This year marks the second #COVID Halloween 🎃 and a Day of the Dead that has generated record spending from Americans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's safe to go out and collect candy, but given that most trick-or-treating children are under the age of 11 years old and unvaccinated, precautions should be taken. Tips for parents and trick-or-treaters include: keeping activities outside, making and wearing fun masks, and forming candy lines to minimize contact and maintain social distancing.
And for families wanting to refrain from going out because they're in a high-risk area, the #CDC suggests having a candy scavenger hunt in a home or yard.
Trick-or-treating started after World War II and not long after came the first rumors of strangers trying to hurt kids going door to door on Halloween. While #CityImages has heard stories dating back to the '50s alleging people dropped pennies heated on stoves into children's outstretched palms, it's in the '60s and '70s, that these claims really took off. Other versions include razor blades in apples and needles in Snickers bars, and weed candy is just the latest one, popping up more frequently as more states legalize marijuana.
The Day of the Dead El Día de Los Muertos is a holiday celebrated on the last day of October, the 1st and 2nd of November. It originated and is mostly observed in Latin America, especially by people of Mexican heritage. Although associated with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration rather than mourning
Nevertheless, as far celebrations are concerned, the research that includes documents as old as 1958, shows no evidence that any child has been seriously hurt by a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick-or-treating, there are plenty of other phenomena that we've grown accustomed to fearing in daily life despite a lack of evidence that they actually happen. Therefore, a word to the wise is sufficient, as my teacher used to say, let's be careful out there folks!