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History of the Jack-o’-Lantern

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Halloween would not be complete without including the traditional carved pumpkin, more commonly known as the jack-o’-lantern. Many families make this part of their own home decorating around Halloween. In fact, it has even become part of the tradition for families to venture out to the pumpkin patch and make their selection together. Sometimes this means deciding on one monstrous fruit to slice and dice, or each member getting their own pumpkin for decorating. Though the carving and display of the pumpkin has been an annual part of people’s lives, possibly all the way back to the arrival of the first Irish Immigrants, few know the history of the jack-o’-lantern.

How the History of the Jack-o’-Lantern Came to Be

An old Irish tale of folklore tells the tale of “Stingy Jack” and the Devil and how trickery led the man to become forever famous. There are variations of the story, as tends to happen with any story passed down through the generations, but the general idea remains fairly consistent. It starts with Jack having a pint at the pub with the Devil himself. Having the nickname “Stingy Jack” obviously meant the man was always looking for a way out of paying, and so on this particular occasion he saw the Devil as a way free and clear of paying for his drink.

He asked the Devil if he would consider shifting himself into the form of a coin that could be used to square away the bill. Old Stingy offered up his soul in exchange for this deal. The Devil of course agreed and turned himself into a sixpence. Of course, once the Devil had done so, Jack got to rethinking this deal they’d made and was tempted by the feel of money in his hand, so he slipped that Devil coin into his pocket, keeping it near a silver cross so that there was no chance of a change back transformation.

After some time, Jack thought of a better deal he could strike with the Devil. He agreed to set the Devil free, as long as this demon assured Jack he would not try to steal the mortal’s soul for ten full years. Of course, the Devil obliged but was enraged with Jack for his cunning trickery, and waited for those years to pass.

At the end of the ten year spell, Jack was meandering down a lonely, road deep in the countryside, having long forgotten about his contract with the Devil. Suddenly, the Devil appeared before Jack having come to claim the soul he felt he was owed. Jack tried to delay and distract the Devil, but finally reluctantly caved in. First though, Jack requested that the Devil climb a nearby tree to snatch an apple for Jack to eat as his last meal.

Once the Devil had made his way far into the limbs, Jack quickly etched the sign of the cross into the bark of the tree trunk, capturing the Devil in the branches high above. Jack had fooled the demon, once again. He made the Devil another offer. If the Devil assured Jack his soul would remain intact and never been the Devil’s to take, Jack would set him free from the tree. Angry at being fooled again but having no other choice, the Devil went along with the deal.

When Jack finally did die and tried to enter Heaven, God wanted no part of allowing entry to this man who had demonstrated such terrible behavior while living. The Devil could not allow Jack’s soul to enter Hell and, therefore, sent Jack back to where he came from. The way was dark and Jack, unable to see his way out from Hell requested something to light his path. The Devil then tossed a hot, burning coal ember for Jack to carry. This ember would never burn out since it was from the flames of Hell.

Since the coal burnt his hands, Jack looked for a vessel to use to carry this coal and eventually came across a turnip which he carved to create a lantern. This created the legend of Jack the Lantern, also known as Jack O’Lantern.

The Aftermath 

At Halloween, the Irish continued to believe the story of Jack and other wandering evil spirits and began to set out their own jack-o’-lantern turnips to ward away these apparitions. Hence the tradition was born, as was the history of the jack-o’-lantern.

The Druids and Celts and Halloween History

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When it comes to Druids and Celts and Halloween, there is a connection that dates back eons. Of course the tales surrounding their connection involving Halloween are deeply shrouded in mystery and lore, as the holiday itself is. While there some variations in the tales, the core of the stories remain the same.

The First Halloween or Samhain

The celebrations for this holiday started in ancient, pre-Christian times as a Celtic ceremony for the dead. The holiday fell upon October 31, as it still does. It was called Samhain and marked the eve of the next season and new year. During this time period, November 1 was the beginning of the cold season, which was a time of hardship. In this era the year was divided up based on four holidays, as opposed to seasons but each division was still affiliated with a season. For this situation, the season was winter.

The winter ahead promised to be cold, long and harsh. The people would get ready by relocating their livestock closer and preparing them for the cruel season ahead. The cessation of the crop cycle was at this time, with the harvests being stored for the winter. Because of the severity of this season, and the long, dark, cold spell upon the Celts, it became affiliated with death.

