On Friday Mark got a visit from one of our neighbours. Her children and some of their friends were planning to go “trick or treating” in the neighbourhood on Halloween. She felt that it wasn’t fair to expect people to have to lay in supplies for this quite non-Australian affair, so she produced half a bag of lollies (candy) for us to give to the children when they visited the following evening. Mark, who lived in America for several years, explained that he would be stocking up on supplies from the supermarket (“just in case”, he always explains to me – though somehow we always end up eating them all ourselves on November 1st) and she was delighted. She continued on her journey to the rest of the residents on the street.

The next day, at 5pm, the neighbour visited again, this time checking we were home and declaring the estimated time of a arrival of the children. When they  arrived (about ten minutes late) they were vociferous and very polite (though one little girl snatched four of the items, leaving only a Freddo Frog for her little brother). They appeared to have no tricks on them, though their costumes were quite good. They were also not very interested engaging in conversations about their costumes: all they wanted was the goods.

There were no more trick-or-treaters that evening (so we have now consumed all the leftover Milky Ways and Fun Size Mars Bars…). We felt guilty though, for having participated in The Collective Halloween Deception. What sort of world was this woman setting her children up for? A world where they will never experience disappointment or hear the word “no”? A world where every door opens and produces candy?

What would you have done if this woman had come to your door?