How late is too late for a trick-or-treater to knock on your door?
9:00 p.m. (52%, 302 Votes)
10:00 p.m. (24%, 140 Votes)
8:00 p.m. (21%, 125 Votes)
7:00 p.m. (3%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 585
Please feel free to expand on this poll in the comments section below.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I accept people up until 9 p.m. After that all kids who are aged appropriately for Trick or Treating, should at least be home if not in bed. Although, this year it is on a Saturday night. The thing with later arrivals is that they are usually big kids and often are bent on mischief. I don’t mind good, clean fun such as teepee-ing the house or landscaping. But I don’t appreciate having my pumpkin smashed, windows soaped, etc.
I think young children should be in by 8PM and I have a problem with the older ones who don’t care when the come.
It is Ok to go to the door until the light has been turned off, indicating you are no longer passing out candy. This is usually between 9pm and 10pm
I like this solution. Very thoughtful.
Growing up, my mom would bring in the pumpkins & flip the porch light off at 8pm, saying that any kids out past then were out too late & needed to go home. Our neighbors would do the same. Kids should be taught to never go up to a dark house & we never got trick-or-treaters past that point. As an adult, I do the same: lights out at 8…
Another Halloween ettiquette question is what to do about teens who come to the door not in costume or with a 2nd sack for candy for the “sister at home with a broken leg” & adults who show up with a sack for their toothless infant strapped to them in a carrier? Do you give them candy? I always give them a single piece of penny candy & save the good stuff for the REAL trick-or-treaters!!
The cities in my surrounding area alert the media to the designated trick-or-treat days and times. Just about everyone uses 6p – 8p, but the days can differ.
in our town there are designated times, 4-8. if you are not handing out candy you are asked to leave your light turned off. at 8 everyone is asked to turn their lights off.
Anytime after I have turned off the porchlight, or 10:00, is too late.
I also don’t like the “older” children coming by w/pillow cases for treat bags. If you have the money to buy a costume, you should have enough left over for a treat bag. The pillow cases are just plain rude.
Why do you really care if they use a pillow case? That is pretty petty
In simpler times, this was often all children had to use. I’m with you, Nice. If they were to fill the thing up, that would show a certain amount of industriousness, lol!
I used a pillow case when I was a small kid. It’s old school & nostalgic to me. We also had homemade costumes. Why in the world would anyone consider it rude regardless of what type of container you bring! It does seem quite petty to me.
lol 4 years ago my bro and I hit our last house somewhere around 11p.m. The guy gave us the rest of his candy and it was a pumpkin-load. I say, don’t turn off your lights until there is no trickrtreater in sight! Or, keep your lights on until all the candy is gone!
Pillow cases? I don’t think it should matter! Why would you care what the kids are holding their candy in? Back when my son was in eighth grade, he went around with his friends with just a mask on, and a pillow case. I volunteered to buy him a costume, but he refuses saying it was ‘uncool’. My son is twenty one now, and he obviously does not trick r treat, but my daughter is now in seventh grade, and she trick r treats still. Of course, only with her friends. But this year I’m making her come with me, my boyfriend, his son, my friend and her two sons are her same age. She is being very defiant, saying she had plans with her friends, but this year has to be different. She has a ‘xtra-large’ pumpkin basket this year. Going as a Candy Shoppe Girl. We plan to head out around 6-7:0o P.M., and get back around 9:00 , to 10:o0. I’m keeping a bucket of candy outside my door, and the porch light on! Happy Halloween, everyone!
No offense but you are too trusting of kids if you think that leaving a bucket of candy outside is a good idea! Speaking on behalf of someone that had a brother that didn’t want to listen to the ‘just take one’ rule, your bucket will last no longer than 15mins once someone spots it…glad you have that kind of money to throw away though!
It’s almost 8. I just got back home. Looks like kids have been pretty honest. I left a bucket out and took my soon who is younger. My bucket still has candy after 2 hours. I’m going to hand out candy until it’s gone and then turn my light off. Probably about 9 or so. I think after 10 is pretty late especially on a school night but as long as your porch light is on that means kids are welcome to stop by:)