The festival of Samhain became a time that people believed the worlds of the living and the dead could become one again, with the presence of spirits. Spirits could return to earth and be mischievous, like causing crop damage. The Celts also thought the priests, or Druids, could make forecasts with greater ease for the coming year when the un-living were around. Animal sacrifices would be made and fires lit to try to keep the souls at bay but help them see their way from the earth to the beyond.

Costumes were adorned during these early festivities, usually those made from the skins and heads of dead animals. The Celts would try to make predictions for one another, gathered around the large bonfire, then returned home to start their own hearth fire back again. They would use a flame from the Samhain bonfire, believing this would help to protect themselves and their homes.

The Transformation

Eventually, the holiday we know as Halloween became known this way after Christian missionaries set out to tamper with the ways the Celts practiced religion. The holiday really began to change following the Roman’s domination over most of the Celtic territory. Samhain was then combined with two Roman holidays.

Samhain was declared pagan as Christianity spread, and a celebration associated with the devil and all things evil. Since Druids were priests and scholars of the practice deemed pagan, these scholarly men were seen as worshipers of evil and the Devil. Christians categorized the underworld of the Celts as tied in with Hell. Many held on strong to their core beliefs as the changes were made.

First – All Souls Day was started, where the living paid homage to the dead, or souls, who had passed. This took place on November 2 of each year. All Saints Day occurred on November 1, but it was the night before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows, that the lines between the living world and the spiritual one were blurred. This night was called All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween. The Celts maintained many of their beliefs and traditions involving this holiday and time of year. One change that happened was that the spirits, once viewed as simply mischievous, were considered evil. This is how the Druids and Celts and Halloween all went down in history together.

The Druids and Celts and Halloween Connected to Modern Traditions

Though the holiday saw many changes in both name and traditions, much of the modern day celebrations can be said to still be tied to original Samhain practices. For example, the Celts wore the hides and heads of animals as costumes during this event, and the use of costumes is still practiced today.

Trick-or-treating is another example of Celt traditions that live on. Since, originally, people left food and offerings to wandering spirits to appease them, people began to use costumes of spirits to go from door to door to collect these offerings. This is what became the first true type of trick-or-treating.

While customs continue to change and evolve, it is doubtful the holiday will ever transform so much that there will not be some remaining proof of the Druids and Celts and Halloween connection.

The History and Origin of Halloween

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Halloween as it is celebrated these days is but a pale representation of its rich and multicultural history. It is not, as some would call it, a celebration of the Devil or of Hell or of the Damned, but rather a blending of the celebrations marking the end of the growing season, a heralding of the coming of the winter months and folk traditions that told of the day when the veil between the living and the dead, ever a transparent, gossamer veil at that, would lift and ghosts and ghouls would walk among the living. From those many traditions, coming to us from the Celts, the Roman rituals and even Catholic tradition, we get the stirrings of what would eventually become Halloween.

Back in the Old Days 

Back in the old days, or once upon a time, in the tradition of fairy tales, there were the Celtic people and their Druid priests. The Druids were believed to have the ability, among other skills, to commune with the dead. Their powers, it was rumored, were much more powerful on the day of Samhain (pronounced sow-en), which was the last day of the year in the Celtic calendar. But, before believing that the Halloween celebration came directly from Samhain, a day mistakenly attributed directly to the Wiccans rather than to the Celts, you must understand that it is a blend of Hallowmas, a celebration of Catholic origins, as well as the Roman festival called Feralia.

On the day of Samhain, the Celtic people would all extinguish their home’s hearth fire. They would gather in front of a blessed bonfire and would sing, dance and listen to the stories that were told during the celebration. At the end of the evening, each person would take some of the bonfire home to relight their heart fire in hopes of ensuring good fortune to their home and family for the coming year. It is said that if your hearth fire would not light from the sacred bonfire, misfortune, even death, would befall someone in the house that very year.

By the 19th century, most of the religious aspects of the Halloween celebration had dwindled away and it was mostly a secular holiday, a gathering of community with only some of the remnants of the past clinging to it like the cobwebs of a haunted house. People would still dress up in costume, but less for the original reason of confusing the dead and more for just plain entertainment and fun.

