1. Plan some indoor trick or treat hunts and prepare your own frights for your loved ones!
2. Of course, ask your neighbours to display a lit pumpkin jack o’ lantern if they are happy to answer the front door to your witches and hobgoblins...
3. If you’re not trick or treating, dust off your best costume and get down to your local pub to support their Halloween efforts!
4. Make sure that confectionery or biscuit treats are pre-wrapped and sealed either commercially or, if homemade produce eg homegrown apples, are sanitised the day before and packaged in hygienic conditions ;-)
5. Have we mentioned that #virtualevents are rather popular at the moment? Gather your tribe and host a virtual costume party - Plenty of fun and games (and homemade cocktails) to enjoy!
6. It can be fun to include an unexpected trick in the treat package – a plastic fly, or eyeball or bat … but choose your tricks wisely depending on the age of your visitors!
7. If you (the adult of the house…) really gets into the spirit of spookiness, do remember that in real life small children can be traumatised by too frightening a character, especially one on a broomstick, or bearing a bloodstained axe...
8. If you have a pet indoors, please lock them in a safe, quiet familiar environment on the evening of the 31st October. There is an increasing trend to let off fireworks at Halloween, supposedly in the run up to 5th November, Guy Fawkes Day. It is illegal to throw or let off fireworks (even sparklers) in the street or other public places between the hours of 11pm and 7am – except for 5th November, also known as Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight. Unless you’ve witnessed New Years Eve in Amsterdam of course!
9. If you are having an “adult” Halloween celebration, remember to follow the current guidelines in celebrating within your household. No-one wants a £10K fine. Use fake blood with a sense of responsibility – no-one wants to add to the burden on our NHS.
10. If you think the whole thing is “Bah,Humbug” (sorry, wrong celebration) – the least you can do is to get into the spirit of the thing by displaying a poster politely informing small bands of marauding toddlers that you are NOT offering treats, tricks or anything else so please don’t ring the doorbell … but have a “Happy Halloween”!
We hope you have a wonderful Halloween, share with us your stories and best costumes if you dare!