Time for treats

Halloween is different from most holidays. Instead of spending time

at home or with family, children -- and their parents -- break down

the invisible barriers that separate communities and actually

interact with their neighbors. Little ghosts, goblins and witches

trick-or-treat through the streets, collecting candy from strangers,

which under normal circumstances would be too spooky to bare.

While the trick-or-treat tradition is too scary for some parents

to handle, with the right precautions, it can be a night of

frightening fun for them, their children and their neighbors.

Historical Halloween

Halloween dates back about 2,000 years, when ancient Celts in

Ireland, the United Kingdom and Northern France celebrated their new

year on Nov. 1. The night before the new year was called Samhain

(pronounced sow-in); it was a time when the Celts believed that the

boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead were blurred.

The belief that ghosts could come back to Earth on this night

eventually turned into the Halloween tradition of dressing in

costumes. To avoid being recognized by ghosts when traveling out of

their homes, people would wear masks or costumes so the ghosts would

mistake them for other ghosts.

The modern tradition of trick-or-treating most likely originated

more than a thousand years later, when All Soul’s Day was celebrated

in England. During this festival, poor people would go door-to-door

begging for food. Families would give them “soul cakes” in return for

prayers for their dead family members. This was referred to as “going

a-souling.”

In America, the influx of European immigrants brought varied

Halloween traditions that eventually merged to become Halloween as we

celebrate today. By the 1920s, it had become a secular,

community-centered holiday that included parades and parties for all

ages, but vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations at this

time.

By the 1950s, vandalism subsided enough for the holiday to make a

comeback, and it became predominately a children’s celebration.

Trick-or-treating was also revived at this time. Because of the

lingering threat of vandalism, in theory, people could prevent tricks

being played on them by providing treats for the neighborhood

children.

*Source: https://www.historychannel.com

Halloween etiquette

Things to remember to make the night fun for everyone

For trick-or-treaters:

* Go to houses of people you know. If you must venture into the

unknown in the quest for candy, only stop by the houses that have a

porch light on.

* Say “trick-or-treat” at the door. Shoving a candy bag at someone

and not saying anything is considered rude (and you may not get as

much candy!)

* It is always polite to say “please” and “thank you.” If you make

the candy-givers happy, they will be more likely to give again next

year.

* Be nice. Don’t criticize the type of candy or the amount of

candy you get.

* There is a trick-or-treat age limit. If you are already in your

teens, you may want to think about hanging up the candy bag.

For candy-givers:

* Turn your porch light off if you aren’t handing out candy. It

saves the trick-or-treaters precious candy accumulation time and

saves you from having to make trips to answer the door.

* It’s proper for kids to say “trick-or-treat” when they get to

your door, but don’t force them, especially if they are shy.

* If there is a large group at your door, try to give them all

equal amounts of candy.

* Speaking of candy ... . If you are going to give some out, make

it the good stuff. Don’t spend the whole night looking at the

disappointed faces of the kids who get your tiny raisin boxes. Kids

like chocolate and brand-name sugary treats.

* It’s 2003. Don’t give trick-or-treaters homemade treats. Parents

throw away cookies, popcorn and candy apples as soon as their child

brings them home.