Where did Halloween come from & Why is it a Kids Activity?

For so many of our celebrations and customs today the true meaning has been lost in the total commercialization of the historic day.

As kids activities go letting my kids partake in "Halloween trick or treat" is dare I say it a nightmare!!!!!

It goes against everything we try and teach our kids:

• Don't talk to strangers

• Certainly don't take sweets from strangers

• Eat healthy food

But this is only a rule for 364 days of the year.  All of this goes out the window come Halloween as we allow our kids  to roam the streets often by themselves, not only knocking on strangers doors and talking to them but also asking for sweets. But I digress.... how many of us and our kids actually know what Halloween is about and why we celebrate it?

Halloween actually dates  back many centuries to the religious practices of the Romans and Druids.

However, the custom of "Trick - or Treating"  and the "jack-o-lantern" is an old Irish tradition. Hungry Irish farmers went from house to house begging for food, in the name of their gods, which they would use at the local Halloween celebrations. Simply they would promise good fortune and luck to those that gave to them, and to the others that did not give to them - they would threat.  They said to everyone        " Treat me or else I will trick you".

The burning Jack o'-lanterns" was a way of protecting your property from the undead!

As you probably know by now there are a thousand of kids activities that I would prefer my kids did rather than "trick or treating".  My kids are even trying to negotiate skipping their afternoon kids activities. So they can start "trick or treating" earlier........ obviously to get all the good treats.

But, when did Halloween become a Kids activitiy?

Here's the deal I am doing with my kids. If they know the origins of Halloween - then they can go "Trick or Treating" otherwise it's a NO!

Have fun Kids