At about this time every October, stories -- like this one -- pop up all over the place suggesting "healthy Halloween treats" or, even worse, "alternatives to Halloween candy." But this year, I cannot sit here silently and let these fun-haters go unchecked. To me, it is sacrilege to propose eliminating the key element -- the reason for the season, if you will -- from everyone's favorite holiday. How is a Halloween without candy any different from Easter without Jesus or Christmas without the cookies?
The answer is: It's not! So stop talking crazy already.
What gives me the right to speak on such important issues as Halloween candy alternatives? It's because I grew up in a house that gave away "healthy, sensible treats" and can speak first-hand about how traumatic this can be. Each year I watched my mother in horror as she handed out boxes of raisins and -- as if that weren't mortifying enough! -- pennies, too. The neighborhood kids, who were my friends the other 364 days of the year, made fun of me mercilessly. And, yes, our house was egged.
But personal shame and humiliation isn't the only reason to shun Halloween candy alternatives. Another one is: No one wants all that crap! Consider the items that people tend to suggest instead of candy -- stickers, glow sticks, Halloween-themed plastic toys from the dollar store, raisins and pennies (see above), activity books, etc. At least candy can be eaten or pawned off on friends and co-workers; this worthless stuff just clutters up the house. And there's something about getting all decked out in a killer costumer and then getting a pencil for all your trouble ... what is it? Oh yeah, it sucks!
And besides, one day of non-stop candy-eating isn't going to kill you (provided you don't have severe candy allergies or anything of the sort). You eat yourself into a sugar-coma, and then the next day it's back to normal. Deprive yourself on the most candy-filled day of the year, and you set yourself up for a dieting disaster. So the next time someone tells you to avoid Halloween candy, you tell them "an expert" advised you to do the complete opposite.
Image via coolmikeol/Flickr
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Comments 113
@Donald Barnes really? So what happens if you happen to be born on Halloween? Are you "from the devil", will you "grow up evil"? It is what you make it. I was never comfortable with the holiday until I gave birth on it. Now it is just a day for my son to dress up, have some fun and get a bit of candy. We usually end up at a church for trunk or treat. It is not "demonic, it is a kid's night of fun.
I agree wholeheartedly!! lol
Totally agree! Personally, I HATE this new thinking that children must eat healthy all the time and must be stuffed full of fruit/veggies 24/7. No kid wants that diet. I don't care how much he claims to love his brussel sprouts. Candy, sugar, running around, being crazy, junk food...that's all part of being a kid. And it's best to do it while they're kids because junk food on an average adult's metabolism is just asking for trouble. Do you know what happens to kids who have a strict healthy diet in college? They binge on junk food and then get sick. I opt instead for a balance between health food and junk food. I grew up in a home that offered junk food all the time. Not as a replacement for healthy food, but alongside it. You know what? The appeal for candy and junk food wore off really fast. There wasn't a "forbidden" aspect about it that made it more appealing. Halloween without candy is just wrong. Besides, if your kids don't bring home any candy, what are you going to munch on at midnight?!
Personally, I haven't really been able to hand out candy because I've been taking my DD Trick Or Treating. We also have a dentist out here that will buy the candy from the kids & send it to the troops. We're going to do that this year, and that's because within a week of Halloween, my DD forgets where she hid her candy. And besides, we have candy in the house all year long that we use as rewards and treats, so candy isn't forbidden or taboo to her, and she doesn't feel the need to binge on it. I personally don't like it when she gets the rubber duckies, because when she uses them, water gets stuck in them and then mold forms if they don't dry off completely, which never happens... The candy alternatives she really seems to like are the chips, drinks, stickers and stamps. Amazingly, she also likes getting pennies (so she can put them in her bank and spend later)...
Dear Ronald Barnes,
Halloween is not a "demonic" holiday. Originally, people would dress up in scary, colorful outfits and masks to SCARE AWAY evil spirits, not to summon them. It's true that Halloween is based off the pagan holiday Samhain, but most pagans DO NOT worship Satan. I'm Wiccan, so I would know. Satanists worship Satan; not Wiccans. Religion is like a penis; it's ok if you have one, and it's ok to be proud of it; but please don't shove it down my throat, and for the love of all that is good, DON'T shove it down my child's throat.
Some of the commenters are such extremists. Oh wait, I didn't realize I was on CafeMom.
I love holloween. We always give nice candy and some kids come 3 times!. We never put 'out of candy' signs even if it meant going to the store again on the day of holloween. (It happend last year)
ANY holiday is what you and your family make it. That said I adore Halloween and would never ever give out anything other than sugary, chocolatey, recently purchased (fresh) candy goodness. If I didn't want my kids to get candy I would do something different for them. Le sigh.
Well ya know....candy alternatives really show the kids true colors. Once I ran out of candy and offered mini boxed raisins instead....the kids started yelling at me to my face. They didnt deserve anything to be honest.
I was married on Halloween....what does that make me? :P