Beggar's Night Question

[Badams]

That, and I always liked that everyone was out at the same time; there's a real neighborhood party feel here that I don't think we would have if trick or treat lasted all day. People set up portable fireplaces and hang out and all the kids run around in the dark--which is much more fun, I think, than running around in daylight.

Yep, that's exactly how it is where I live. It's really a great time.

[KCC]

I live in a place where the homes are spread out, so we all meet at the park and have a "trick or trunk". Everyone pulls their vehicles in a circle and sets up their trunks with candy and decorations. Adults mingle together and the kids go from car to car to get candy. We have a bonfire and pot luck meal, so it is a real nice time for everyone, although this year might be a bit chilly.

[sk8er1964]

Where I work (in Michigan), the government's Council sets the hours each year - its a small, concentrated town. I think it's 5:30-7:30. Where I live, it's rural. We never get trick-or-treaters.

[zaphyre14]

The towns set their days and times. Mine is 6 to 8 PM on Halloween Night but I've been told that at least one town has scheduled theirs for Saturday between 4 and 6! They say safety is the reason for the change. My town tried to do this a couple years ago, moving trick-or-treat time to the day before to avoid kis being out on a Monday rush hour, but the population objected. People expect kids to be out on Halloween; they don't expect it on a different day. And last year we had the Halloween snowstorm; several towns rescheduled ToT but I wasn't home on the night mine was held.

I'm ready for an onslaught of little ones this year. There's been a rash of births and new families moving onto my street so the average age of kids has dropped. The parents come with the kids - some of the parents dress up so it's fun. I'm just hoping the Hurricane Sandy doesn't destroy the plans.

[Susan1]

In my area most parents work till 5 or their kids are in activities so 6 is the earliest (they have a quick dinner and get ready).

Exactly, I remember getting to leave early one year and rushing home and putting my stepson's vampire make-up on WHILE we were eating hot dogs his dad fixed so they could get out there at 6:00.

It's interesting that some places don't have any set time. So you just sit there all day and night and wait for someone to ring the doorbell? I guess "Abby" must live somewhere like that. She was so rude and snippy to the letterwriter - like you shouldn't be enjoying a leisurely dinner because there are kids running around all day that you have to give candy to.

We've had lots of people around here who are in costumes or have music and spooky decorations in their garage. You couldn't do that from noon to midnight or something!
And

[milanessa]

It's ridiculous, IMO, that so much is regimented these days.

[danceronice]

No set time here in Michigan. We always wait until it gets dark. When the porch light is on all are welcome. Once it gets a little later and the kids aren't coming any longer the porch light goes off and you are closed. I've lived in Michigan all my life and it's always been the same.

Depends entirely on the town. Where I grew up, there were set times, though being a few minutes over or under wasn't a huge deal. Around here (opposite side of the state), it's often 6-8 or so. And when I've lived in rural areas (truly rural, not "subdivision that used to be a farm field") no one trick-or-treats around there. You go into town. It's insane to go 'house to house' when they're half a mile a apart at minimum.

[PDilemma]

So you just sit there all day and night and wait for someone to ring the doorbell?

No. You do no such thing. If you are at home and wish to give out candy, you leave the porch light on. If you are not at home or you do not wish to give out candy, you do not turn it on. People respect that. We get kids from about 5:00 or a little before (usually little ones with mom and dad) to around 8 or 8:30 (upper elementary/middle school age on their own). If someone wanted to do all the decorating, music, etc...they would turn it on when they are home and intend to give out candy and not turn it on when they are not.

It really is not complicated at all.

[Aceon6]

No set time in my area. We tend to get the toddlers from 4-5, not much action during the supper hour, then the older kids from 6-7. We turn off the light at 8.

[Prancer]

It's ridiculous, IMO, that so much is regimented these days.

Beggar's Night times have been set my entire life.

I prefer it .

[milanessa]

Beggar's Night times have been set my entire life.

I prefer it .

Yeah, a lot of people here seem to like it that way. When I was a kid (way back when) times were sort of understood - dusk until a few hours later. No city council, town council, mayors, HOA's, laying down the law. Maybe over the years that got out of hand and the need for set times became necessary. Doesn't mean I have to like it. What do I know, though? I don't get trick or treaters. :

[Garden Kitty]

No set time here, but when I lived in NYC, the building established a time for kids to trick or treat.

[KikiSashaFan]

I've never heard of set times, but it seems like 5-6 for little kids and 6-8 for older kids is the norm around here. Not that it matters to me, my two dogs are trained to be guard dogs and they get extremely antsy with too many strangers on our property (off our property they're fine), so we turn off all the lights, lock everything up and go out for a nice longer dinner until Trick or Treat time is over

[BaileyCatts]

All my growing up it was always 6-8p (and a few years it was 6p-9p). All the kids would hang out in a driveway until 6p when a parent would tell them its time to start. The kids do that in my neighborhood now, and the set time is 6-8p in my neighborhood now too. And the rule always was if no porch light on, then don't go there. That has worked for me the years I could not give out (or didn't want to ... like this year will be ).

[Susan1]

Speaking of trick or treat - we're supposed to have rain/snow showers on Tuesday, high of 38. Yeah, I remember sometimes having to wear a coat over or under my costume back in the day! It was still 70 at 9:00 last night.

[Aceon6]

Towns in my area are in the process of cancelling trick or treat for the 2nd year in a row. In our town, if a child's school has power on Wednesday, the schools will be open in the evening and folks in the school district will be invited to bring their candy and hand it out there as the children do "room to room" trick or treating. I think it's a good solution to a tricky problem.

[screech]

In my hometown in Canada we never had a set time - it was always whenever you were ready (after school) until you got tired or lights turned off. As a kid we started going out at about 4-5ish. But when we grew out of trick-or-treating, my parents started waiting until a bit after 5 to turn on the light. And the rule of porch light on/off was always in play. We never had any issue. We just stopped answering the door if anyone knocked once it was off.

[Susan1]

In my hometown in Canada we never had a set time - it was always whenever you were ready (after school) until you got tired or lights turned off. As a kid we started going out at about 4-5ish. But when we grew out of trick-or-treating, my parents started waiting until a bit after 5 to turn on the light. And the rule of porch light on/off was always in play. We never had any issue. We just stopped answering the door if anyone knocked once it was off.

You'd think kids would be familiar with the porch light idea, huh? A couple years ago, some kid rang the doorbell a couple times, pounded on the storm door and then tried to yank it open (it was locked). I had to go out and check to make sure he didn't tear it off the hinges or break the handle. Must have really needed chocolate.

[talulabell]

Growing up, we never had a set time. It was just understood that you could expect trick-or-treaters starting just after dinner-time (6:00, for most, we always ate late). If they came while we were eating, we would stop and take care of the kiddies. Again, the light on/off rule was always respected, and most ToTers were done by 9:00/9:30. When I moved in to my condo, they had suggested times, and since we dont have lights we can control, we had Ghost posters to put on our doors. No Ghost, no candy. I gave out candy for my first year or two here, but when I started to get 18 year olds at 9:30 wearing nothing but a rubber mast, I started to question whether I was getting trick-or-treaters or was getting a shake-down. I havent given out in years.

[Christina]

So how many beggars did you have tonight?

It's almost 8pm, it has been dark for quite some time, and I have had four. Count 'em, four. Aren't you jealous? We have years where we get about fifty, and years we get almost none - it's so hard to determine what it's going to be like.

I have approximately five bags of candy sitting in my living room, taunting me. (It is day 6 of cutting out processed sugars, pasta, rice and all the other "white stuff" that tastes so good.) Those last minute teenagers are going to make out like bandits!!!