Halloween Travels to the New World 

European immigrants brought many of their traditions and beliefs with them to the New World, even those that were sometimes frowned upon or scoffed at. Halloween itself was largely disallowed, even forbidden, but in Maryland, the tradition was not only allowed but encouraged. The people there held what they called “play parties” where they would take turns telling each other’s fortunes, dancing, singing and telling ghost stories. The children would dress in costumes and try to scare one another as well.

The Irish immigrants came to the new world in great masses, fleeing from the Potato Famine that was starving them to death, and brought with them the Halloween tradition of going door to door looking for sweets and other treats. The tradition of trick or treating is still a favorite among little children today.

The Witchcraft, Halloween Connection 

There are still many, especially among fundamentalist Christians, who believe that Halloween is nothing more than a celebration of paganism and witchcraft because of some of the traditions that are involved. It was thought that on Halloween night, a young woman could determine who her future spouse would be by staring into a mirror in a darkened room or by peeling an apple in one long strip and then casting the peel over her shoulder. Other traditions involved baking small coins and trinkets as well as a single, plain ring into a barm brack, a type of fruit cake that would be shared among the neighbors. If you got a trinket in your piece – that was your fate for the coming year, with the person who got the ring destined to wed.

Counteracting Halloween

While the Catholic Church bears no ill will toward the Halloween traditions and the holiday itself, there are some Christian churches who say that it encourages witchcraft and may even lead to Satanism. These churches hold “Hell Houses” meant to scare children and young adults away from the traditions and to lead them back to the church. Some of these churches even hand out pamphlets and religious tracts on Halloween night to be found when the children go through their candy.

Real Haunted Houses, part 2

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Halloween is the time of year where haunted houses spring up across the country.  What about real haunted houses — which can be visited at any time of the year?  There are hundreds of them, so we’ve listed a few of the good ones below, in case you’re in the area around Halloween and want to experience a few genuine chills and thrills!

Lillian Collins Hospital, located in Turlock, California

This reputedly haunted building was constructed in 1918 and is now in the Sierra Building.  A doctor who worked here invented the MedicAlert bracelet because his daughter had an allergic reaction to drugs when she was there in 1953. The daughter was also the granddaughter of the hospital founder. The hospital was too small and was abandoned eventually.

The Queen Mary, docked permanently in Long Beach, California

This is one of the most haunted ships in the world and it’s also listed on the Natl. Register of Historic Places.  Construction started on the one thousand foot long ship in 1930.  The Great Depression delayed launch and it was sent on its maiden voyage in 1936.  Many sailed aboard her — the Duchess and Duke of Windsor, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Sir Winston Churchill and thousands of troops in WWII.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California

Sarah Winchester, of the Winchester Rifles fame, started to build this house in 1884.  She felt guilty over the deaths of those killed by Winchester rifles.  An army of craftsman and workers built the home of 160 rooms, and it took almost forty years to complete.   She always believed that her husband and baby daughter died as the result of those thousands of deaths by Winchester rifles.

Alcatraz, in San Francisco, California waters

Many gangsters and federal prisoners and eventually Native Americans stayed or occupied the land here.  It’s rumored that if a person sleeps in one of the now closed prison’s cells. They will hear banging on the cell doors during the night.

Royalty Theatre in Clearwater, Florida

This place was once a vaudevillian movie theatre and ever since 1921 there’s been a lot of paranormal activity here.  Apparently, an entity called Captain stays here.  He’s bearded and has blue eyes ad wears a blue hat and coat.  He loves the stage and can be heard walking across it.  On a stage wall which has seen twenty coats of paint, a knife image will simply not go away.  Theatre goers do say that the Captain is an amiable man.

Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida

This site is now a college, but it used to be a hotel which was run by a man called Henry Flagler, along with his unstable wife.  The Mrs. hung herself after their daughter died, using the 4th floor of the hotel as the place to do the deed.  The girls dormitory was here and the site is now host to many strange events.  Girls staying here can tell of hearing ballroom music above their heads.  Another girl’s bed shook violently.  The fourth floor is still sealed off.

The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas

This place is reputedly the most haunted in the San Antonio area.  A murdered maid wanders the upper halls.  A lady has been spotted too, and she reportedly died from a broken heart.  President Teddy Roosevelt used to visit the bar here and try and recruit soldiers for his Rough Riders.  His ghost has also been spotted.

