To please the spirits, the Celtic people left food outside their homes on Halloween. If any hungry spirits came by, they could take the food and leave the Celtics in peace. Today, the halloween foods we choose to leave out for the trick-or-treaters are quite different, I’m sure! Children delight in the age old tradition of dressing up in a costume and, with their empty container in hand, going from lighted door to lighted door saying “Trick-or-treat!” in hopes of receiving LOTS of candy, coupons for McDonald’s food and other goodies! Children of all ages participate in this American tradition that usually takes place on the last Thursday of the month of October. Halloween, or as this tradition has been dubbed “beggar’s night” is a two hour long effort to see who gets the most candy. Brothers and sister, neighbors and friends all seem to compete for the heaviest bag at the end of the night. It’s fun and loud, with the children shouting and each trying to scare one another, most are accompanied by parents and spend the entire two hours collecting candy from anyone who is gracious enough to sit by their front door and open it to the ghosts and goblins, beggars and princesses who knock on their door.

Part of the festivities may include a dinner either before or after the beggar’s night activities. Recipes made of canned pumpkin and other halloween foods crowd the table as family and friends gather as an excuse to eat mass quantities of food prior to the holiday season. Pumpkin muffins, bars, pies, cakes, and other halloween foods adorn the table, but only for a moment, as everyone eats quickly and readily!

Candy and other goodies collected during the two hour beggar’s night ritual should always be checked for dangers. Our children a few years ago, encountered razor blades in apples and countless other atrocities geared toward ending the tradition and hurting those innocent children who are so excited to celebrate Hallow’s Eve! Parents should check the candy for open wrappers, damaged pieces, pieces that look as if they’ve been tampered with, half eaten or otherwise mutilated. This prevents emergency room visits, accidental injuries or, in some extreme cases, death. Those who make efforts to thoroughly examine their child’s loot BEFORE they try to consume each piece in less than 30 seconds will be rewarded with healthy, happy trick-or-treaters! Doing this may involve taking the candy container from the child the minute they walk back into their own door and encourage them to remove their costume and wash their hands. While walking from door to door, it is most likely that the children have rummaged through their bags or containers to examine the contents themselves several times….even maybe after each drop! This may give the parent time to collect the halloween foods, and, for each child, designate a space on the counter to dump the contents. Be careful not to mix the candy! The children will have a fit if they believe their spoils went to another child by accident! On the other hand, they will all work extra hard if they know all the candy must be dumped in a pile and shared throughout the house! After making sure that all the candy is safe to eat, store in single serve bags. This will keep each child from eating too much candy and getting sick. Also, it will provide the parents a way to know if they have had a visit from the most feared spirit of all…the candy monster who mysteriously shows up and takes candy from the children…but no one knows who or when that will be!