Perhaps the most cherished pastime of Halloween is venturing out in costume to go trick-or-treating. To go along with this favorite tradition, which a few college students are reluctant to part with even years after they have passed the age where it is appropriate, The East Texan presents the “Tricks and Treats of Halloween.”
Not every aspect of Halloween is as kid-friendly or safe as it may appear, the tricks, but some fun facts are even more appealing than once thought, the treats.
Chocolate is both a trick and treat. One of the popular and most hoarded treats of the season is unfortunately high in sugar, calories, and fat; however, the presence of antioxidants in dark chocolate has been found to help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease as stated by www.webmd.com.
In a completely unscientific form of nutritional math, the negative effects are canceled by the positive benefits, and thus eating chocolate is a neutral Halloween activity.
Pumpkins are generally treats for those who appreciate the acquired taste and for pumpkin growers especially.
According to www.coolest-holiday-parties.com the pumpkin contains more vitamin A than all other canned fruits and vegetables and at fall festivals, the biggest giant pumpkin can receive as much as $25,000 in top prize money. This serious hobby comes with a serious caveat from the weird statistics file.
“Smokers who eat pumpkin increase their risk of lung cancer,” from “Everything is Bad for You” by David French.
It would be difficult to argue that walking is harmful, as moderate exercise is necessary for a healthy life.
Trick-or-treating involves a lengthy trek for the ambitious child dragging their parent along, but sadly trick-or-treating turns out to be more of a trick. “Everything is Bad for You” notes that the number of children ages five to fourteen killed while walking at night increases four-fold on Halloween. Those allergic to latex should also take care around manufactured costume masks on this evening to prevent serious allergic reactions and rashes.
Black cats are characteristic of the Halloween genre, but unfortunately the felines have little reason to celebrate. Besides the reactions they can cause to allergy sufferers, some superstitious people believe black cats can cause bad luck and they intend to harm them on Halloween.
“The perception of danger to black cats on Halloween has become so prevalent that many shelters and humane societies refuse to allow adoption of black cats during the entire month of October,” from www.cats.about.com.
Halloween wins for sweetest holiday of the year, beating out Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas in candy sales, an estimated $1.93 billion annually, according to www.coolest-holiday-parties.com. As far as treats go, a quarter of all the candy sold in the year is bought between Sept. 15 and Nov. 10.
The tricks and treats are what make Halloween an anticipated event for youngsters and those who wish they were young.
So, sprinkle some salt in your hair to ward off evil spirits as they do in Ireland, but take care not to ingest too much.
Salt can raise a person’s blood pressure, which could be dangerous on a holiday that promotes scaring and spookiness.