Nicholson’s Home in Washington, Louisiana

This was the site of a Civil War hospital where many amputations were performed on soldiers.  An amputee wanders the corridors today.  He is apparently friendly, but simply walks around and around with his one leg.

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana

This location is known as one of the most haunted in the South.  This gorgeous home was built in the later part of the 1700s.

Old Elerbe Road School in Shreveport, Louisiana

Several people disappeared here and that’s why the school closed up.  One was a janitor who was loved by all.  Children looked for the man and they, too, disappeared.  School lockers are gone and a mural remains of the grim reaper.  During the darkest hours, children are heard screaming and a school bell tolls.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

Stephen King stayed here and it was reportedly the inspiration for his book, The Shining.  He didn’t actually write the novel at the hotel.  Parts of the TV version of The Shining were filmed here.  Stanley Kubrick didn’t use the place for his movie of The Shining.  The hotel is registered with the Natl. Register of Historic Places.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California

Montgomery Clift stayed at the elegant, older-style hotel in 1963, while rehearsing From Here to Eternity.  He apparently liked room 928 on the 9th floor, where he’s been heard pacing the hallway, learning his lines, and playing the trumpet.  One would hope that wasn’t all at the same time.

Happy Haunted Halloween!

Real Haunted Houses for Halloween

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While almost anyone can enjoy an elaborate, set up “haunted house” at Halloween, nothing is quite as scary as a real haunted house. These places where things really do go bump in the night. Where the strange occurrences can only be blamed on one thing – the supernatural. There are plenty of homes, hotels and other types of old buildings that claim to be home to some unseen spirit world residents, but some have become more famous than others.

Haunted House #1 – The Stanley Hotel

While not a house, this ginormous and posh lodging in Estes Park, Colorado does house plenty of guests during its peak season. The Stanley Hotel opened its doors in 1909 and is still open to this day. Stephen King’s stay here inspired him to write his novel The Shining, which became a movie, set and filmed within the walls of this hotel. Whatever spooked him enough to get to writing about ghosts in the Stanley Hotel seems to still be lingering.

Plenty of claims have been made, and the show Ghost Hunters did not one but two episodes devoted to this place. The general findings seem to involve the fourth floor, where the servants’ quarters were once housed. Though the haunting activity does not seem as sinister as what Mr. King created behind door 217, the reports are mainly of children laughing or being mischievous. The Stanley Hotel does not mind this reputation and does, in fact, offer ghost tours for groups of up to 20 people at a time.

Haunted House #2 – Waverly Hills Sanatorium 

Opened in 1910, this construction housed up to 50 tuberculosis patients at a time. Since there was no way to treat this disease back then, this place was meant to be a resting facility for patients to recover peacefully while isolated from the general public. As the disease spread faster, though, Waverly Hills was quickly extended to be able to accommodate up to 400 patients.

There are slightly conflicting stories about whether Waverly ended up being a peaceful place or a location of horrific treatment and death. In many reports, at the peak of the tuberculosis outbreak, the sanatorium was still too small and understaffed and many patients were left dying in corners while new patients were brought in. There is a “body chute” where the dead were dropped down to an awaiting hearse. This method was used to bypass taking bodies of the dead past patients in the hospital.

Aside from the massive death toll from sick patients, it has been documented that at least one, but possibly two, nurses committed suicide at Waverly Hills. There has been much documentation of various apparitions, including photographic, and this was another successful stop for the Ghost Hunters crew. Waverly Hills is open for just ghost tours now.

Haunted House #3 – The Sarah Winchester House

Sarah Winchester was the widow of the heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and, to try to get over her grief after losing a child and a husband, sought the guidance of a medium in 1881. She was told that her family and home were haunted and cursed by the spirits of the dead who had died as a result of the Winchester products. In order to not die herself, the medium instructed Sarah to appease the ghosts by continuing to build the home. Sarah would not die, as long as the house was always being built.

Construction of the home she acquired in San Jose, California continued for 38 years, 24 hours around the clock. It is estimated the house ended up with around 160 rooms, from the original 6 it started with, but no one can be sure. Everyone who tries to take a count gets lost, confused and loses track of the room count. There are doors and stairs that lead to nowhere.

