Keeping Holiday Traditions in a Modern World

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday. For decades, little ones have dressed up in their costumes on Halloween night to go door to door throughout the neighborhood begging candy from their neighbors.

Unfortunately, Halloween is not as safe as it once was. Running around after dark leaves children vulnerable to accidents and malice. While mom and dad might have been able to accept the homemade cookies from the lady two streets over, now they have to examine their children's treats for needles and razor blades. And those who have corrupted the fun of Halloween to a night for malice and mischief have left some parents hesitant to send their little ones out at all.

However, with a few precautions, you can make sure that the Halloween spirit lives on for at least one more generation.

Stay close

You might remember going trick or treating with a group of friends while mom and dad stayed home to pass out treats. However, in today's changing society, it is simply not a good idea. Stay close to children at all times, particularly younger ones, and make sure that everyone stays within view while trick or treating. If taking out a large group, have children choose a Halloween “buddy” to stay with the entire time.

Set rules

There will be less dissension in the ranks if you set up the rules for Halloween night ahead of time. Make sure your children know before you head out what is acceptable and what isn't. This includes curfews, how far they can go trick or treating, rules about eating treats, etc.

Be visible

While the neighborhoods will be swarming with children out trick or treating, many drivers may not take the extra precautions while driving and will continue to cruise through at normal speeds. To make sure your child is visible to drivers, look for costumes that reflect the light or have your child carry glowsticks or flashlights when trick or treating.

Check the treats

Sadly, you will want to wait to get home to eat any of the treats because you will want to inspect them first. Discard any treats that are unwrapped or whose wrappers have been damaged. Look carefully for anything out of the ordinary. Avoid any homemade treats unless you personally know the person that made them – and then be careful if your child has any allergies.

Be a watchdog

While Halloween is known for costumes and candy, in more recent years it has also started attracting a crowd with more malicious intents. While some may limit their mischief to covering trees in toilet paper or smashing pumpkins, others can do even more vandalism and damage. And with so many children running around, many being only loosely supervised, there are plenty of opportunities for child predators to take advantage of the situation. Keep an eye out on the neighborhood, and report any suspicious activities to police.

If you plan for Halloween and set up some ground rules, you can help ensure that everyone has a wonderful holiday. That way, Halloween can continue to be enjoyed by children everywhere.

Options for Halloween Fun

Halloween is a fun holiday for both kids and adults. It gives them to chance to dress up as a favorite character and eat tons of sweets. Plus, thanks to the commercialization of all holidays, there is always a variety of things to do during the month of October. Here is a look at some of the fun ways that you can celebrate the holiday.

Trick or treating

Perhaps one of the most time-honored tradition of Halloween, trick or treating can be fun for many children. What could be more exciting than dressing in a great Halloween costume and getting candy for it? Adults should always accompany the youngsters when they go out, and everyone should carry flashlights and stay in well-lit areas. Adults should also inspect the candy before allowing kids to eat it.

Due to safety concerns, some neighborhoods are setting assigned hours for trick or treating – or even doing it on Halloween afternoon instead of after dark. Sometimes local shopping centers will do trick or treating events at their stores as well for parents who prefer a public locale.

Haunted locations

For older children and adults, haunted houses can be a great source of fun for Halloween night. Some places will even have toned-down attractions for the younger ones. Call ahead to find out hours and pricing, as well as the age of admission for scarier attractions.

Some churches will have Halloween alternative activities planned that are open to the community. Often kid will wear costumes, and there may be other activities like face painting, apple bobbing, hayrides, costume contests, and more for a more family-friendly celebration of the holiday.

If you are lucky enough to live near an amusement park, you can find out whether or not they have any Halloween activities. Some will have special evening hours where you can come in costume, ride the rides, and hang out with various spooks and characters. There may also be stations set up where you can play games or receive treats. In general, these events are designed to be more silly than spooky.

Staying at home

There are also plenty of alternatives that you can do at home to celebrate Halloween. For instance, you could create your own haunted house and invite the neighborhood to stop by for a visit. Or, throw your own Halloween bash. Some party planners will choose a special theme for the evening, while others will simply go with the traditional Halloween icons. Costumes are a must, of course, and you can have your own games and activities tailored to the specific age group attending.

If you would rather just spend a quiet evening at home, you could consider renting some of your favorite Halloween flicks. A bowl of popcorn and your favorite Halloween candy and you are set for a quiet evening at home.

There are plenty of ways that you can choose to celebrate the Halloween holiday. A costume, some candy, and a little holiday magic and you are all set for a “spooktacularly” good time.

