Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. But it is also a holiday that seems to be regarded as dangerous, at least compared to others like Christmas or Thanksgiving. As a kid, the dangers all centered around trick-or-treating. My mom lectured my sister and I each year before we went out about staying together, only going to lit houses, not entering strangers houses, etc. Then, when we (miraculously) came home unharmed, her attention switched to my beloved candy. Even when I was in high school she still checked each piece for puncture marks (from poisoned needles?) in the wrapping and any other signs of tampering. Finally, my sister and I had intense negotiations in order to maximize the candies we liked and get rid of anything we didn't before it was all put away and strictly rationed over the next few months (which I always found a way around when my mom wasn't home).
As my friends and I grew older, the dangers of Halloween reversed themselves; instead of being worried about something from the night harming me, my mom became worried that I would go out and harm the neighborhood. Once, during a Halloween party at my house, the police came because we were loud and down the street some other people had been egging houses. To my knowledge, none of the people at my house were involved and the police did believe us...after my mom vouched for us being home all night.
The last few years the dangers associated with Halloween have changed again. This Friday all USP students got an email from the dean warning of the dangers of alcohol assumption, date rape, and walking around at night in the city (presumably at/after a Halloween party). While those concerns are legitimate on any college campus, especially the latter given the number of muggings the last two weeks, it's interesting that Halloween is the only holiday I still get warned about. But as always, I've had a great Halloween weekend and made it home safely at the end...unfortunately with no candy to get me through the rest of the semester.
http://www.suite101.com/content/halloween-health-and-safety-reminders-a296271
Your blog post is truly interesting in regards to personal safety and holidays. I can remember early on in my elementary school days when we were given school assemblies identifying the risks and dangers associated with “Trick-Or-Treating.” We even were given reflective bags to take with us on Halloween night, illuminating our whereabouts and giving drivers a heads up to numerous roaming children along the streets. I completely agree with you about the hazards of candy given out by strangers. Although I live in a quite rural area outside a large city, there have been incidents of “disturbed” people giving out “bad” candy that had been tampered with in some way. I truly like the emphasis you put on how in our younger years we are taught the safety procedures and awareness about things harming us and how it has grown to a point of where parents consider the fact we might harm others. Very interesting point, considering my mother, a registered nurse had two patients come in this weekend with injuries resulting from drunken Halloween fights and also severe intoxication from both alcohol and drugs. Like you said, Halloween is still the only holiday our society tends to be proactive and retroactive about. I only hope that these incidents begin their decline and no longer exist. I hope by the time I have children I don’t have to worry about these issues! Anyhow, Late-Happy-Halloween!
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