This is thought to either be to confuse the spirits or just to have some form on construction going on. Sarah would consult her spirits through nightly séances on architecture plans up until her death in 1922. These same spirits are said to roam the confusing hall ways, possibly now trapped by the construction Sarah Winchester created for them. The Winchester Mystery House is open for tours now.

What’s Real or Not? 

It is hard to say what’s fact or fiction when it comes to haunted houses. There are certainly some places that just seem to attract too many ghostly reports to simply write it off. One thing is for sure, real haunted houses for Halloween are a great way to get in the spirit of the holiday.

Halloween Symbols – Ghosts, Bats, Broomsticks and more!

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We’ve come to know Halloween as a time to dress up and go out trick or treating, or host a family party.  Halloween’s practices and symbols have breathed new life into a few dark practices of ancient civilizations.  Many Halloween symbols are familiar to peoples scattered across the globe, but every group does take new meaning into each Halloween symbol and gives it their own kind of spin.  Some believe that a symbol represents thrills and chills while others believe that some of the symbols mean death or that they are either scary, or life affirming.

Amongst some believers, these symbols are evil and representative of an occult and satanic world.  It all depends on what culture people are from and what they have come to believe as the truth.  Some images are a mixed bag and can come from something like the fantasy Dungeons and Dragons, Aztec art, Tarot cards, and ads for Halloween costumes and accessories.  Halloween symbols are popular and have lasted for generations, as well as appearing to be here to stay.  Halloween can be a spiritual war for some and scary, but good fun, for others.

Bats

Bats are harmless creatures and these mammals actually fly.  They eat a lot of insects such as mosquitoes and their appetites can be ravenous.  One bat, the vampire bat, drinks flood — usually from cattle.  Vampires are reputed to be able to change into a bat at will, hence the name.  Some bats will only eat fruit.  In Eastern countries, bats can represent good luck.  There is an interesting bat exhibit at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Disneyworld.  Visitors may walk through and observe bats (or not) and learn a lot about this night creature’s habits.

Broomstick

This has long been associated with bats and was used to great effect in Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  No matter how hard he tried, poor Mickey Mouse soon became inundated with water because all of the brooms kept multiplying and carrying buckets of water!  With the popularity of Harry Potter books and movies, broomsticks are more popular than ever, especially for a good game of Quidditch!

Black Cat

In both Japan and Western cultures, a black cat can be linked to either white or black magic.  For today’s Halloween décor they are most often seen on porches alongside of pumpkins, and made from curly black plastic!

Blood

Gore has always fascinated people in  a spooky way and many Halloween themed movies and books really play it up.  Knives, in horror movies, seem to produce the most amount of blood and chills and thrills.  People need blood to live so that could be why vampires are popular at Halloween time as they just love blood!  A fear of losing blood and then dying is at the core of people’s chills when around vampires and their kin.

Evil or Spooky Eye

Both Harry Potter fans and many cultures around the world consider an evil eye a bad sign.  Most everyone knows what an Eye of Horus looks like and it has come to symbolize the Ancient Egyptian culture.  Evil eyes have been featured in a lot of Halloween and other horror movies for decades.

Ghosts

Ghosts are the quintessential Halloween symbol and kids love to dress up as ghosts, while adults can be a lot of different ghostly types such as pirates, dead brides (Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas), and many others.  Ghosts can also come in different shapes and sizes and be seen or not, or even half seen out of the corner of your eye.  They have also been caught on films about the paranormal.

Pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns are the universally recognized symbol of Halloween in both Europe and America.  In the British isles, jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips or gourds.  When children go out trick or treating, a plastic pumpkin container is usually their container of choice.

Halloween Symbols

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The calendar flips to October, the leaves begin to change their color and suddenly the decorations for Halloween begin to go up. Even if someone had no idea what Halloween was, they would know it was coming up and be able to gauge from the Halloween symbols that it is a spooky holiday. Certain things have come to represent Halloween either because of tradition and legend or just due to their connection to the macabre.

Individual Halloween Symbols

Some popular Halloween symbols include witches, ghosts, spiders, bats, vampires, skeletons, graves, jack-o’-lanterns, black cats and monsters. With a holiday that dates back to the Celts and the Druids, it is bound to have picked up some stories and traditions along the way. Though many things that have become symbolic to the holiday because of rituals related to the day, some just tie in to the spooky element.

