Top Ten Halloween Safety
Tips For The Big Day....
As the big spooky day approaches and you gather your
costumes and treats, don't forget to complete a Halloween safety
check. There are many simple safety tips you can easily incorporate
into your Halloween plans. Start your trick-or-treating tradition
off on the right track with these ten tips, and the worst danger
you face will be a stomachache from eating too many sweets!
Halloween Safety....
When going down your checklist for the big day of
trick-or-treating, here are some extra precautions that should be
on your list.
 Accompany
your child while trick-or-treating to significantly reduce the risk
of possible danger. Well-lit streets in neighborhoods that you know
provide the best trick-or-treat route.
Whatever hallloween costume your child chooses, add some reflective
tape or use fluorescent colors to make your child more visible to
motorists and other trick-or-treaters. Reflective tape is available
in most sports, craft, or hardware stores.
Trick-or-treat bags should be light colored and have
some reflective tape as well, to make children more visible in the
dark.
Give your child a flashlight to play with as they
trick-or-treat. It will be exciting for them, and they'll stand
out in the crowd. They'll not only see but also be seen more easily.
 Make
sure your child knows that all sweets have to be checked by an adult
before it is eaten. Even sweets that are well wrapped may pose a
choking hazard. Younger children may need an adult to hold their
treat bags so the temptation to taste just one piece isn't too great.
Look for flame-resistant labels on costumes, masks,
and other Halloween gear. Even if costumes are flame resistant,
keep your child far away from any jack-o'-lanterns that get their
light from candles.
Although it is funny to see your child in oversized
clothing, it isn't safe. Even older children can trip over a costume
they are not used to wearing. Keep oversized costumes above the
knee to prevent your child from tripping.
Shoes should be sturdy and fit well. Even if too-big
clown shoes will look better with the costume and your child will
not be walking very much, it still isn't safe to put them on.
 Masks
are designed to look funny or scary, but they are not designed for
the best visibility. Make sure your child can see clearly with their
mask in place before letting them trick-or-treat. If their vision
is impaired in any way, make sure your child has a buddy who will
make them ware of things they may not see.
Halloween sweets are not designed for really young
children. They do not need to eat sugary sweets, however, to enjoy
Halloween. To make the experience special for little ones, why not
make a favorite dinner and talk about all the new things you saw
that day? Some parents have even developed a sweets-for-toys trade
program. The more sweets you trade, the better the gift.
DISCOVER MORE...
Learn about the history of Halloween.
Ghouls And Gobblins....
From their birthplace in France the ghouls, these
nasty, hideous cousins of gnomes have spread all over Europe. When
they entered England in ancient times, the Druids called them Robin
Goblins, from which the name "hobgoblin" derives. Goblins have no
permanent home, living temporarily in old trees and under moss-covered
rocks. Reported to be playful on occasion, goblins are nonetheless
to be avoided. A goblin's smile can curdle blood, and its laugh
can make milk turn sour. Goblins amuse themselves by hiding things,
spilling food, and confusing travelers by changing signposts.
The youngest of all the creatures in the monster
pantheon, gremlins were born in the United States. Highly mechanical,
they have been responsible for much technological progress. They
live around tools and inside machines and appliances. During World
War II, however, gremlins turned against mankind when mechanics
and scientists began to take credit for gremlin work. They began
by causing mechanical failures in aircraft. Gremlins torment humans
by blunting tools, pushing hammers onto thumbs, playing with the
hot and cold water in showers, holding down the toasting mechanism
and burning toast, and deflating tires.
According to Middle Eastern mythology, ghouls are
evil female spirits of the desert. Able to assume the shape of an
animal, ghouls are grave robbers, living off the flesh of the dead.
Travelers planning to cross any of the vast deserts or savannahs
of North Africa, the Middle East, or Central Asia should be aware
that ghouls often entice men off the road and confuse them. Once
the men are disoriented, the ghouls proceed to feast on their flesh.
The Story Of Count Dracula....
Transylvania produced a leader known as a defender
of the Christian faith, a Romanian hero, and a subhuman monster.
His name was Prince Vlad, but the world knows him by his nickname:
Dracula. Vlad, or Dracula, was born in 1431 in Transylvania into
a noble family. His father was called "Dracul," meaning "dragon"
or "devil" in Romanian because he belonged to the Order of the Dragon,
which fought the Muslim Ottoman Empire. Therefore young Vlad was
"son of the dragon" or "son of the devil." Scholars believe this
was the beginning of the legend that Dracula was a vampire. Dracula
lived in a time of constant war. Transylvania was at the frontier
of two great empires: the Ottoman Turks and the Austrian Hapsburgs.
Treachery, vindictiveness, and revenge ruled the day, as young Dracula
soon discovered. Dracula was imprisoned, first by the Turks, who
hauled him away in chains, and later by the Hungarians. Dracula's
father was murdered, while his older brother, Mircea, was blinded
with red-hot iron stakes and buried alive.
From 1448 until his death in 1476, Dracula ruled Walachia
and Transylvania, both part of Romania today. Twice he lost and
reclaimed his throne, once by fighting his own brother, Radu. Although
the Vatican once praised him for defending Christianity, it disapproved
of his methods, which soon became infamous. Dracula earned another
nickname, "Vlad Tepes" (pronounced tsep-pesh), which means "Vlad
the Impaler." Dracula's favorite method of torture was to impale
people and leave them to writhe in agony, often for days. As a warning
to others, the bodies would remain on rods as vultures and blackbirds
nibbled the rotting flesh.
During one battle, Dracula retreated into nearby mountains,
impaling people as he went. The Turkish advance was halted because
the sultan could not bear the stench from the decaying corpses.
Another time, Dracula was reported to have eaten a meal on a table
set up outside amidst hundreds of impaled victims outdoors. On occasion
he was also reported to have eaten bread dipped in blood. Dracula
was killed in December 1476 fighting the Turks near Bucharest, Romania,
hiss head was cut off and displayed in Constantinople.
Belief in vampires and the power of blood is as old
as mankind. Early man smeared himself in blood and sometimes drank
it. The ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans
all believed in vampires. The Jewish Talmud tells of Lilith, Adam's
disobedient first wife, who was transformed into a monster roaming
the night. In the Americas, the early Indians of Peru believed in
devil worshippers who sucked blood from sleeping youths to get their
life, while the Aztecs sacrificed victims to ensure the sun would
continue to rise, removing the beating hearts from their victims
and holding them high in the air. In Transylvania, with its blend
of Hungarian, Romanian, and Gypsy beliefs, belief in vampires has
been particularly strong.
Orthodox Christians believe the soul does not leave
the body for the afterlife until 40 days after burial. When an Orthodox
Christian is excommunicated, or converts to another faith, it is
said that the earth will not receive his body, forcing him to wander.
Some Mongolian peoples of Central Asia believe in the vampire and
a bat god. Since Hungarians migrated to Europe from the steppes
of Asia, it is probable they shared this belief.
Fun Halloween Recipe! - Vampires Blood Shake
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package frozen strawberries or raspberries
thawed ice cubes
1 pint strawberry ice cream
1.Mix yogurt, vanilla, and berries in the blender.
2.Pour into tall glasses over ice cubes, or chill.
3.Top with a big spoonful of strawberry ice cream.
Movies For Halloween
Halloween (1978)
Halloween II (1981)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Halloween 4: The return of Michael Myers (1988)
Halloween 5: The revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Halloween: The curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Halloween H20: 20 years later (1998)
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Halloween (2007)
Halloween II (2009)
And my Favourite - Leslie Nielson in Dracula Dead And Loving It
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