Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween has arrived, and as the unofficial start to three months of major holidays, the celebration of all things fall presents its own unique challenges. With that in mind, consider this list of Do’s and Don’ts for surviving Halloween.

DO: Check the community calendar for events

As the first of the big fall/winter holidays, Halloween has the distinction of offering a large variety of events. In addition to trick or treating, most communities offer events like trunk or treat, fall festivals, and harvest-themed events for large groups of people.

Not all of these events will take place on the last weekend in October, either. Depending on where you live, it’s possible the Halloween and fall festivals will start as early as October 1. Check community message boards, social media, and other places to see what’s on the calendar.

DON’T: Try to attend everything

The sheer volume of potential events occurring in the month of October will make it impossible to see and do everything, so use good judgment when trying to decide which events to attend.

The holiday season gets stressful enough on its own. No sense in making it worse by trying to do everything. Pick and choose and enjoy.

DO: Prepare for tricks or treats

If you plan to pass out candy on October 31, make sure your home will be ready for multiple guests knocking on your front door. To signal your participation, make sure your outdoor lights remain on and trick-or-treaters can easily find their way to your front door.

You can also set up a candy distribution center by your front door or front yard, but make sure everyone can see you’re there and that you’re participating in the fun. And there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from getting dressed up to share in the fun, so go nuts.

DON’T: Leave your lights on if you’re not passing out treats

Turning your outdoor lights off can signal to everyone that you’re not passing out candy. You can, of course, take appropriate steps to safeguard your home from mischief makers, but keeping your lights off can help limit the number of people knocking on your door looking for candy.

Keeping the lights off will also limit frustrations for everyone; you don’t get disturbed every 30 seconds, and trick-or-treaters will pass by in search of other homes.

DO: Offer candy variety

While candy and treats generally only have one hard rule (Don’t offer or accept food out of the wrapper), the sky’s the limit in terms of treat offerings.

In addition to candy, acceptable treats can include cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and any assortment of baked goods.

DON’T: Forget about those peanut allergies

This doesn’t mean you have to keep track of the allergies of every kid in your neighborhood, but it’s smart to offer something for everyone. Maybe that explains why Tootsie Rolls always seem to appear in bulk every Halloween. Or those wafer candies that taste like chalk.

And Don’t Horde the Reese’s Cups

Seriously. Everyone loves those things. Learn to share!