Halloween Safety and Myths of the Season
Tips for a More Safe Autumn Holiday and Urban Legends Debunked
Sep 10, 2009
If children want to take part in that age old Halloween activity "Trick or Treating", it's probably OK to indulge them (at the parents' own discretion, of course). After all, the stories about Halloween, the urban legends about poisoned candy and the like...pretty much all nothing more than just legend.
The Truth About Halloween
A lot of unsubstantiated urban legends concerning that most ghastly of nights have been circulated from as far back as the fifties. For instance, there have been many reports of the mythical "razor blade" in the candy bag. Almost every single one of those reports turned out to be hoaxes or rumors spread by word of mouth. Of the lingering few cases that turned out to have some basis of truth, one woman had to have stitches.
Likewise, there are the rumors of people poisoning treats with various different items. With the notable exception of one tragic incident in which a young boy was poisoned by his own father, those are also all urban legends.
So...is Halloween Safe?
When it comes to the safety of precious children, of course parents shouldn't take any unnecessary chances. As with any public activity on any day of the year, parents should exercise caution. Some hospitals will even x-ray bags of candy, though they almost never find anything even remotely suspicious.
There are plenty of ways to insure that those little trick 'r treaters aren't privy to anything other than wholesome fun and the magic of the Halloween night.
Five Simple Halloween Tips
- Trick or Treat in a well known neighborhood. If need be, go as far as to frequent only the houses with trusted people living in them.
- Pour out all of the candy in a well-lit room and go through it all before allowing any of it to be consumed.
- Set aside all homemade treats or fruits for further inspection, or just throw them away if it's not readily apparent where they came from.
- Inspect the wrappers for tampering.Throw out all unwrapped candy, and chuck out any candy that even looks a little suspicious. Most of the time, this amounts to very little of the kiddies' treasure, so don't feel too badly about it.
- Go with the kids and keep a watchful eye out. Report any and all strange activities to the proper authorities.
Most of the negative stigma associated with the holiday are the stuff of urban legend. Halloween can be a safe and magical time for children of all ages. The memories made are treasured, and the more involved parents are with it, the more rewarding it is for children and parents alike.
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