All Fun Greeting Cards -
Halloween Greeting Cards and Trick or
Treat Safety Tips, and History of Halloween
Singing
Birthday Cards
Halloween Safety
Tips
by Colin Gabriel Hatcher
Halloween Safety Tips
The Halloween season is here. Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, check
out these Halloween safety tips to ensure that all the kids out
trick-or-treating have a good time and get home safely.
FOR PARENTS * Prearrange routes with your kids. Know where your kids are going
and who your kids are going out with. Agree on a time when your child should
be back home.
* Make sure all young children are accompanied by at least one, or preferably
two adults. If your children are going up to the doors without you, make sure
to maintain visual contact with them and keep within hearing distance.
* Organize a parents' community walk for the evening - and why not get into
the spirit of Halloween by dressing up too?
* Make sure you know exactly what your children are wearing when they go out
Trick or Treating. If anyone goes missing you need to be able to give a good
description of your child and their clothing.
* Make sure your kids know the difference between trick or treating and
vandalism. They should respect the property of the person they are visiting.
* Instruct your kids NOT to eat treats until they get back home. Then you can
check the treats. When checking treats, throw away any loose candy, and any
wrapped items that appear to have been tampered with. Discard any homemade
treats unless they have been made by someone you know. Not everyone out there
has your kids' fun in mind.
COSTUME SAFETY * Halloween costumes should be made of flame resistant
material.
* Since your kids will be out after dark, make the costume is bright. Costumes
that glow in the dark or glow brightly in dim lighting are excellent choices.
* Make sure that underneath that ghost costume your child is warm enough. Kids
should dress warmly for the weather.
* Avoid using high heeled shoes - your child may trip over and fall down
steps. Remember it is dark, and if they are out for a while, they need to stay
comfortable.
* If your costume includes "weapons" like swords or knives, make sure they are
flexible and can do no harm.
* If your child is wearing a mask, make sure they understand that they MUST
take it off before crossing any roads.
* Put a name, phone and address tag somewhere on your kids' costume, in case
they get lost.
* If Trick or Treaters need lights, make sure they are using flashlights. NOT
candles. A flashlight held under the chin pointing upwards will make your
child look suitably scary when they ring doorbells, but a candle is dangerous.
FOR RESIDENTS BEING VISITED BY KIDS
* Indicate your willingness to join in the festivities by displaying pumpkins,
jack o' lanterns etc. in your windows or on your porch.
* Remove obstacles from your lawns and steps so that kids won't trip over
them. Make sure the outside of your house is well lit.
* When choosing Halloween treats, consider items other than candy, like
stickers, erasers, pens, crayons etc. If you do get candy, make sure it is in
sealed bags for safety.
* Consider dressing up for Halloween even if you are not going out. It is
great fun to answer the door to masked kids if YOU look even more scary!
* Be careful how you drive on Halloween. Expect excited kids to be running out
from behind parked cars and drive accordingly.
* Don't be a killjoy. If you don't celebrate Halloween and you get called on
by mistake, there is no need to call the Police, or rain on the kids' parade.
Rather than telling those smiling faces "Halloween is the Devil’s work and you
will all burn in hell!", try instead: "Sorry kids, but this household does not
celebrate Halloween."
* Keep your family pets indoors on Halloween. They are likely to be terrified
of the masked groups of children (and adults!) rushing about the neighborhood
shrieking.
FOR KIDS * Don't forget to say thank you for any treats you are given. You may
be a witch, a monster, a vampire, a ballet dancer, a pokemon or a cowboy, but
be a POLITE one!
* Stick together in a group. Make sure you are never alone at any time. Carry
plenty of flashlights and be seen!
* Be wary of strangers, walking the streets. Remember a stranger is anyone
that your parents or teachers have NOT told you is OK. Don't be scared of
strangers, just be careful!
* Not everyone celebrates Halloween. Neighbors who are celebrating the
Halloween festivities indicate this by decorating their windows or doors with
Halloween symbols - pumpkins, bats, etc. These people are inviting kids to
visit. It's better not to go trick or treating to houses that don't display
these signs. If you do you may end up upsetting someone.
* Don't stop to chat with strangers driving cars around the neighborhood,
don't accept treats from drivers and never get into a stranger's car.
* Never go inside someone's house. It's better to wait on the doorstep.
* Be aware of basic road safety. Cross streets only at corners, don't rush out
from between parked cars, and watch out for cars pulling into driveways.
* Respect other people's property - don't trample through their gardens.
Colin Gabriel Hatcher may be contacted at
http://www.safetyed.org
colinhatcher@safetyed.org.
Click
here to view more of their articles
Englishman Colin Gabriel Hatcher, a
Silicon Valley California attorney and lifelong volunteer youth worker, is the
innovative mastermind behind SafetyEd International. With 21 years experience
in education, 12 years experience as a Martial Arts Instructor (he holds 5
black belts), 11 years of computer experience, and over 7 years working in
internet related safety, child protection and child advocacy, Colin is an
accomplished expert researcher and writer in the internet field, as well as
being an expert in internet and cyberspace law
Getting Organized for Halloween: 10
Spooktacular Tips
by Maria Gracia
Ghosts, witches, goblins and black cats . . . yes, it's Halloween once again.
