By Bea Patel, TLE Property Editor and Director of Shop for an Agent
This weekend our streets will fill with ghosts, ghouls and zombified celebrity look-a-likes. Halloween is upon us and kids everywhere will be buzzing at the chance to partake in the ghostly Halloween custom of trick or treating to get some free sweets.
But is trick or treating a harmless bit of fun or a homeowner’s worst nightmare?
A recent survey by eMoov.co.uk revealed a monstrous 72 per cent said they wouldn’t open the door to trick or treaters this Halloween.
In the UK, Halloween is a relatively recent development with its roots firmly found in the U.S. Many older generations frown upon it having not participated in the tradition themselves. Of those that said they will not be opening the door this Saturday, 39 per cent said it was because they didn’t like Halloween, almost all of which were aged 45 and above.
But it isn’t just down to a dislike of Halloween. With the clocks going back and the dark evenings closing in, there is a safety aspect when it comes to trick or treating. Opening your door to strangers in the dark can be nerve racking at the best of times, but when they’re dressed in masks, asking for sweats and threatening you with a trick that can range from a good egging to something more sinister, you can see why people may not enjoy it.
Of those that said they would not be opening their doors, 9 per cent said it’s because they dislike children, and 21 per cent said safety in the dark was the driving factor. What is surprising is that the 25-34 age groups accounted for the largest number who feared safety, and not those at the top end of the age ladder.
So no matter how sweet your little ones look in their costumers, it won’t be enough to sway some of the nation into opening their doors and parting with a sweet treat.