Halloween is arguably one of the best holidays of the year–people getting free candy for pretending to be something they’re not. No one can deny Halloween is a very spirited (pun intended) time of year, but in many cases, people let passion possess them and forget proper etiquette.
There are many activities associated with Halloween: pumpkin carving, decorating and of course trick-or-treating. People of all ages can enjoy Halloween. However, the young adult crowd often loses respect for others trying to participate in the holiday. Here are the “dos” and “don’ts” for having a spooktacular Halloween.
Trick or Treating: The Ground Rules
Imagine opening the front door and coming face to face – or face to chest – with a muscular teenager gripping a ten-pound pillow sack, brown peach fuzz poking out beneath a mask. Scary stuff.
Is there a certain age when you should no longer trick-or-treat? No.
Anybody can trick-or-treat. There is nothing wrong with 19-year-olds traipsing around the neighborhood for some free candy. The only requirement is participation; costumes are a must.
Anybody can trick-or-treat, as long as they are respectful to the younger crowd. Don’t push someone two feet shorter than you out of the way to grab a candy bar. That’s low.
With regards to the candy–take whatever the homeowners offer. It’s incredibly rude to stuff a pillowcase with candy and not leave some for the rest of the neighborhood.
And if someone opens the door, use your manners. Unless dressed as a rude, inconsiderate snot rag (see Costumes), the first words that leave your mouth should be “trick or treat?” And a “happy Halloween” wouldn’t hurt either.
Costumes
Don’t be that one person dressed as a “sleep-deprived teenager” or “inappropriately dressed firefighter.” Do it right or don’t do it at all. Nobody is asking you to show up wearing a homemade contraption reminiscent of something Lady Gaga would wear, but a little effort goes a long way.
Guys–The best costume to wear for Halloween is a giant cardboard magnet with a bunch of rubber chickens stapled to it (chick magnet).
Girls–Avoid anything that shows how bad the farmer’s tan really is.
Costumes don’t have to be elaborate; they just have to show you care.
Practical Jokes–in good taste
Remember that one time in the 1970s when some rambunctious high school students thought it would be great fun to pour gallons of pig’s blood on a girl at the school dance, but it turned out she was a telekinetic psycho and ended up killing everyone in the gym? Yikes.
Scaring people is definitely one of the best parts of Halloween. Nothing beats seeing a friend leap five feet in the air screaming bloody murder. But don’t ever take it too far, or risk the same fate as the students in Carrie.
Practical jokes are certainly acceptable, as long as they are done in good taste. They should never be performed to harm or humiliate someone.
Just think it through. Don’t scare someone with heart problems.
Homeowners on Halloween
Even if you are not the trick-or-treating type, you can still participate in Halloween activities. Decorating the house is always a possibility. Almost everybody has some Halloween decorations, and if not, Walgreens is open really late and has some pretty cheap cardboard tombstones.
If decorations aren’t your forte, the “don’t bother me” approach is equally effective! Nothing is scarier than a dark house with no decorations on Halloween.
Candy is a must. Don’t be that one house that gives out toothbrushes and toothpaste or apples.
If invasion of privacy in the form of children trekking up the yard and knocking on the front door unannounced (granted it’s a little creepy) is a concern, place the candy at the bottom of the driveway, or throw a block party and hand out chocolate with the neighbors.
Halloween is a great time to bond with friends. Nothing beats the thrill of free candy. Halloween can be fun for all ages, as long as proper etiquette is followed.
