Happy Halloween and a Merry Haunting: A once humble evening is now a multi-billion dollar indutry

            As far as my three boys are concerned, there are only 2 days in a calendar year that matter: Christmas and Halloween.  And they’re not alone - according to consumer stats, Halloween ranks second in retail spending.  That’s HUGE!!!  From Halloween recipes, to drinks, to décor, to costumes, wedding-themes (huh?), licensed merchandise, how-to-videos, pyrotechnics, outdoor lighting, inflatables and more, Halloween is no longer a one-night trick-and-treat.

Used to be, when I was a kid, Mom took an old worse-for-wear bed-sheet (likely one that you permanently soiled during that nasty stomach flu), cut out jagged eye holes and a mouth, tossed it over your head casually and announced, “you’re a ghost – that’s your costume”.  One pumpkin on the porch was standard décor and kids excitedly tossed their pillows loose from their cartoon-themed pillowcases with the intention of filling them until the seams burst with good ol’ fashioned stick-to-your-silver-fillings candy. 

            My how the times have changed.  It’s estimated that in the U.S. alone, 22 million dollars will be spent on dog costumes…not costumes that make you look like a dog, costumes for your dog!!  I can hear the helpless whimper of pooches across Canada getting pried into ill-fitting Star Wars suits. 

 
               Instead of letting all of this Halloween consumerism turn me into an evil witch, this year, I’m committing.  I’m getting on-board this orange-painted bandwagon and riding it like a deranged diabetic rancher on an all-you-can-eat sugary cattle call (Costume Alert: Deranged Rancher! You’re welcome!).

 I recently went to Michael’s craft store (a mecca for all things awesome and wonderful and inspiring) and filled my cart with all sorts of fun D.I.Y projects as well as some pre-made décor items.  I made a Halloween door wreath, spider web votive candle holders, tattooed pumpkins, spray-painted other gourds white and added golden glitter, stocked up on all sorts of entertaining accessories for the huge party I am having Saturday night (oh yeah, you read it right – party at my place!) 

 

 

             Then I stopped in at Canadian Tire and bought a variety of outdoor projectors to convert this lame-o suburban abode into a spooky haunted manse of mayhem.  I have goose bumps just writing this.  That’s how pumped I am about finally taking Halloween to the next level.

 

            Let’s talk safety – without safety, Halloween could become a real-life nightmare.  In most of Canada it’s now dark outside come 6/6:30pm.  Add to that, reduced visibility with falling leaves, a bit of rain, dark costumed goblins and you’ve got a potentially dangerous mix of kids darting about the streets and nervous drivers hoping to avoid them.

 

Tips for parents/kids:

 Light those kids up: From reflective tape strips to glow bands for wrists or necks, kids need to be seen.  The local dollar store usually sells both so a buck or two per kid is all you need to spend in order to make them stand out.

 Costumes: My son’s mummy morph-suit looks so creepy and cool.  What’s not cool is that he can barely see out of it.  Pretty sure a face-plant on the neighbours driveway is not how he hopes to kick-off the candy collection.  Make sure that the kids can see – even if it means not wearing a mask, or slipping it off between doorbells. I have seen first-hand too many kids crying on the sidewalk with skinned hands and knees. There’s no place for real blood on Halloween.

 Candy: As a kid, we always had to empty our haul onto the counter for parental inspection before we could even consider licking a lollipop.  Same rules still apply.  Immediately toss perishables (sorry sweet old lady who gives out apples), candies with damaged or compromised wrapping and anything else that gives you a not-so-confident feeling.

 Allergies: It’s very likely that there’s a neighbourhood child who has a severe nut allergy and for whom Halloween is not so fun because Mom and Dad have to toss or give away most/all of their candy.  There’s a fantastic teal pumpkin campaign out this year, encouraging you to place a teal pumpkin on your step, notifying kids with allergies that you offer nut-free treats at your door (much of the candy sold for Halloween purposes has the nut-free symbol on it – check the box/wrapper). Teal paint is available at any dollar store or craft store if you’d like to participate.

 Drivers: The easiest tip is to avoid driving, if possible, during peak trick-or-treat hours (7-8:30).  If you are out and about, common sense dictates that you should be extra vigilant and patient behind the wheel…remember how much you loved Halloween as a kid?

 Shutting it down: If you’re like me, then reams of costume-less 16-year olds rapping at the door at 9:45 demanding candy in a chorus of awkward pubescent voices is not high on your list of “fun”.  Generally, lights extinguished on pumpkins and external house lights turned off, means “no candy here”.  If late-night junk-seeking revellers ring the bell, a polite “sorry, we’re all out” is much better than a rude door slam…especially if you do not wish to awaken to an egg-smeared house.

 Catch the segment on CTV’s Canada AM for craft ideas, how-to’s and lots more fun, Friday, October 30^th at 8:40am.

 Follow me @KasieSavage