Here are 10 tips to ensure this holiday is a fun one for your and your family.
1. MAKE A LIST. Make a checklist of everything you'd like to do for
Halloween--such as making/getting costumes, having a party, attending a
festival, carving a pumpkin, getting some scary books or videos at the library
and taking the kids trick-or-treating, safety precautions, and baking pumpkin
pie.
2. DECORATE FOR THE SEASON. It's time to pull out your tried-and-true
Halloween decorations from year's past. If they're not in one organized place
this year, be sure you put them all in one organized place for next year when
you're done with them.
3. FIND THE FESTIVITIES. Using the Web and your local newspapers, find out
what Halloween festivities are happening in your area. Schedule some outings
for your family and enjoy the season. Apple picking, pumpkin picking and hay
rides are popular this time of the year.
4. SEARCH YOUR TV LISTINGS. Search through your TV listing and make a schedule
of all Halloween programs and cartoons you wish to watch. If the family can't
be together when a particular program is airing, video tape it and watch it
together later on.
5. BUY TREATS AHEAD OF TIME. Pick up Halloween treats at the supermarket now
so you're ready for trick-or-treaters.
6. ORGANIZE TREATS INTO TREAT BAGS. Spend time before Hallowing, placing an
assortment of treats into each treat bag (or plastic baggie.) Every trick-or-treater
will then get an equal amount of treats.
7. ORGANIZE A HALLOWEEN PARTY. If you plan to have a Halloween party at your
house, plan for the party ahead of time. Make a list of everything you plan to
do, and everyone you wish to invite. Be sure to get the invitations out early.
Begin preparing meals and baking before October 31st.
8. GET READY FOR PARTIES YOU'RE ATTENDING. If you already have plans to go to
a Halloween party elsewhere, determine what you'll need to bring to the party.
Will you need to bring food? Find out what dish you'll be bringing, and
determine if it can be prepared ahead of time. Need a costume? Begin making
one now, or be sure to hit the costume shops early, while you still have time.
9. SEND OUT HALLOWEEN GREETINGS. Halloween is a great time of year to keep in
touch with family and friends. Send Halloween greetings in the mail, or save
money and send e-mail greetings.
10. ENJOY THE SEASON. Go outdoors and enjoy the fall foliage. Take a walk in
the brisk air. Enjoy your neighbors' Halloween decorations around town. Take
some photos for your memory book. After all, this holiday doesn't linger after
October 31st--you'll be heading right into the holiday season!
by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com
FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips,
ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your
life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!
Maria's website:
http://www.getorganizednow.com
Maria Gracia may be contacted at
http://www.getorganizednow.com
getorgnow@wi.rr.com.
Click
here to view more of their articles
Maria Gracia, founder of GET ORGANIZED
NOW!, specializes in helping people get better organized to live the kind of
stress-free life they've always dreamed of. She can help you organize your
home, your office and your life!
What's New About Halloween and What's Old?
by Susan Dunn
Halloween began as an ancient Celtic ceremony called Samhain. It was their
major celebration, a festival of the dead but also the beginning of winter.
It was time for them to harvest their crops and store them, and round up the
cattle and sheep and move them in closer. They believed at this time the
ghosts of the dead mingled with the living.
Then Christian missionaries arrived to convert them to Christianity. Pope
Gregory I issued an edict on how this was to be done—the missionaries should
not obliterate the native religion, but rather use it. If they found the Celts
worshipped a tree, they should not cut it down, but rather consecrate it to
Christ, and let the worship continue.
Christian holidays were also set to coincide with local holy days. All Saints
Day was assigned November 1st and meant to substitute for Sawhain, but still
it continued.
Jack Santino says, “The powerful symbolism of the traveling dead was too
strong, and perhaps too basic to the human psyche, to be satisfied with the
new, more abstract Catholic feast honoring saints.”
The Church tried again in the 8th century, naming November 2nd as All Soul’s
Day, but Sawhain continued, and with time, All Hallows Eve (the night before)
became Hallowe’en. People began to dress in costume to seek gifts of food and
drink, which had originally been set out to appease spirits, and to masquerade
as spirits, and our traditions of Halloween evolved.
There’s a lesson in multiculturalism here; a way to change culture and blend
beliefs and traditions. “Worship” was the constant in the equation, and
dealing with dark spirits, which they kept and modified. The new was
accommodated without changing the old too much. Remember this when you’re
changing a household or office custom.
Susan Dunn may be contacted at
http://www.susandunn.cc
sdunn@susandunn.cc.
Click
here to view more of their articles
Susan Dunn, MA, Psychology, Emotional
Intelligence Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc
. Coaching, Internet courses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for
career, relationships, transitions, resilience, personal and professional
development. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc
for free ezine
Other Halloween Information
Pumpkin Carving For All The Family
Recipes for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
Easy
Pumpkin Recipes
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