CarolPat

My mother and I have been hiding out from costumed marauders for the past couple of hours. When did they start trick-or-treating in the UK? I thought that was a purely American thing!

chris955

My kids were out last night with a friend here in Brisbane, like everything American it spreads like a disease 10 years ago here it was unheard of.

Piff Poff

It actually originated from the UK - Scotland and Ireland! http://www.halloweenhistory.org/

Cookie

Having lived in Scotland all my life until 4 years ago, as a child I used to go 'Guising'. We would make up a Guy (scarecrow type fella) and carry him or wheel him around through the streets in a barrow or cart asking 'Penny for the Guy'. The money was collected to buy fireworks on November 5th. We used to carry lanterns made from turnips - imagine how hard that was to carve

Never heard the words trick or treat until the last 10-15 years and this was copied from USA.

Derrygal

When I was a child, growing up in N Ireland, we did "trick or treating" but we didn't get candy - we got fruit (usually apples) and nuts. I don't remember Halloween being celebrated in England at all - it was usually only Guy Fawkes Night that was celebrated. I do believe the UK has become very "Americanized" in many ways.

Piff Poff

I remember both Halloween and Penny for the Guy, I'm (cough) 40 years old.

I also remember our front door being egged and floured

KetteringEnglandRocks2005

Was this in the UK? or where you live now.

Piff Poff

Erm, in the UK.

Got pretty annoyed last night, general rule of thumb, if you have a pumpkin (or other decoration) and porch lights on, you are giving out candy. If your house is bathed in darkness then sod off, we ain't got nothin'.

How many parents sent their little kids up our path to knock on our door? The whole reason we were doing nothing was because it drives the dog mad, one bunch rang and rang the doorbell we'd just sat down to eat, until we answered, poor dog was going mad.

Squirrel

My mum (in the UK) has had her house egged. She spoke to the Tesco Metro across the road who agreed to tell all their staff not to sell eggs to children around Halloween. Mind you, our late American friend Gregg 'Squirrel Man' Bassett was telling us a few years ago that he and his friends used to egg their local cop shop as teens back in the 50s!