It is Halloween time again!!! Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween is a holiday of many mysterious customs, but each one has a history, or at least a story behind it. The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the time went by, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved.
Now that we are getting ready for TRICK-or-TREAT this week, following are some safety tips all parents may consider:
- Children younger than 12 years old, make sure they are accompanied by a parent or an adult.
- If their clothes are dark, you may use glow-in-the-dark tape on their costumes to help drivers see them
- Avoid wearing high heels and clothes that you can trip on.
If the evenings get chilly, make sure they are wearing layered clothing to keep warm. - Make sure they are carrying flashlights.
- As much as possible, walk only on sidewalks. Try to walk in groups and not alone. Look both sides when crossing streets.
- Do not go trick or treating to homes with little to no lights.
- Make sure the kids know at least one phone number and their home address. You can also write down pertinent information and slip it into their pockets or pin the slip to the costume.
- Do not go into anyone’s homes that you do not know.
- Do not accept rides from strangers.
- If older kids want to go out with other friends, make sure you know which route they are taking and they have cell phones with them. Make sure you tell them to be home by a certain time.
- Make sure you check all treats for tampering.
- Limit the amount of treats per day your child can have.
Enjoy and have a fun filled, safe and candy eating Halloween…
Watch this Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKWuFkOgIzM
