Halloween Manners and Safety

Ring the doorbell only once, followed at an appropriate interval by a knock, then leave if there is no answer.

Halloween Tips

Halloween is a festive time for children, but sometimes fun can turn to cruel tricks like when people tamper with treats. That is the criminal act which will generate most of the news stories next Nov. 1, but lots of other dangers will also be around and about that night. A caring parent or guardian can do much to lessen the chances that their child will become a statistic. Let common sense prevail. There is a big difference between fun and vandalism, but to the innocent victim of either, the end result might be traumatic. 

Don’t be pushy or grabby when trick-or-treating, and open and close your visit to each home or business with a greeting and a thank you. Many persons on fixed incomes can’t afford the money it takes to buy the extras needed for the evening. Those persons, often the elderly, need not be embarrassed. Such people should keep their front porch light off. Children and their chaperones will understand. Here are a few tips and hints about costumes, the home, adults accompanying groups of children, where groups should venture, when they should visit and perhaps most important what to do with treats before they are consumed. 

COSTUMES

• Wear a costume that fits, one that makes it easy for you to walk unhindered, and one in which you can see and be seen. 
• Don’t wear billowing or flammable costumes. 
• Use reflective tape on your costume so that people driving cars can see you. 
• Wear everyday shoes, not poorly fitting “costume” shoes. 
• A face mask has many hidden dangers. Use makeup if at all possible. If you “must” wear a mask, take it off when crossing a street so as to get a clear view of traffic. 
• Don’t use flowing, flammable false-hair wigs which can burst into fire. 
• Stay away from jack-o-lantern candles. 
• Don’t carry real or make-believe weapons, even if one is appropriate for the attire worn (i.e. pirate with a dagger). 

MANNERS

• Be quiet and cautious around dogs, even your own pets.
• Walk on clearly-marked paths or driveways, not on lawns or flower beds. 
• Ring the doorbell only once, followed at an appropriate interval by a knock, then leave if there is no answer. 

YOUR HOUSE

• Leave your porch light on as a welcome, and there is no need to be “over” generous in giving out treats. One per child is enough. 
• Have a party for neighborhood children if you feel so inclined. 
• Remove porch obstacles from the path of children, or merely to protect against vandals. 
• If you made a homemade treat to be given out, place it inside a small bag and attach your name. It’s a safety net for the parents of the children, but it will also give those same parents a chance to drop you a “thank you” note. 

COMPANIONS

• The safest way to go trick-or-treating is with an adult, or a responsible teenager, such as a brother or sister of one of the youngsters. 
• Know which friends your children will be accompanying on their rounds, and know the path that they are taking in case of an urgent need to contact them. 

WHERE

• The best place to go trick-or-treating is in a neighborhood that you know. 
• Travel only on well-lighted streets and, preferably, during daylight hours.
• Use sidewalks when available, but at other times walk on the left side of the road facing cars. 
• When crossing the street, do so only at corners, look both ways and observe all signal lights and/or signs. Be alert for cars turning. 
• Don’t enter a street from between parked cars. 
• Never enter the home of a stranger. 

TREATS

• Collect your treats in a light-colored bag appropriate for the size of the child. The bag should have a “reflectorized” design. 
• DON‘T eat any treat until returning home and having it checked for suspicious signs. Throw away candy not wrapped, or with the wrappers partially opened. 
• Wash all fruit before eating, and discard all loose popcorn. 

Play it safe this Halloween. Follow these tips, and this special day will be one remembered as a fun time by everyone. — By Floyd Tidwell, Sheriff, SB County, in the Lucerne Valley Leader, 1984

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia