special days and festivals/events but I just don’t get the fascination with Halloween. 364 days of the year Kieran is not allowed to talk to strangers, knock on their door, God forbid take sweets etc from them, so on this one day I am sticking to the same rules.


That said I don’t throw eggs out of my top window at cute trick or treaters enjoying themselves (ie the ones under 15!) and think it is great if you are into it, we just aren’t. So am I a bad Mummy, depriving my firstborn of valuable childhood memories or is there anyone else out there that just doesn’t get the fascination?



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12 comments

  1. I'm with you – I refused to take my eldest trick or treating and will be the same with my youngest. I don't mind Halloween as such, just the thought of sending our kids off to knock on strangers' doors and beg for sweets is a bit off to me.

  2. ME ME ME! Oh I'm so glad to have found you! I feel like a right humbug and am looked at oddly for saying we don't participate. We cringe every time Halloween rolls around because even if we go out to avoid the debacle, our place is egged or some other vandalism (tried that trick before!). Don't know what the happy medium is.

  3. Hurrah Nicki! I am totally with you, I don't really get it and don't really approve of the whole thing. Luckily in York they tend to have some light based event on in town, so we dress the kids up and go to that. No demanding sweets from strangers with menaces, just cute kids dressed as pumpkins!!

  4. Wonder if there's link between hating Halloween and loving Christmas? Like you, I'm all for one and can't stand the other… A load of imported, trans-Atlantic nonsense, if you ask me!

  5. I have to disagree, I love holidays, whatever they celebrate, I'm even trying to introduce Thanksgiving to the calendar!!

  6. Yeah, I can't be bothered with it all either to be honest. Zack chose an outfit from the few dress-up clothes he has to wear to school today, but other than that, we won't be doing much to 'celebrate'!

  7. i love halloween but dont do trick or treating i find the nearest halloween party and take the kids to that!! means no knockin on strangers doors begging for sweets and no getting cold, just party games and fun with the kids all dressed up and most get sweets as prizes so it keeps us all happy, plus i dont have to sit n answer door to the numptys that come knocking with horrible disguises incl fake blood n gore that scare the little kids!

  8. Not a big fan as I live in NZ and it feels totally wrong in Spring; when everyone should be dancing around May poles!!!!Thankfully the city we live in puts on a great party so I take the children to that (urgh!). My 7 yr old has asked to do trick or treat (double urgh!), looks like I won't be able to fob her off this yr. Going to knock on friends doors with children.7 yr old has also stuck self made tissue ghosts all round the house. Looks like I can't escape it any longer.

  9. I dont believe in Halloween but did have so much fun with the pumpkin we bought! Carved it for the first time and now I'm making pumpkin tart!! 🙂

  10. LOl, I am so cack handed there would be a good chance any "fake" blood from carving would have been real blood lol!!Glad you all had fun!In the end Kieran wasn't interested at all in spider biscuits or anything, so we just had a "normal" Cawood weekend (and only two door knocks lol!

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