Do the Monster Mash

It's a Graveyard Smash

Fall is here! Not only does that mean falling leaves and extra chores, but also there will soon be goblins, pirates, princesses and ghosts wandering the streets of the neighbourhood on one of the most exciting nights of the year – Halloween.

History

Halloween has a long and storied history. Originally a fall festival celebrating the end of summer, Samhain, which in Old Irish basically means ‘Summer’s End,’ was a celebration of the end of summer and a festival to prepare for the coming winter. They would light a large bonfire in celebration and to ward off bad spirits then use that fire to light the hearth fires (the fire each family kept in their home).
In the 8th Century, Pope Gregory III chose November 1st as a time to honour the saints, All Saints Day. The night before they celebrated those ‘Hallowed,’ honoured or holy people, was then referred to as All Hallows Eve (All Hallows night) which has turned into Halloween.

Traditions

Celebrations have changed over the years, but certain traditions are still celebrated today.

Of course there is ‘Trick or Treating’ where kids originally demanded treats or else they would perform tricks on the homeowners. These under-aged blackmailers are not as often seen today, but the term still applies. This of course doesn’t mean that tricks don’t get played, but usually that is done by the not-quite-so-under-aged teenagers rather than the kids who are actually trick or treating.

Jack o’ Lanterns are also based on tradition. While most North Americans choose to carve pumpkins, the tradition started in the British Isles where turnips would be hollowed out and carved into faces. Candles would be placed in them and they would be left out on doorsteps or window sills to chase off evil spirits. It’s generally agreed the pumpkins are a whole lot easier to carve.

My favourite tradition is of course drinking a big hot chocolate with lots of mini marshmallows. While not needed when I was living in Texas, it seems awfully important now. Now I usually just have instant hot chocolate, but this year I’m thinking about trying this recipe -  Hot Caramel Chocolate.

Tips

Here are a couple quick tips to help this spooky night go right.

If you’re handing out candy at home, make sure your porch light is on – This lets everyone know that you’re passing out candy. And of course, if you aren’t handing out candy, keep that light off. If confuses all of us when my son and I show up at a door with the light on and either no one answers or we get a Grumpy- Gus telling us that he’s not giving out candy.

Speaking of lights, make sure your kids have one. A flashlight is great, but if you find they don’t want to carry one or continuously flash it in your eyes (at least that’s what my son does...) then light them up with glow sticks or even glowing bracelets that can usually be found at Halloween stores or even the dollar store. Make sure your kiddo is easy to spot by anyone who’s driving through the neighbourhood.  Reflective tape works great and can be placed on the candy bag or around the bottom of your child’s pant legs to give that much more protection.

If you happen to be out and about on Halloween night, SLOW IT DOWN. Kids can come from anywhere and I promise you that there is not a single place you need to be on Halloween night that is more important as the safety of the kids in the neighbourhood.

Walk with your kids – make trick or treating a family event. If they are “too old” to have mom and dad walk with them, make sure you  know where they are going, when they are coming back and if possible make sure one has a cell phone – Just in case.



This is a great holiday where everyone can have fun, but remember to be safe, too!

From all of us at Signature Service Real Estate – Happy Halloween!




For more information, check out the pages I got some of the info above:
Wiki
History.com