Halloween weekend of fun and spooky adventures
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HALLOWEEN is on Sunday - or is it?
As a child I loved nothing better than getting dressed up and going round the doors, bag in hand, armed with a joke, ready to accept lots of goodies.
In my home town, whichever night Halloween (October 31) fell then that was the night you headed out.
However, I am aware that locally and other parts of the country, if Halloween falls on a Sunday, then kids tend to go out celebrating on the Saturday, or in some cases even the Friday night.
With Covid-19, Halloween was effectively cancelled in 2020 and this year precautions will still be in place and people will be urged to take care when going from door to door.
You might find hand sanitizer is as much on show as pumpkins this year.
Or you might be opting for a stay-at-home pumpkin party to be on the safe side.
I heard tales from last year of some people tying goodie bags to fences and garden gates to allow kids to still celebrate Halloween without having to go near people's houses - what a great idea.
With no real restrictions now on people meeting up in their houses in smaller numbers, Halloween is likely to have a more normal feel this year, but will as many people be 'haudin' Halloween'? (that was the phrase I would blurt out to neighbours more than 40 years ago, meaning are you holding Halloween?).
Nowadays the phrase is trick or treat, which is more an Americanism of Halloween.
My rule of thumb was always if you saw any hint of light inside a house, then it was fair game for a chap at the door.
So, with Halloween back on this year, there will be great excitment, but what night will you be venturing out with your young one?
That also begs the question what age do you let them go out themselves, if at all on their own?
I have seen some pretty 'old' trick or treaters in recent years.
Monkey nuts were a big thing in my day, but with more kids having nut allergies, they have understandably bitten the dust as a Halloween treat. I must confess I was never a fan of the nuts and would always feel a bit disappointed if I got too big a handful in my bag.
I still remember getting healthy options of apples and tangerines, as well as copious amounts of sweets.
Dooking for apples (where you would place your head in a bowl of water and try to pick an apple out with your teeth) is probably not Covid-secure, and besides I think that faded into the mists of time many years ago. It might be something you still do in the privacy of your own home.
A local mum's Facebook group held a poll to gauge the feeing, with the majority appearing to suggest Sunday night would be when most are dressing up and visiting their neighbours, however, there were some opting for Saturday and a few the Friday.
Let us know your fun Halloween memories or perhaps your horror stories, and which night your young one will be going out? Or tell us about your Covid-safe Halloween fun in your own home.
So does that mean Halloween becomes an all-weekend affair when October 31 is a Sunday?
We would love to see your Halloween pictures, which you can email to halloweenpix@hnmedia.co.uk