Jack-’o’-Lanterns – This has become one of many popular Halloween symbols as well as rituals and traditions. The jack-o’-lantern has become a great representation of Halloween since families often come together to choose their pumpkins as well as prepare them for the final look. Yet few know the supposed Irish folklore origin of this carved pumpkin.

It basically has to do with a stingy man named Jack who tricked the Devil not once but twice in order to prevent the Devil from taking his soul. After Jack’s death Heaven refused him and Hell couldn’t take him because of the agreement. The Devil sent Jack on his way back to where he came from with only an ever-burning ember from the flames of hell to light his way. Needing something to carry this hot coal in, Jack found a turnip and carved himself a lantern. Irish immigrants quickly discovered pumpkins and thought that would make a much better candle holder to carry on their tradition than a turnip.

Witches – These familiar Halloween symbols pop up everywhere for the season, from decorations to greeting cards to Halloween costume parties, and for good reason. Witches have been around for eons and were often thought to have mystical powers, partly because of their connection to Satan or the spirit world. Their most notorious gatherings were thought to happen during the two major season changes on April 30 and, of course, October 31.

Spells would be cast, witches brews boiled, and these creatures would often change their shape during the witchcraft meetings. They flew on broomsticks, gathered around cauldrons, made potions involving toads and kept black cats as pets, leading to all of these items or images to become Halloween symbols as well.

Bats – While actually not vicious, evil or terrifying at all, bats have become a familiar symbol tied to Halloween. Much of this is to blame on vampire bats, who do suck blood, but just enough for survival without usually killing another animal, such as a cow. Since most vampire tales claim that these mythological creatures transform into bats for flight and to enter places with greater ease, bats have become a symbol of evil and all things ghoulish.

Bats have also been linked to witches, either flying about from their caves while witches perform their ritualistic ceremonies or for actually becoming part of a witch’s brew. Bat wings, blood and other parts have been famous for being part of the recipes for witch’s spells or options to give themselves the ability to fly, along with other not-so-nice things.

Spiders – These arachnids have become part of Halloween imagery because of their connections to witches as well as abandoned haunted houses. Witches were thought to invite spiders into their homes as pets, companions or for use in potions. They are often affiliated with the extra creepiness one might find in the overhead corners of dilapidated houses of haunts or horrors. Not to mention, the stories tied to writing spiders. It is thought that if a writing spider spins your name in its web, you are destined for death in the near future.

Death and the Celts – It would be impossible to list each one of the many Halloween symbols, as well as their meaning. Consider that many things that can be a representation of the old Celtic festivity known as Samhain, the original Halloween, or death conjures up holiday themes. Halloween costumes, for example, have been used since the first Samhains though the original disguises were animal skins.

The connection to death also brings to mind plenty of images, especially skeletons and ghosts. Anything that could be considered spooky and relate to death, including graves and cemeteries, are bound to be perfect subject matter for creating Halloween symbols.

Trick or Treating Safety at Halloween

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Trick or treating safety during the holiday is a way to insure that everyone has a great holiday, without having any problems. It is important to be alert yourself, as well as make children aware of things to be careful and cautious about. This also means using good judgment about what to do and how to do it as well as making sure you do not frighten your child.

Trick or Treating Safety for Costumes

Halloween costumes are a great way to make the most of the holiday. There are some things to keep in mind, though, when it comes to costumes and trick or treating safety. The best thing you can do is have your child try on his or her costume and walk around the house or yard for a while. This will give you and your child an idea of how easily the youngster can maneuver in the outfit. Also, it will determine if the child is comfortable for more than a few minutes in the costume.

The other things to watch for are how well a child can see and if there appears to be anything that could become a “wardrobe malfunction” during trick-or-treating. Be certain the child doesn’t have anything that could obstruct his or her vision. Additionally, make sure there is nothing that dangles from the outfit that could cause the child to trip or get snagged on something. If either of these are a problem, usually just some minor adjustments or sewing mends will correct the problem.

While on the Streets 

Before leaving, make sure your child has a flashlight with fully charged batteries. Also, the costume should have some reflective tape somewhere. And be certain your child has his or her cell phone in a pocket that is easy to access but that won’t allow the phone to fall out too easily.

