With the sound of the Monster mash playing in the background, pumpkin seeds baking, and your family busy designing the best-carved pumpkin your block has ever seen, you know what time of year it is. You may be thinking to yourself, “How did this all come to be? And how can my family have a fun and safe time during our adventure around the neighborhood?” Let me share a little history about Halloween and how to stay safe during this spooky season.
How did it Start?
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is a tradition that came about from an old Celtic festival. This festival would be illuminated with bonfires as people dressed up to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November first to be All Saints Day, and the day before would continue to be known as All Hallows Eve, eventually finding itself carrying much of the older tradition of dressing up and over time incorporating what we see today as trick-or-treating.
Staying Safe This Halloween:
Put Down the Electronics
As we hit the busy streets with our loved ones, we all need to pay attention – whether you are driving home from work to get started with your trick-or-treating festivities or roaming the sidewalks already. The biggest distractor for either is our electronic devices – getting that amazing candid shot or relaying that Susan down the road is giving out full-sized candy bars. Safety is the utmost of concern, and electronic devices focus our attention elsewhere. Anything can happen in a blink of an eye. So be sure that you are not moving while using your electronics and be sure that loved ones are and stay in view.
Rules of the Road
Our neighborhoods are all different, but you may notice that the sidewalks can get a little busy at times during our quest for the best candy haul. Be sure to be mindful of others and also exercise extreme caution when crossing any road at all. The normal “look both ways” rules still apply here, but crossing at the most well-lit sections of the street will help you and your loved ones stay visible. For my family, I always wear something reflective just to increase the odds of us being seen. You can find reflective tape at any local hardware store and add it to a wagon or stroller if that works best for you.
Rules of the Treats
While we all see Halloween differently most of the time, we all come back to the same conclusion: candy! Staying by these simple rules will help keep your whole family safe when it comes to consuming the delicious chocolate haul. Stick to eating and keeping the candy that is factory wrapped and stay away from homemade treats.
Having Options
We all love to see kids in their costumes, and the little ones love to show them off. There is a small portion of kids that have a large amount of food allergies. Consider making a run to the local dollar store and grabbing some party favors so those kids feel included in the festivities and have something available for them to partake in the trick-or-treating fun. Not only will they appreciate it but the other parents will too. While on the same ticket, be sure to check your loved one’s candy for something they may not be aware of that may have an allergen for them.
Let’s keep everyone safe and having fun this Halloween!
