Fancy dress, sweets and parties – but what do kids really think we’re celebrating?
Almost half of children will be making their way to a Halloween party this year, but a scary 66% are clueless as to what Halloween is all about. So while your kids may be badgering you for a blood-squirting eyeball, more than 1 in 10 youngsters think they’re donning their best gruesome outfit to honor the London witch trials. A further 5% think we’re carving pumpkins to mark the Devil’s birthday. Of course, if you’re now scratching your head wondering what this candy-fest is actually all about, it’s said to have stemmed from pagan rituals and festivals of the dead on All Hallows Eve.But while kids may be a tad clueless to the night’s original meaning, they’re certainly not afraid of celebrating it. According to the poll, carried out by Snazaroo face paints, around 1 in 5 children get to as many as 30 doors on their annual trick or treat rounds. Perhaps unsurprisingly, eating sweets topped kids’ list of favourite Halloween activities. Bizarrely, children also quoted meeting Ruby Wax as one of their most memorable Halloween experiences, as well as handing out flowers to their neighbours. If you’re not keen on heading out trick or treating, have a spooky party at home with our 10 of the best decorations and step-by-step face paints. Plus, we have some brilliant Halloween-themed pancake recipes and freaky cupcake ideas too. And don’t forget – little things like red food dye in a glass of lemonade, or trifle sponges used as tomb stones in ice cream go a long way to making a fun Halloween-inspired dinner for youngsters.
