The carved jack-o'-lantern pumpkin has become the most popular symbol of Halloween. It is originally thought to have represented the souls of the dead. The custom of placing a candle inside a carved jack-o'-lantern is believed to be rooted in the custom of lighting candles to guide the souls of the dead back to visit their earthly homes.

Although Halloween appears to have begun in Europe, it was not until the mass influx of Irish and Scottish immigration to America, in the early 1800’s, that the custom of Halloween was brought to America. It initially was confined to the immigrant communities, but by the early 1900s it had been assimilated into mainstream society and was generally being celebrated coast-to-coast as a holiday not rooted in Christianity, but shared by people of all societal, racial and religious backgrounds.

The Halloween of today generally results in some very creative costume parties as well as the long-held tradition of children trick-or-treating door-to-door.

It is this trick-or-treating custom that has created the need for recognizing some safety tips within your community.

Safety tips for trick-or-treaters are:

• walk safely across the street at corners using traffic signals and crosswalks
• children should go out in groups and map out a route and be accompanied by an adult
• at least one person in the group should carry a cell phone in case of emergency
• look both left and right at the street and when crossing
• put your electronic devices down and keep your heads up and walk, don't run, across the street
• children should make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street in front of them to make sure they are seen
• always walk on sidewalks or paths - if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible
• watch out for cars turning or backing up
• do not dart out into the street between parked cars
• children under the age of 12 should not be out alone at night without adult supervision - trick-or-treat with an adult
• decorate your costumes or bags with reflective tape or stickers and choose light colors to wear so that you will be easily seen
• choose face paint rather than a mask when possible, as a mask can obstruct your vision
• children should carry light sticks or flashlights with them, not only to help them see but to make sure that they can be seen by drivers
• when selecting your costume make sure it is the right size so that it doesn't cause you to trip or fall
• make sure any costumes you wear are labeled as flame resistant
• the last safety tip is to hold off eating anything until you get home and parents have an opportunity to inspect the food

This last step represents a sad commentary on our society that food must be inspected, prior to consumption, to make sure it has not been tampered with.

Safety tips for drivers:

• drive slowly and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods as children are excited about Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways
• take extra time to look for children at intersections, on street medians, and on curbs
• enter and exit driveways slowly and carefully watching for children
• eliminate any distractions in your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings
• drive slowly, and turn your headlights on earlier in the day, so that you can spot children at a greater distance
• anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic in residential neighborhoods
• be especially alert from about 5 PM to 10 PM, as those are the most popular trick-or-treating hours

Be safe.