Dressing Doggy Up For Halloween

If you have never owned a pet, the idea of dressing up a dog in a Halloween costume definitely sounds a little silly. After all, it's not like Fido is going to go around asking for candy, right? To some, it may seem like a childish obsession to need to dress the family pet up like you would a person, to others just another way that the big companies of corporate America have decided to try and squeeze a few extra bucks out of patrons this Halloween season. For others, however, there is a certain charm to family pets being dressed up in celebration of the holiday.

Icebreakers and attention getters

As any kid can tell you, dogs are a great way to get to know people. Especially ones dressed in costumes. With the exception of the few people who might be afraid of dogs, many love to come up and say hello and offer a pat to a dog that they see on the street.

Of course, every kid out trick or treating has one goal – get as much candy as you can. Having a dog in a costume is a great way to do that. The houses that you visit will love the cuteness factor of the whole get up. Plus, it is sure to inspire some conversation, and the friendlier you are to people the more likely you are to receive candy in return. Get a dog costume that matches your own for extra cute points.

Protection and safety

A loyal family pet is going to look out for its family. So even though it is a good idea for mom and dad to come along while trick or treating, a dog is an extra bit of protection for your child should he or she get lost. Even a small dog will bark at something that is amiss, and larger dogs have the whole intimidation factor. Many children are also more careful about crossing streets when they are with a family pet.

Choosing a costume

There are a wide variety of costumes for dogs. Consider one that coordinates with your child's costume. As with costumes for any member of your family, you will want to be sure that it fits properly. Avoid any with long hems that could cause your dog to trip while walking. You will also want to make sure that wearing the costume will not interfere with attaching a leash. A few dry runs of walking around the neighborhood with costume on may be required to get your dog accustomed to wearing it.

If your child is going to be the one walking the dog, make sure that they are able to control it. You do not want your beloved family pet running off into the night. Also consider your dog's personality – very aggressive or very fearful dogs are not going to enjoy going out with all of the ruckus going on. And of course, be the responsible pet owner and always clean up after your pet.

Choosing a doggy Halloween costume can add even more fun to the holiday by allowing your family pet to join in.

Candy Alternatives for Trick Or Treaters

While Halloween has long been synonymous with costumes and candy, some parents are looking for alternative treats. With a rise in childhood obesity and overall poor eating habits, many parents are concerned about the amount of sugar getting consumed on Halloween night and after. Plus, with fears of poisoning, razor blades, and other hazards from less than savory characters, it is no wonder that for some, candy is taking a back seat.

No matter the reasons behind your choice, you can still choose treats for your trick or treaters that are fun if not sweet. Here are some ideas of things that you can give out instead.

Pencils, pens, and erasers

Since many of the trick or treaters that you will see will be of the school-age variety, these can be a fun gift. You can often find these in fun Halloween themes at your local store. Look for fun designs with pumpkins, bats, and other Halloween themes. Shaped erasers can also be fun. You will just want to be careful that none would be considered a possible choking hazard for the tinier trick or treaters that will knock on your door.

Stickers and tattoos

Nearly every kid loves stickers, and you can often find these inexpensively in bulk. You can look for Halloween themed ones if you would like, or simply of characters and items that are popular at the moment. For instance, Dora and Elmo are popular with the preschool set, while older kids may enjoy princesses, butterflies, superheroes, and cartoon characters. You can also find temporary tattoos with similar themes to hand out as well.

Game tokens and coupons

If there is a popular hang out in your neighborhood that has games kids can play using tokens, handing out a couple of tokens to each child can be a fun Halloween surprise. Also, some retailers will sell coupon books for a free item to hand out on Halloween – such as a free ice cream cone. This allows parents to save the treat for a time that is not so sugar-laden.

Party favors

Your local party supply store will often have a large stock of Halloween party favors available in October. Things like plastic spider rings, glow sticks, rubber bats, and fake teeth can all be fun alternatives to hand out in the place of candy.

Clearance sales and dollar stores

Often, you can find a selection of small toys for very little money by browsing the clearance section of your favorite store and/or local dollar stores. Look for things like small toys, crayons, books, and other kid-friendly items. If you plan ahead and shop throughout the year, you can certainly develop a varied cache before Halloween. Kids will be so impressed with the cool items that you have they won't even miss the few extra pieces of candy!

Single serving packages

If you still want to do an edible item, many grocery stores sell snacks in single serving packages. For instance, many companies are joining in on the 100 calorie pack trend, so you can find a variety of snacks that are still somewhat healthy. Fruit snacks, juice boxes, or even mini bags of pretzels can be a good option. It is usually advisable to stay away from things that include nuts because of allergies some of your trick or treaters might have.

With a little creativity, you can come up with fun Halloween treats that don't involve sweets that your trick or treaters will love just the same.