Trick or Treat!

Friday is Halloween, a holiday that embraces all things spooky, weird, gruesome and fun. It serves as an opportunity for kiddos to shape-shift into a persona or creature that is special to them. Whether store-bought or lovingly handmade, getting dressed up in a costume and knocking on neighborhood doors to exclaim “Trick or Treat!” is an exciting and memorable experience for children.

(This mom also appreciates the chance to stock up on candy to use as bargaining chips for toddler negotiations.)

History of Halloween

The celebration of Oct. 31 as Halloween became popular in America in the mid-19th century, thanks to prank-loving Irish immigrants. According to history.com, common Halloween tricks in the late 1800s included placing farmers’ wagons and livestock on barn roofs, uprooting vegetables in backyard gardens and tipping over outhouses.

In the 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression, Haunted Houses became a holiday attraction to keep kids off the streets. In the 1950s, mass-produced box costumes became mainstream.

Fears about Halloween candies being laced with poison reached new heights in the 1980s, likely due to an instance in 1974, when a Texas man gave five children cyanide- laced pixie sticks, including his eight-year-old son, who died after ingesting it.

Safe Practices

While children are warned not to accept gifts or candy from strangers on a regular basis, Halloween has proven the exception to the rule when done with the appropriate precautions.

The general rule of thumb is, if a porch light is on, that home is participating and ready to offer tricks or treats to your child. If the porch light is off, the resident or residents are not passing out candy or open to receiving guests.

Any candy or treats that are open or look to be tampered with should be discarded.

Trust your gut and remove any goodies your child receives that appear suspicious.

Local Festivities

Candy Crawl at Falls Community Hospital and Clinic from 3-5 pm on Fri Oct 31.

Be sure to check the community calendar for additional events and activities leading up to and on Halloween, i.e. Fall Festivals, pumpkin carving or decorating contests, and Trunk or Treats, to name a few.