Wow, we are into the Spooky Season already (and the shops have had Christmas items on the shelves for a while now – It won’t be long before they are left all year round!). But before Christmas comes around there is another small observance that a lot of people will take part in and have fun with, the creepy and spooky Halloween (followed very closely by Guy Fawkes Night / Bonfire Night).
Halloween, the night the dead rise from their graves and mingle with the living (and potentially knocking on your door looking for food). Many think that Halloween is an American holiday, but, in fact, its origins are some 2,000 years ago with The Celts and the Celtic festival of Samhain in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. If you want to read more about the history of Halloween, visit History.com. Regardless of where Halloween started and any traditions that go with it, we seem to have adopted it in a big way and now it is very big business with parties, celebrations and, of course, Trick or Treating. We have been getting into the Halloween spirit playing the Great Halloween Escape print-at-home kids escape room! And if you want to do something that little bit different this Halloween, check out our review of The Ghost Bus Tours when we visited London in 2018 (they also run in Edinburgh and York).
While Halloween is the tradition of remembering the dead, Trick or Treating is seen as an American tradition, one that started in the 1920’s and has only really become popular in the UK over the past couple of decades. And it’s not just kids that love Halloween, adults do too!
This cold, dark and creepy Halloween, children will dress up and go from house to house, knocking on doors uttering the phrase “Trick or Treat”. Trick referring to the threat of usually harmless mischief to the householder if a treat is not given. But while this is generally harmless fun, if you do let you children out Trick or Treating you and your children do need to follow some simple advice to keep safe, and not just from the streets awash with superheroes, cartoon characters, witches and wizards and of course ghosts, monsters and other ghoulish creations. We have put together some tips to help keep everyone safe this Halloween.
- Never let your children go Trick or Treating unaccompanied – make sure they go in groups and have a suitable responsible adult accompanying them.
- The end of October gets dark very early so make sure that you and your children can be seen in the dark – attach some reflective tape to the costumes, this way drivers can see you crossing the roads and you will be able to see the kids easier as well.
- Stay in areas that are well lit with street lights.
- If the children are given edible treats such as sweets throw away any that are unwrapped or look like the packaging has been tampered with. Do not eat any homemade sweets/cakes (unless you know and trust the giver).
- Take a flashlight with you so you can see where you are going, and so that others can see you.
- Always WALK from house to house, DO NOT run.
- If applying face/body make-up always test of a small patch of skin first and remove before going to bed to avoid any irritation.
- Make your costumes fit well so you can see properly and avoid any trips or falls. Make sure the costumes are flame resistant as people tend to use a lot of candles on Halloween.
- Never enter the house of strangers when knocking at their door and never accept a lift from a stranger. Try to visit houses of people you know and trust.
- Don’t knock on doors that have a No Trick or Tricking sign displayed, even if you know them, unless you have permission to do so.
By following this simple and basic safety advice, Halloween should be safe and fun for everyone (unless you get spooked by a real ghost that is).
Happy Halloween everyone and enjoy your Trick or Treating. Above all else, make sure your children are staying safe on Halloween night! And don’t leave it too late to buy your Halloween costumes!
