Then continue to have people come to your door asking for candy! Turn the light out for one night, put a sign up if you still get a few knockers, and move on man. Life's too short to stress about stuff like this.
i'm with him on this one. he lives in germany, not the USA. things are different here, especially in regards to whatever the hell halloween is supposed to be.
there is no generally accepted rule around keeping lights on when you're prepared to receive trick or treaters or anything of the sort. this custom does not exist here, so why should he be inclined to act according to it. it's ridiculous. it should be the exact other way around: people who take part in this "tradition" that's pushed upon us by corporate marketing and finds
some (and i want to stress this: it is
far from the norm for kids to be out trick or treating here) should go out of their way to make this "holiday" (or whatever you might call it) and associated shenanigans possible for their kids (i.e. rather than actively not take part in something that isn't even "a thing", actively DO take part by marking your house/door with pumpkins or something), not expect all the world to be prepared and happy if their regular lives are being disrupted and affected by what can only be discribed as a niche phenomenon (as of now).
yes, i've deliberately worded my post ever so slightly aggressively, i don't know why, but just this second, this whole things annoys me very much. fitting, right?
to take this further: i do not have a problem with halloween and i expect we'll be where you are soon enough (i.e. it'll be the norm to take part and people not wishing to have trick or treaters will have to turn their lights out). however, right now, the entitlement some people (especially young parents) around here are showing in regard to this shit (which is, once again, not "a thing" here except for some small part of the population) is infuriating.