The child should wear comfortable and sturdy shoes, even if it goes against the look of the costume. Adults should plan out a route in advance and give each child a map of this route. Worst case, if the team gets separated, the child will have some indication of where the following stop would be to try to meet back up.

When possible, travel in groups of trick-or-treating goblins with as many chaperones as possible. Have the little ones ‘buddy up’ and make sure each child is accounted for before moving to the next house. Of course, be extra careful when crossing the streets and try to work one whole side of a street before crossing to cut down on the number of times this is done.

All about the Goodies

Since all treats must be checked over before a child is allowed to eat them, there are some tips to keep in mind about the collected loot before even making it home. To prevent your child being tempted to snack along the way, make sure she or he has a good, full meal before setting out to trick-or-treat.

Make it clear to your little one that he cannot have any treats until getting home. To help avoid the urge to sneak a snack from the bag, offer to carry the loot for him. If a neighbor suggests your child go ahead and take a cookie to snack right there, step in and tell the well-meaning neighbor you are closely monitoring your child’s sugar intake. Lastly, to prevent the chance your child may cheat and sneak a candy, bring a few from your own stash at home. That way, if the youngster won’t back down at least you know the treat you are giving him is from your own safe candy from home.

Once home, you should know the drill by now. Every single item gets inspected, and when in doubt, throw it out. Check all wrappers for even a remote sign of tempering. Any candy that has come loose from its wrapper is not an option. Any of these warning signs should result in immediate discarding.

Baked goods are rarely a great idea. Even a chef with only good intentions could accidentally make someone sick, not to mention the hazards if allergies are a concern. Accept only those goodies baked by someone you know. Fruit should be washed well and inspected for injection, puncture or slit marks. Cut up a piece of fruit before allowing your child to eat it so you can inspect the inside as well as the out.

Trick or treating safety shouldn’t be about being paranoid, just being safe and smart.

Candy and Food Safety Tips for Halloween

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[This was written pre-coronavirus a number of years ago, but masks are critical now, and some, such as Mayo, recommend skipping it in 2020 entirely. Just be safe.]

Candy and food safety is a big concern during the Halloween season. Whether it’s from door-to-door trick-or-treating or the goodies collected from a Halloween party, there are some ways to avoid potential problems. Most of all, use common sense. If something alerts you to avoid eating it or letting your child eat it, don’t ignore this. When in doubt, throw it out.

Candy Safety Tips for Halloween 

It should be an understood rule by now, but in case it isn’t, know that your child should not eat a single piece of candy until it has been inspected by you. That means, if your little ghoul is begging for one piece from his collected loot, stop and use a flashlight to inspect the wrapper before handing it over. If you are concerned your child may be too tempted to resist, offer to carry his or her treat bag while going door-to-door.

To avoid temptation there are two other things to try. One is to make sure your child ate well before leaving, so he or she will have a full belly and may not be as likely to want to snack. Also, bring a few of your own candies from home and if your child simply must have a sugary snack, make sure it is one from your own stash from home.

Once home, look at each piece of candy. Any faded wrappers, or those with holes or tears, must be discarded. Goodies without wrappers are not an option. Even if the wrapper fell off at some point during the night while trick-or-treating, it means it could be dirty or that the wrapper was tampered with to begin with.

Also, make sure your child’s candy is not a choking hazard. Avoid gum or jawbreaker type selections that may become a problem. This is especially true for younger children. By the way, also make sure the family pets do not end up chewing down on any chocolates, raisins or macadamia nuts. Dogs and cats can have a severe, and often deadly, reaction to these types of foods.

Food Safety Tips for Halloween 

Some people opt to give out fruit or baked goods during Halloween trick-or-treating, as opposed to candy. These options require just as much consideration before allowing your child to ingest them, though. As a rule, don’t even accept baked goods from someone you do not know. You can decline politely by saying they could become a mess in the bag, or that your child has been known to get ill from that particular type of baked good. If nothing else, set it aside from the rest of the loot to dispose of as soon as possible.

Check fruit for injection or puncture wounds or for the presence of foreign objects. Wash the item, feel and inspect the skin completely and slice it up for save serving. If you can’t be certain, discard the item. There are plenty more choices for your child to choose from, and one or two tossed items won’t put much of a dent in their collected stash.

