Trick or "Treat"?

(KM) #1

I don’t know which countries celebrate Halloween, so just in case, it’s a holiday celebrated here in the US on the 31st of October, where people dress up in costume. Children traditionally go door to door in the evening showing off costumes and collecting candy around the neighborhood.

I have decided handing out candy for Halloween is about on par with performing free glucose tests - hey kids, welcome to the land of diabetes, have a sample!

I do think the tradition of trick or treating is fun, but I’m going to treat them with something else. I found (Thank you, Robin), some ping pong eyeballs on Amazon that look cool for about $.50 each.

What else would make a good ‘treat’? Also, there are usually infants/toddlers being carried by parents, don’t want to leave them out but there’s the question of what is safe for a baby. Not all the gifts have to be baby safe, but some should be.

#2

Cocktail sausages, non glazed.

I’m pretty sure Halloween originated where I come from…and there’s still (thankfully) plenty of ‘spooks’ hanging out of the place.

:skull::clown_face::ghost::alien:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Beef jerky sticks are about all I can think of that’s commercially available. Peanuts would be okay (not great), but so many kids have nut allergies these days (I wonder if that is connected to our high-carb diet), it’s a bit risky.

You might also consider compromising your principles, and hand out small packets of carb-laden snacks, as long as they are not also sugar-laden. Not ideal, but better than candy.

As for babies, I have no idea, except how inexpensive are pacifiers (dummies, for those of you abroad)? That’s about all I can come up with.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

Hallowe’en is the remembrance of a pagan holiday co-opted by the Christian Church. It is Samhain in disguise, isn’t it? The following day, November 1, is All Saints’ Day, which is one of the most solemn of the Christian holy days, right up there with Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

The original form of the word “Hallowe’en” was “All Hallows’ Eve,” “All Hallows” being the original name of All Saints’ Day.

#5

Quite correct, Paul.
Originally a Celtic festival, which permeated all parts of the British Isles.

“a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.”

#6

I have long avoided Halloween for a related-reason: I know I can’t keep candy in my house. I’d eat more than the kids did.

So every year I turn off the front light, pull down the shades in the front of my house, and stay in the rear of my home until it’s over. Or, I go out.

Maybe that’s being a party-pooper but it works best for me.

#7

I hunker down with the pupper, try to calm her down, because of all the fireworks and bangers.

I’m thinking of bringing her to a remote Glamping spot this year, as far away as possible from the celebrations.

And no, I always enjoyed Halloween growing up, it’s just I’m quickly turning into a practical grumpy old git! :smiley:

#8

Probably should’ve put this here:

Interesting fact…Jack-O-Lantern tradition started in Ireland with turnips, as opposed to the now more familiar pumpkin.
Morning Start: Jack-o’-lanterns originate from an Irish myth - Summerland Review
We used turnips as kids growing up, and it was really exciting preparing them.
Then we had dunking for apples! Which some might call apple bobbing.

We didn’t trick or treat, we just dressed up with a lot of effort, called at a house (with parent or guardian), and sang a traditional song. A bit like Christmas Carol singers do. No threats of tricks!
And here’s the link for that:
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=9eef1e82b984f9caJmltdHM9MTY5NjYzNjgwMCZpZ3VpZD0zZTY4NGRiNy1jZTZjLTYzYjQtMDU2Ni01ZTE0Y2ZiMTYyNmQmaW5zaWQ9NTIzMg&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=3e684db7-ce6c-63b4-0566-5e14cfb1626d&psq=halloween+is+coming+and+the+goose&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaXJpc2htdXNpY2RhaWx5LmNvbS9oYWxsb3dlZW4taXMtY29tZS1seXJpY3MtYW5kLWNob3Jkcw&ntb=1

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

In the U.S., the jack-o’lantern tradition was given a big boost by “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” a short story by Washington Irving, which features a headless horseman with a pumpkin for a head. I used that costume one year, with a plastic jack-o’lantern (with a battery-powered light inside) on top of my head, and my mother’s old nursing cape covering my head underneath. It was one of the costumes I really had fun with.

Carving pumpkins each year for jack-o’lanterns is another set of fond memories. Haven’t bobbed for apples in literally decades.

I can’t imagine carving a turnip out to put a light inside. Pumpkins, being gourds, are hollow, and a lot easier to carve, I should think.

#10

Yes!

Turnips are rigid, and requires some force to be carved with a sharp knife by an adult, but we were allowed to draw the facial features on to it, lol.

Did you have toffee apples too?
We made them ourselves. Basically melted sugar that you dip the apples in, with a lollipop stick.
Sounds horrendous now, but you only got it once a year so not too bad.

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#11

Oh my, not only Japanese had this awful thing? I can’t imagine how anyone could like it. It’s way too sweet and hard! :scream:

(Of course, almost all apples are way too sweet for me these days… But they never needed extra sweetness…)

They look fun, I admit that…

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

Candied apples, yum! :apple:

(Geoffrey) #13

We don’t participate for religious reasons but it really doesn’t matter for us because we live out in the country. Our driveway is 100 yards long and no kids are going to walk the back country roads after dark. Pretty rare to see anyone walk the roads even in the day.

#14

Can I bring my pupper over to yours then bro?

:+1:

#15

I don’t think we have trick or treat in this country (but I am not social so no idea. Halloween came quite a few years ago and pumpkin carving is a big thing but I never noticed anything else) but I live at least 4 km from the nearest villages, no one would bother me :slight_smile: I don’t even have a bell…

But no one ever came to us at Easter either (not here, before the time I moved out). Well, there was a kid once but that’s it. That is more like a village thing I suppose and I lived in a town but most people just do it to good acquaintances…
We just don’t have holidays where kids going to neighbours is a thing.

(KM) #16

Here we do these, call 'em candy apples (or candied). Toffee apples are dipped in caramel and usually then rolled in chopped peanuts.

#17

Caramel and peanut is so great… But it’s better with chocolate if you ask me. I love that combo.
But don’t miss it at all.
(I could make it on my off days anyway. It still would be keto…)

I said goodbye to apples today. And the fruit seasons of 2023, basically.
The apples were too sweet anyway just like the grapes. The medlar, our last fruit will be even sweeter.

But if we talk about super sugary things… The historical cooking channel I follow made vinegar candies for Halloween. Sounds bad. Surely IS bad. Almost exclusively sugar. Horrible. Hard candy. I never liked hard candy (except the most exciting flavors like sour cherry or honey. still not really good but the taste made me eat them). I liked fatty candy. Chocolate-y if possible. I love crunch but that should be biscuits in the softness, not hard candy, ew.
I definitely wouldn’t hand out hard candy. But normal chocolate is more than half sugar too, it’s so crazy since I am a low-carber… (I just didn’t focus on label on high-carb.)

(KM) #18

I am indulging in sugar porn here, but toffee apples … creamy sweet butter and sugar, then salty, then crunchy, then sweet /sour juicy …all in one bite … oh … mmmmmy …

#19

Don’t!
:smiley:

(KM) #20

Keeping calm and ketoing on. Thank you. :laughing: