Optional advice for those participating in Halloween this year
excerpted from:
http://www.jesshartley.com by Jess Hartley.
Lights Out! – Every kid knows that the porch light on means a house is
fair game for Trick-Or-Treating on Halloween night. But sometimes lit
decorations and dark houses or porch lights that are left on when no
one is home can lead to confusion, frustration – and wasted time
waiting for someone to answer the door which could be better spent
gathering more holiday loot!
If you’re in for the evening, but out of candy (or choosing not to
partake in the holiday give-away) pull your curtains, turn off
exterior lights and try to keep the windows that are visible from the
street as dark as possible.
If you’re going to bed or leaving for the evening, consider bringing
in (or turning off) lit holiday decorations on Halloween night. As
well, leave the house dark and the porch light off as a courtesy to
the little ghosts and goblins. Bring a flash light with you when you
leave, to light your way back into the house though! Emergency rooms
are not the kind of Halloween tricks that anyone enjoys!
Lights On! – The reverse is, of course, also true! If you are
encouraging Trick-or-Treaters, be sure to leave your porch light on,
along with whatever other exterior lighting you can muster.
Jack-o-lanterns and other spooky illuminated decorations that would
look best in the dark can be arranged in windows, shadowy spots of the
yard or far corners of porches, but no amount of atmosphere is worth a
preventable injury to your guests. Be especially careful about
removing or highlighting any dangerous bits of terrain between the
sidewalk and your front door.
Trick-or-Treating 101 – Parents and chaperones, be advised. While the
basics of Trick-or-Treating seem simple, even here, there is protocol
to be observed. Only approach houses with porch lights on (or other
clear indications that the house is participating in that evening’s
festivities.)
Knock or ring the bell no more than twice (waiting 30-45 seconds
between each). If the door isn’t answered within a minute to a minute
and a half despite the porch light being on, assume you’ve gotten one
of those folks who didn’t read above and go to the next place. Don’t
Trick-or-Treat after 9pm. Families with children or older people may
well be in bed after that.
Unless the child is too young (or shy) to speak, saying
“Trick-or-Treat” before and “Thank You” afterward is the de rigueur
price for collecting free candy on Halloween. A “Happy Halloween”
afterwards (from both child and parent/chaperone) is an added nicety.
Stay on sidewalks or pathways. Don’t take short cuts through lawns or
flowerbeds. Not only could you damage the landscaping, you could hurt
yourself.
Teach your child ahead of time to only take one piece of candy from
the proffered bowl, unless they are encouraged to take more. Warn them
ahead of time that some of the houses may be spooky and that some of
the folks they see may be in scary costumes. It may help to walk
around before dark and point out the decorations. A graveyard setting
may seem less creepy during daylight hours, and that may help them
handle it better when encountering it (or similar decorations) at
night.
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