The Official Rules of Halloween According to Seattle Met
Image: Nate Bullis and Pixel-Shot/Shuttershock
Halloween. It's not that complicated. There's pumpkin patches. There's haunted houses. There's family friendly activities. But in case you and your family need help getting the most out of the day itself, here are some handy rules courtesy of Seattle Met.
We Trick-or-Treat on Halloween
We have heard stories of far-off lands where trick-or-treating happens on some agreed-upon weekend date so as not to "ruin bedtime routines" or "turn children into sleep-deprived, sugar-fueled monsters on a school night." Here, tricks and treats both happen on October 31. Accept no substitutes.
Wear a Costume
Well, you don't need to wear a costume while trick-or-treating. But then again, we don't need to give you candy, either.
If You Aren't Participating, Lights Off
There is no rule that says you have to give out candy on Halloween. But if you're not participating, please make sure you turn all the exterior lights off in front of your home, including garden lights. That way kids don't waste their valuable time knocking on your unanswered door.
We Want Candy
Nobody wants pencils or plastic teeth or, god forbid, healthy snacks. Let's stick to candy.
Not Too Early, Not Too Late
The sweet spot for sweet collecting is between 6pm and 9pm. (Earlier is okay for cute little kids.) But no one wants teenagers knocking on their door at 11:30 trying to get a Snickers.
New Candy, Please
Nobody wants to eat your vintage Bottle Caps from 1993, much less last year's Skittles. If you're going to hand out candy, please make it fresh—or at least as fresh as highly processed, individually wrapped sugar confections can be.
Speaking of Candy
There are no hard and fast rules, but ideally, one would offer both chocolate and non-chocolate options to account for tastes and allergies. Kids get two (small) pieces until you either run low and move it down to one piece, or find yourself with way too much and start giving it out by the handful. If you give out full-size candy bars, well, kids will love you. Their parents might not. But be forewarned, word gets around.
Candy Corn
The Parent Tax
Parents are entitled to as much of their kids' candy as they want. It's for their own good.
Scare City
In a world of 12-foot skeletons and light-up witches, we heartily endorse any good old-fashioned DIY decorations, including those that involve scaring or startling trick-or-treaters. (Nothing beats a person in costume sitting on a chair pretending to be inanimate before yelling "boo.") But also keep in mind that some kids might not be quite old enough yet for those kinds of thrills.
Dressed Down
If you're going to get political with your costume, you better be really funny or really on top of the zeitgeist. Beached ferry? Please, half of Seattle already forgot that happened. Green jacket lady who mocked the Fox News reporter? OK, we might be in business.
