Best Halloween Etiquette for All Ages in the Northwest

It's finally here! Halloween! Time to show off your costume like a peacock and be rewarded with some FREE candy.

It seems like a free-for-all, but there really are some unwritten rules that most of us abide by. Below is a reminder for adults and kids alike.

What Time is Trick or Treat Time?

Trick-or-treating is a window of time that lasts from about 6pm to 9pm.

Any later, and some houses are going to bed. Not to mention trick-or-treaters have school in the morning.

Not to mention getting a knock on the door at 11 o'clock at night is creepy.

Drive with Caution

It gets dark early in October in the Northwest, so whether you are headed home, leaving the house, or chaperoning your trick-or-treaters from the heated car... Drive slowly and scan the roads for people (bug & small) who may be in dark costumes that blend into the night.

What Porch Lights Mean

A lit porchlight is a greenlight to candy.

If the front of the house is NOT lit, move on to another house with a lit porchlight.

Homeowners: these are good guidelines for you, too.

How Much Candy Should I Take?

No fistfuls of candy. That's greedy. After all, there's a limited amount of candy per house, and a lot of masked mouths to feed.

Just take 1 or 2 pieces of candy, unless the homeowner gives you other instructions.

When the Candy is Left by the Door

When the candy is left by the door, don't be greedy, just take 1 or 2 pieces of candy. Leave some for other trick or treaters.

Look for a note. Some homeowners will leave specific instructions on how many pieces of candy to take.

If the candy is gone, and all you see is an empty box/bucket/plate, assume there is no more candy and move on.

And don't take the empty box/bucket/plate. It may have sentimental value to the homeowner. And that would be stealing.

Be Aware of Other Trick or Treaters

Wait your turn.

Don't crowd the doorway.

Watch out when you turn around to leave, you don't want to bump into/run into other trick-or-treaters who may have missed the previous sentence (don't crowd the doorway).

Remember to Say Thank You

Trick or Treating is an event that homeowners opt into. No one is required to hand out candy. So, be sure and give a sincere "thank you" to those that do.

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.