By Katy Nguyen, Staff Writer
Trick-or-Treating has existed for centuries and is one of the well known traditions integrated into American culture. Parents often warn their underaged children of “stranger danger” and to never take anything from them, but all hell is let loose on Halloween night.
The Halloween that we know today, of costumes and children running around for candy, originated from a Celtic festival, called Samhain. This was celebrated the first day of November, where spirits were believed to return from the dead. The Celts left food and wine on their doorsteps to scare off spirits and would dress up as ghosts when they left their houses. It later was called the All Hallows Day in the eighth century by the Christian church. The night before would be called Hallows’ Eve, then shortened to Halloween.
What may have started as a Celtic tradition 2,000 years ago, now has turned into one of the biggest commercial businesses in the United States. Bulks and bulks of candy go on sale during this time of the year, but there is no guarantee what people do to these candies in their homes. We often assume that everyone in our neighborhood is trustworthy, and brush off the fact that there might be evil lurking somewhere.
In the 1980s, the media caused a mass hysteria about tampering of candy, which made parents locked up their doors on Halloween night.
Some people might argue that candy poisoning is all a myth. However, many similar cases of tampering have existed like the Chicago Tylenol Poisoning, where seven people died because of cyanide found in those pills. Who wouldn’t say the same for candy?
Not only is Trick-or-Treating is dangerous because of candy tampering, but also is an easy pathway in spreading many diseases. During Halloween time, the flu season hits, and with kids taking candy from a stranger’s bucket using their germy hands, it diffuses faster.
However, Trick-or-Treating is similar to Christmas gifts; you can’t just take it away. There’s no fun in letting kids stay in the house and watch the same Halloween movies over and over again. Let them explore, but in moderation. Only allow them to take what seems safe enough.
There is always good and bad people out there in society, and parents should always be aware of what their child is consuming. It’s important to always inspect the candy with your children, and if anything is suspicious, throw it away immediately!
