Halloween traditions lead to controversy

by Katherine Irwin, staff writer

 

Many people dress up, throw parties or take their children trick-or-treating for Halloween.

But there are some interesting facts that you might not know that makes it one of the biggest holidays of the year.

 Did you know that about 65 percent of Americans will end up decorating their homes this year for one night of fun. The only holiday that exceeds this is Christmas.

This time of year, the most candy will be bought. Americans will spend about $21 million on Halloween candy this year alone. That is just for candy, not to mention all the costumes and decorations bought. When costumes and decorations are added in, it is the second biggest spending holiday, second only to Christmas.

About some 25 million humorous greeting cards are sold annually, but Halloween is the season when the most greeting cards are sold. 

Also, the rumors or hoaxes of people putting poison in the candy still exist, causing parents to be extra cautious and check their children’s candy before letting them eat it. The hoax has been going on for many years. So to fix the problem, many adults and parents now give out prepackaged goodies to prevent the rumor from actually happening.

For many decades, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has distributed boxes to children so that they can collect money at Halloween. During the 1950's, a few public schools in the United States banned the UNICEF boxes. They believed that the boxes were part of a Communist plot.

Also, in some parts of the country, Halloween is held on the Oct. 30 if Oct. 31 falls on a Sunday, claiming that Sunday is a holy day and everyone should rest on that day.

In Hillsborough, New Jersey, Halloween has been banned, but it has been replaced as a “Fall Festival” so the children can still have fun on Halloween. They also banned Valentine’s Day, now calling it “Special Persons Day.”

So for those who are planning on doing something on Halloween, make sure to be safe, dress appropriately, trick-or-treat, and leave the little Harry Potter-look-a-likes alone. Have a great Holiday and do not get too sick from eating too much candy.