All Hallows’ Eve, more commonly known as Halloween, is a yearly event celebrated on October 31. It is one that is anticipated by the young and young at heart all over the world. Some scholars claim that Halloween originated from Celtic festivals that honored the dead or that celebrated the harvest. Others doubt that there’s any connection at all to Samhain (a Gaelic harvest festival.) Regardless of its origin, our team at the dental office of Dr. David Hennington hope that Halloween is fun and enjoyed by all of our awesome patients!
Trick or Treat?
In North America, children celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes, ranging from scary to cute. They then wander around the neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking “trick or treat,” receiving candy in return. Trick-or-treating stands as a time-honored tradition. While many parents lament the pounds of candy their youngsters collect and worry about their dental health, there are several steps you can take to keep their teeth in great shape until the candy disappears:
- Limit the amount of candy they can consume each day
- Have them brush their teeth after eating candy
- Avoid hard, chewy candies as they can stick in hard to brush places
- Keep candy out of sight to reduce temptation
- Don’t buy candy too far in advance to limit pre-Halloween consumption
- Help or encourage your children to floss
Halloween Fun
It’s not just about gorging on candy; this festive day associates with other events too. Including carving jack-o’-lanterns, painting pumpkins, decorating sugar cookies, bobbing for apples, going to haunted houses, or just curling up on the couch with a bowl full of popcorn and watching some classic, scary movies.
Halloween Around the World
Some countries, like Australia, frown upon Halloween. They claim it is an American event and not based in Australian culture. Others like Italy have embraced the fun and celebrate much as Canadians and Americans do. Mexicans have been celebrating this day since around 1960, it marks the beginning of the Day of the Dead festival. Some countries in Europe have come late to the party. Since the 1990s, countries like Sweden, Norway, and Germany have started celebrating Halloween as well. Finding children in costumes or having ghosts hanging in windows has become commonplace.
Halloween is about fun; stepping outside our normal lives and donning a costume or gathering with friends to knock on doors and ask for candy is as much a part of our culture as hot dogs and barbecue on Labor Day. Have a safe and happy Halloween from the team at Trade Winds Dental!