Some Other Notes about Candy and Food Safety

Avoid offering or baking anything that could be an allergy risk to someone else’s child. Try to locate a recipe that is free from ingredients that could trigger allergic reaction.

Food safety also means limiting candy to prevent a child from getting a tummy ache or being sick. Also, if you are worried about the door-to-door trick-or-treating part of Halloween, make other arrangements. Opt for attending a party hosted by someone you know and trust, put together by a mall or throw your own monster bash for the holiday.

Also, as horrible as it sounds, keep the number for poison control handy just in case. Do not allow your child to ingest anything just before bed, so you can monitor them carefully after eating any treats. Again, this can help prevent a child from being sick in the middle of the night. Keep the candy stash out of a child’s reach so they don’t get tempted to devour a bag of goodies in the middle of the night. This also means keeping any food you have left from the stash you were giving out away from youngsters.

The idea is to be careful, safe and smart, but not paranoid. Do not scare your child, or stress yourself out, by going overboard with the candy collecting and eating process. On the other hand, trust your instincts. Candy and food safety at Halloween is meant to be a guideline system to making the holiday fun but safe for all.

Halloween Party Invitations

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Halloween party invitations are the perfect way to set the tone and ignite excitement about your holiday bash. The trick is to make sure all the information that is crucial to the event is listed, and that guests get an idea of what the party will be like. You also have options when it comes to making, buying or printing your Halloween invites.

What Goes on Your Halloween Party Invitations? 

The first thing that really should be made clear is the type of party you are planning on having. Some of that can be obvious from the type of invitation you send, so make sure it matches. If you are really just doing an autumn get together, don’t use invitations that have skulls and bats all over them. Of course, if you are throwing an all out chilling and spooky monster mash bash, don’t send invitations that just have pumpkins and autumn leaves on them.

Because themes and activities at Halloween parties can be inappropriate for certain ages you should make that clear too, if necessary. In other words, if this is an adults-only sort of event, make sure there isn’t a misunderstanding. Even if you are planning to have scary stories that would not be a good idea for the under 13 age group, specify the party is a “PG-13” type of gathering. In all other cases, maybe just mention “all ages welcome.”

Also Include…

The events you are planning can help entice and inform potential guests, as well. You should certainly include planned activities such as bobbing for apples, a hay ride, ghost stories and a costume contest. In fact, although it should be understood, it can’t hurt to mention that “there will be a costume contest, so wear your best one.”

If you would like people to bring anything, just let them know. It could be food, candy or, for adults, wine or beer. If you’re hosting the event and supplying most of the food or events, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help in return. While on the subject, mention if there will be food and say what kind. If it is just snacks, people may want to eat beforehand. If it is a seven course meal, guests might want to know before grabbing a meal on the way.

The general idea is to include all information so that no one would even have to question the details. This includes the address, especially if is somewhere other than your home, phone number for RSVP, phone number for venue if different, email, time, date and anything else you deem necessary.

DIY Invites

If you’re feeling crafty, there are several options you can choose from to make your own Halloween party invitations. You can print your own that you design on your computer and that will save you money compared to buying store bought ones and time by not having to create anything more elaborate than that.

Or, if you would like to get your family involved, get everyone to pitch in and make the invitations. Use markers and stickers and glitter, just get creative. Keep in mind, one person should probably write out the important details of the party. Having your five year old try to spell out “Halloween party” sounds cute, but the data will be lost in the scribble.

Vintage Invitations

You can find great vintage Halloween invitations from online sources such as eBay and Etsy. It adds some flair to use old fashioned, retro invites. There are places online that specialize in this type of thing, and you can find entire packaged Halloween invites, still unopened, this way. You may have to settle for a few different styles if you are inviting a large number of people and cannot find three or more packs of the same kind, but it is worth it, especially if you are planning a vintage Halloween party.

Other Options

There are of course, the traditional store bought ones you can find at party stores and fill in the information yourself. For a few extra dollars you can also have your own printed. This gives you the best choices and saves you the hassle of having to handwrite all the data yourself. Lastly, evites are becoming more popular now. This service is usually free, can still have a picture to express the theme and saves tress by not using paper.

Whatever you decide, just relax and have a good time. Halloween party invitations are just the start of the event that should be the talk of the holiday season.